After pleasing the masses at the Hall H panel presentation, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark star Guy Pearce hit the Hilton Bayfront for some one-on-one interviews. I was fortunate enough to get to spend some time with the actor who plays Alex Hirst, a divorcee who doesn’t quite know what to do when his ex ships their young daughter, Sally (Bailee Madison), across the country to shack up with him and his girlfriend (Katie Holmes). And that’s the least of his troubles. Turns out, the old Blackwood Manor, the spot Alex is renovating to sell, but currently calls home, is haunted and the evil that lurks inside has its eyes on his littler girl.
While the film is firmly entrenched in the horror genre, boosting the drama and the father-daughter element were top priority for Pearce. Lucky for him, he had a lot of help in that effort as his young co-star, who was just nine-years-old at the time, was as professional and capable as they come. Check out everything Pearce had to say about balancing the horror and drama, working with Madison, his thoughts on Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark’s terrifyingly elusive villains and much more in the video interview below.
