Sam Morgan on ‘The Red Mask,’ Unexpected Inspiration, and Using Music to Tell a Story – INTERVIEW

Sam Morgan discusses his upcoming horror movie, connecting music with his acting, and what’s next.

Sam Morgan can most recently be seen in The Red Mask, which premiered at London’s Fright Fest in late August. I had the chance to ask the actor, director, and musician about which slasher he would change the ending of, what’s needed for a perfect horror project, his experience behind the camera, and more.

Getting Involved with The Red Mask

What character do you play in The Red Mask, and how did you end up getting involved in the project? 

Powell Robinson, the Director of Photography, is a friend of mine, and he reached out asking if I wanted to do a cameo role in the film, and it sounded super campy and fun, so I jumped. Basically, the movie is about a writer attempting to write the final film in a classic slasher franchise, The Red Mask, who’s then terrorized by some uninvited guests. I play Chad, one of the characters in the OG slasher movie WITHIN the movie. Kind of like the Stab franchise in Scream.

Did you find any unexpected inspiration for your character? 

I love Bruce Campbell and the Evil Dead franchise, so that was where my head was at. Especially when you’re in the middle of the woods at 1 AM, covered in fake blood. “What would Bruce Campbell do?” 

Which slasher would you like to rewrite the ending for, and what would you change? 

Ok, am I allowed to give spoilers? Anyway, SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN SCREAM 4. I think it was such a missed opportunity to let Sidney off the hook. Either they should have killed her in the opening sequence (like they did with Drew in the first one) to really destabilize the audience, OR make her the killer while she’s simultaneously promoting her book. I love Neve Campbell. She is my all-time Final Girl, but we let Sid off way too easy.

Elements of a Perfect Horror Story

What do you consider to be the necessary elements for a perfect horror story? 

I find horror films the most unsettling when they reflect the logic of everyday life, like the characters are smart and do what any sane, logical person would do, and they STILL end up in dire straits. That is what scares me. The Strangers still has me messed up.

What is one BTS fact about the horror genre that you think would surprise fans? 

I don’t know if this will be a surprise, but just how COLD and uncomfortable fake blood and running through the woods actually is. It’s just wet and matted, and everything sticks to you. The trailer shower looked like an actual crime scene after I finally got all the fake blood off.

How has your experience behind the camera as a director affected how you approach your roles in front of the camera? 

Being a director is a bit like being a maestro. You come to realize that everyone has their own unique process and way of finding characters, moments, or whatever, and the way I talk to one actor may be entirely different than the way I speak to their scene partner. For me, I think every character I play requires something unique, so sometimes I do animal work, other times it’s Uta Hagen. It really just depends on who I’m playing and what season of life I’m currently navigating. 

Music and Storytelling

As a musician, do you ever find yourself thinking about how music is going to fit into a scene?

ALWAYS. The way I approach music is way more about storytelling than hitting notes or being overly technical. I keep images in my mind when I’m playing a song because I want people to feel like they know me better after hearing me play, and in that regard, my music feels much closer to my acting process. It’s all about self-revelation. 

What can you tease for fans about your next project?

Oh, you’re gonna like this one. I’m getting ready to go to Spain to shoot a horror film called The Betrayer. I can’t say too much about it yet, but it follows a young woman whose deepest insecurities begin to manifest in her physical reality in the form of a demonic entity called “The Betrayer.”

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