[Interview] Alex Hedlund for CHUCKY Season 3

In Chucky’s unending thirst for power, Season 3 now sees Chucky ensconced with the most powerful family in the world – America’s First Family, inside the infamous walls of the White House. How did Chucky wind up here? What in God’s name does he want? And how can Jake, Devon, and Lexy possibly get to Chucky inside the world’s most secure building, all while balancing the pressures of romantic relationships and growing up?

For Season 3 of CHUCKY, Nightmarish Conjurings’ Shannon McGrew spoke with executive producer Alex Hedlund (As Above, So Below, “A Friend of the Family”). During their chat, they discussed everything from tackling the huge task of setting things at the White House, constantly bringing back Devon Sawa and the process of working with puppeteers.

Thank you so much for speaking with me today, Alex. For those coming into the third season of CHUCKY, what do you think sets this one apart from the previous seasons?

Alex Hedlund: The White House backdrop alone is such a big concept. I remember when [creator] Don Mancini first pitched it, I thought that was so interesting. The more that I heard about it, it felt very organic; a creepy old haunted house that is maybe the most famous haunted house in, arguably, the world. I think the setting is definitely a big hook of the season. Hopefully, for the people who have seen a couple of episodes they can kind of settle in, and it doesn’t feel like it’s treading on an episode of “The West Wing” or something like that. The goal is to really make it feel very grounded and focused within the dynamics of the family. Obviously, there are protocols and other things that get factored in along the way, but trying to tell that new family dynamic was certainly the bullseye. Just the fact that it’s in the backdrop of this very famous setting is a little bit of a bonus. The themes of grief and overcoming trauma and healing as a family that was more of the protein of the writers room.

I also think we’re seeing the evolution of Jake’s (Zackary Arthur) and Devon’s (Bjorgvin Arnarson) relationship. In the past two seasons, their romance was always an anchor amidst all the Chucky mischief and the creative kills and everything else. There was this real affinity and care for those characters as individuals, but also as a budding relationship. I love the way that Don and the writers really talk about the characters and wanting to make sure that they’re not just doing the same thing emotionally and that they’re growing.

I think when it comes to any potential romance or escalation of intimacy or the fact that they love each other it’s handled delicately and responsibly. I’m sure that most people are showing up and they want to see gore and blood, and so hopefully we’re delivering on that too, but I hope that people can connect to that relationship. It’s an unexpected bonus to emotionally invest in this relationship and also their friendship with Lexi (Alyvia Alyn Lind) and how that continues to grow stronger. Hopefully, those are a couple of things that set it apart and make it feel like it’s a natural progression for the series.

One of my favorite things about CHUCKY is the use of Devon Sawa. Each season, his character is killed and then the following season he’s brought back in for a whole new role. Where did the idea of resurrecting Devon each season come from?

Alex Hedlund: That is something that has always stemmed from Don and in the writer’s room. I am definitely an advocate for bringing Devon back because he’s just a gem on set and he’s such a great guy. The fact that he’s okay with coming in and getting brutally murdered, electrocuted, and blown up shows he’s a good sport about it. I think a big part of it is that genesis in the writers room of where the trajectory of the season arc is going and who are the characters. It just so happens that Devon Sawa is perfectly suited to play multiple characters in this universe. I think because each season is almost its own anthology, the close-endedness, there’s a little wink at the camera sometimes, and being a little self-aware, I think is helpful. It’s nice to get the band back together with all new characters so I think it’s fun for him to kind of jump into a different role. And then, of course, there’s a grizzly death that is potentially waiting for him too.

When it’s time for Chucky to make his grand appearance on set what is the process like for the puppeteers?

Alex Hedlund: There could be anywhere from maybe three dolls on set at a time. It really stems from Tony Gardner and Peter Chevako, their team at Alterian, and the puppeteers, and how amazing they are at just rendering this performance each time. It’s such a coordination between the group of actors and puppeteers. There are about six or eight people at a time who are controlling some aspect of Chucky’s eyes, Chucky’s hands, Chucky’s grin, and sort of seamlessly all having to work together in real-time to make this performance.

It can be a little stressful at times if there’s a malfunction or something doesn’t go right, but some of those guys have been working on Chucky for decades. They certainly know how to pivot and course-correct if something’s not going right or if they need to fix the doll. It’s sort of akin to a stunt where you’re watching a movie, a car chase, or something, and this shot that takes half a day to shoot is like five seconds. Sometimes it’s a little bit like that. Again, the show is called CHUCKY; he’s basically number one on the call sheet so you’ve got to get that right [Laughs]. Don, particularly, is very locked in on all the different kinds of mannerisms and all the eccentricities that make Chucky who he is.

With us being in the third season, looking back from where the series started to where you are now what are you most proud of?

Alex Hedlund: There are so many things to be proud of. I’m first and foremost proud of Don for basically growing into and being a natural-born showrunner as the creator of the franchise. He’s written and directed all these amazing movies and the fact that he has pivoted to TV so well and kept the series going for three seasons amidst a pandemic and strikes is everything. We get to work on this show because of him and it’s a real treat, to be honest. So, I’m proud of him and I’m proud that people are tuning in.

It’s amazing that the franchise is 35 years old and it’s amazing that it feels like fans of the franchise growing up can so seamlessly come back into the fold and new fans can sort of discover it and then go find the movies or vice versa. I think that speaks to Don’s credit for creating this character that is so versatile and has such an amazing personality where you can drop them into all these crazy situations, circumstances, backdrops, whatever. It just feels so organic and the way that it works never gets formulaic. I think that’s something that again is a credit to Don and the writers who are always trying to say how can we do things differently this time? Or what haven’t we seen? Whether it’s a creative kill, a set piece, a situation, something to put our characters in peril, or something to give us something to care about. The versatility of this franchise and its enduring nature is just something that I’m personally proud of, and that I can be a small cog in the machine to keep it going.

You can catch Part 1 of CHUCKY Season 3 now on Syfy, USA Network, and Peacock. To learn more, check out our review here.

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Shannon McGrew

Founder/Co-Owner at Nightmarish Conjurings

Shannon is the Founder of Nightmarish Conjurings and a lover of all things horror and haunt related. When she's not obsessively collecting all things "Trick 'R Treat" related, or trying to convince everyone that "Hereditary" is one of the greatest horror films ever made, you can find her designing interiors for commercial restaurants. An avid haunt fan, Shannon spends the entire year visiting haunts and immersive experiences throughout the Southern California area and hopes to one day design her own haunted attraction.

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