Alyssa Sutherland had a lot of work to do after she scored the role of Ellie in Evil Dead Rise, the fifth installment in the Evil Dead series. “I had never watched any of the series because I am a scaredy cat!” the 40-year-old exclusively tells GRAZIA USA. “So, I made myself watch the first film and I really liked it. I also never get to read characters like this — it doesn’t come along often for me.”
“The most exciting part for me is that my character is going to break new ground for women in film because I’m like a deranged psychopath crossed with a Tasmanian devil,” she quips of her character. “My character is off the walls, and I feel like I’ve never really seen a female do that. I played this insane creature out to terrorize people’s minds and be crazy while I do it, which was so much fun.”
The Australia native has been in the industry for quite a while, but she still goes to acting class, where she gets to dive into other genres she might not necessarily get for her jobs. “It was so much fun to be in such a different character — that’s such a departure for me,” she says. “I really wanted a role like this. It’s so addictive.”
While the film, which was released on Friday, April 21, focuses on two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, may be hard for some to digest, Sutherland admits it wasn’t too daunting for her to get into character. “I’ve been sort of riffing on this for a while. I think women have a lot of rage, and it’s pretty easy for me to tap into that rage. Not to get too political, but in the U.S. women’s rights are being taken away, and we’ve all been through a lot,” she shares.
Sutherland also worked with an amazing stunt team who helped her during difficult scenes. “We shot everything chronically, so I knew exactly what was coming up and where we were headed. It was a real gift we were able to do that,” she says, adding that there was a specific set that was built for her to achieve this one stunt. “It’s such a challenge because you have to be so precise and make sure you’re keeping other actors safe. It was kind of my first time having to really incorporate stunts and acting at the same time.”
From this particular job, Sutherland believes she learned how to “trust myself and my instincts” and working with director Lee Cronin was great, as he made her feel comfortable and confident in whatever she wanted to try. “Sometimes I had a different idea than what was on the page, and a lot of the time that is what made it into the film. It just reinforced that I need to trust myself as an actor and performer. It can be scary to do that, but it was so fulfilling and satisfying at the end of the day. I also work well under pressure.”
According to the star, the latest flick “pays homage” to the original films and even has a lot of Easter eggs, “but at the same time, it’s really scary.”
“I have to hand it to Lee because he managed to create a film that is in evolution. “We are doing something new, but it still fits within the whole franchise,” she notes.
Over the years, Sutherland has been in several films and series, including Vikings, The Devil Wears Prada, Don’t Look Up and more. However, Evil Dead Rise has been the highlight for her so far. “I’m most proud of this work for sure. It was a real challenge, and I am so proud of what we were able to do,” she says. “We had the odds against us when we were filming in New Zealand during the pandemic because we got shut down. We had to survive one of the lockdowns in New Zealand and then pull it together to get the film finished. Since we shot chronologically, there was no end to the film while we were all in lockdown. We couldn’t just say, ‘OK, well, we have some footage now. We’ll cut it together and make a movie out of it.’ We didn’t have the ending. But what we have been able to accomplish is amazing, especially when the odds were stacked against us. We created this movie to be shown in cinemas because it’s such an experience. You can see us having a really good time making it.”
At the end of the day, the former model hopes women watch the film since it features a female villain and a female hero. “There’s also a lot of women who watch horror films. We’re addicted to true crime and listening to podcasts about narcissists,” she quips.
As for if Sutherland ever got over her fear of horror movies, she says she’s “getting a bit better now.”
“I’ve been trying to watch some, but I have to do in the middle of the day!” she shares. “I can’t do it before bed. It’s different when you’re in the film or on set. I also was the one scaring everyone, so that was a fun role to play, honestly. I have seen Dead Evil Rise. I loved it.”
Next up for Sutherland is finding “the next challenge.”
“I love working, and I just hope a new challenge arises. I am sort of hankering for something dark and messy. I’d love to play a female character who is just a mess. Maybe she’s a lawyer or something because I’ve never done anything like that. I am open to anything. I know this is a tough industry to be in, and there are ups and downs. But when this role came along, it was right, and the stars aligned. This is a bucket list moment for me. I am still pinching myself, honestly. I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Evil Dead Rise is now out in theaters.
