Our good friend Sameer, who previously supplied us with excellent Q&As with William Scharpf, Tony Cecere, and Lee Waddell, has done it again with this newest Q&A with Scream 2 stuntman and Ghostface actor Chris Durand (Chris also played Michael Myers in 1998's Halloween: Twenty Years Later).
I did a Q&A with Chris Durand, one of the actors/stuntmen of Ghostface in Scream 2.
By u/SamGFilms
November 11, 2021
Hey everyone! A couple of months ago, I did a Q&A with Chris Durand, one of the actors/stunt performers of Ghostface in Scream 2.
He is an actor/stunt performer who starred in movies such as Halloween: H2O, Uncle Sam, Maniac Cop 2, Encino Man, Rapid Fire, The Mask, Star Trek: Generations, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and TV shows such as Angel, Titus, Power Rangers Time Force, Team Knight Rider, and Westworld.
Some may be saying, wasn't Dane the stunt performer who did EVERYTHING in Scream 1 and 2? That's where you are wrong because, in Scream 2, they wanted to separate the stunt performers wearing the Ghostface outfit so people couldn't think it is one consistent person/killer. They separated it between a couple of stunt performers, of which Dane was one of them, and so was Chris.
In Scream 1, Tony Cecere, Lee Waddell, and Dane Farwell were the stunt guys of Ghostface. In Scream 2, Chris Durand, Lee Waddell, Dane Farwell, Ted Barba, Kurt Bryant, TJ White, Rick Barker, Chris Doyle and Allen Robinson were the stunt performers of Ghostface.
In Scream 2, he did the scene where he chased Cici (Sarah Michelle Gellar) around the house and killed her.
1. How did you get into stunts?
I was a rock climber and a martial artist, and I realized that there was a business in which I could use both of those. I never knew much about it growing up, but a good friend got started, and I followed suit. I began by helping to set up and safety stunts first.
2. What do you mainly specialize in stunt wise?
Fights, chases, acrobatics. I am a 6'2" gymnast.
3. What scenes did you do as Ghostface?
Chasing Sarah Michelle Gellar (Cici Cooper) through the house and killing her, plus some other bits. It was mostly that whole sequence. I read to be one of the two detectives, I think they were detectives, but Wes gave it to his buddy (Chris Doyle). I also doubled one of the main characters (Jerry O'Connell) when he is lowered onto a stage on a cross.
4. How was it like to wear the Ghostface costume?
It was an easy costume because it was very large and flowing. I had a lot of room to move, although the vision is limited.
5. How was it like to play the killer, especially in a horror production?
For me, it is really fun to be the bad guy. Totally the opposite of how I really am.
6. How was it like to work with the great but sadly late Wes Craven?
Very cool. He was a kind of quiet and gentle guy. He kept it fun.
7. Are you a fan of the horror genre, and do you have a favorite horror film?
I don't tend to watch horror. I like the fantasy adventures better. Horror just sort of happened to/for me, and I'm good at it.
8. Did you get to work with Neve, Courtney, and/or David? If so, how was it like to work with them?
I crossed paths with them all, and everyone was friendly. I don't really know how they are away from the set, though. Hopefully, the same.
9. Did you have a favorite actor or actress working with on that set?
Not really. I didn't have much time to socialize at all. It was a quick shoot for me, and the days that I was there were really busy.
10. Just wondering, do you know what scenes the other stunt performers (Kurt, Dane, Lee, TJ, Kurt, Rick, Chris, Allen, etc.) did/were in for?
Not offhand. We mixed it up on purpose because we all move a bit differently, and it keeps the audience guessing.
11. Do you think Scream 2 was a highlight of your career thus far?
No. It was fun, though.
12. What to you was the most challenging scene to shoot?
Throwing her through the French doors. It is tricky to get just right, so it is safe.
13. As a stuntman, is there any stunt performer/coordinator who inspires you?
I have worked with the best across the board, and many are good for specific areas and others better at other areas. It is an impossible choice for that reason.
14. What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about being a stunt performer?
That we are daredevils.
Article originally published on r/Scream.
