Camila Morrone is currently scaring audiences worldwide as the lead in Netflix’s hit horror series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen. The eight-episode show follows Rachel Harkin (Morrone) and her fiancé Nicky Cunningham (Adam DiMarco) as they travel to his family’s remote lodge in upstate New York for their wedding. But instead of a happy celebration, Rachel faces an ancient family curse, strange in-laws, and a dark past that refuses to stay buried. The series comes from creator Haley Z. Boston and executive producers The Duffer Brothers (known for Stranger Things) and is now streaming on Netflix.
Morrone recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss the grueling five-month shoot in Canada’s winter, her realistic views on soulmates, growing up superstitious in a Latin household, and why horror acting finally gets the respect it deserves.
Morrone Explains Her Realistic Take on Soulmates and Love
The show questions whether one perfect person exists for everyone. Rachel and Nicky are clearly not meant to be together, but other couples in the series survive the curse through honesty and hard work. Morrone says the show does not give a clear answer on purpose.
“I think soulmates can exist, but everything requires work, luck and timing. I definitely don’t have googly eyes disillusion when it comes to, ‘There’s one person meant for you until the day you die.’ I like believing that, but as a child of divorced parents, I’m also a realist.”
The actress explained that she actually relates more to Nicky than to Rachel in real life.
“Funnily enough, I actually relate more to Nicky more than I do Rachel. I’m a lot more of a hopeless romantic and an optimist. I’m maybe a bit naive. I have a Golden Retriever energy to me, so I’m much more Nicky than I am Rachel.”
She added that the show forces viewers to question what they believe about love and tradition. “I like a show that leaves you evaluating your whole life and also questioning the things that you thought you knew with certainty before,” Morrone said.
The Grueling Five-Month Shoot in Canadian Winter
Playing Rachel took a serious physical and mental toll on Morrone. She described the experience as the hardest of her career. The cast shot many scenes at night in freezing temperatures, often running through snow and performing stunts.
“It was five months of shooting including exteriors and night shoots in a Canadian winter. I’ve never felt like an athlete in the way that I felt like an athlete doing this. Every single episode I knew I was climbing a mini-Mount Everest.”
She also had to pace herself carefully. “If I went too hard in episode one, the audience would have nowhere new to go by episode eight, and I would have no gas left in the tank. So it was a very methodical balance of giving it my all for 16 hours, and then going home to wake up a few hours later so I could do it all over again.”
The late-night schedule messed with the cast’s sleep patterns. Morrone admitted she took sleeping pills on the job. “As a cast, our circadian rhythm was so rocked. I didn’t realize that you shoot horror mainly at night, so most days would have a 6 PM call time till 6 AM. It got weird, delusional and eerie,” she said.
One of the most exhausting scenes involved running through the forest at negative 11 degrees. “I had these tires on my boots to keep me from falling, but I still kept falling while doing stunt work at 4 AM in the freezing cold. I decided to wear a skirt with combat boots in the pilot and second episode, and I later regretted that during my exteriors.”
Growing Up Superstitious in a Latin Household
Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is full of superstitions. Characters hold their breath through tunnels, avoid broken mirrors, and worry about seeing each other before the wedding. Morrone shared that these moments hit close to home because she grew up with many superstitions herself.
“Growing up in a Latin household, it’s in my blood to be superstitious. My mom always raised me with the classics: You can’t open an umbrella inside; you can’t put your purse on the floor or you’ll lose money; you can’t pass salt hand to hand. No hats on the bed was another one. And every time you pass a cemetery or a grave, you have to touch your left boob and make the devil’s sign with your fingers and bite your tongue.”
She laughed while sharing that last one. “I don’t know what each one symbolizes, but my mom instilled such a fear in me that I just have to follow them.”
Horror Acting Is Finally Getting Its Recognition
Morrone believes horror performances deserve more awards attention. She pointed to recent wins for Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) and Amy Madigan (Weapons) at the Oscars this year as proof that things are changing.
“It’s so cool that we’re opening up awards for this genre that requires really gut-wrenching and often crippling performances. Something has changed the tide in a good way these last few years. There’s just a lot more diversity within the genre now, and people are recognizing that these performances are really hard to pull off.”
She credits her showrunner Haley Z. Boston for helping her prepare. Boston gave Morrone a long list of horror films to watch, including Birth, The Celebration, Funny Games, The Vanishing, Carrie, Rosemary’s Baby, and Possession. She also revealed that she auditioned for the Florence Pugh role in Midsommar years ago. “That was the first time that I had read a horror script that I was really attracted to,” Morrone said.
Learning Leadership from Tom Hiddleston
As the lead of the series, Morrone had to set the tone for the entire cast and crew. She looked to Tom Hiddleston for inspiration. The two worked together on The Night Manager season two.
“I had just come off of working with Tom Hiddleston, and I have to give him his props because that man is such a professional. He is the most hardworking and the most prepared person on set, and he has the best attitude with the least amount of complaining. He’s the first person in, last person out.”
She added that watching Hiddleston carry a show emotionally for six months taught her how to handle the pressure. “You try not to think of yourself in that way, but the truth is that there was an extra pressure for me to keep everyone’s spirits up and maintain the focus.”
What Scene Gave Her the Most Anxiety
Morrone singled out episode seven as the most stressful to film. The episode includes long single-take shots (called “oners”) that require perfect timing from everyone.
“We sometimes did 25 takes, and it was very frustrating. If I felt like all the technical things went right, I didn’t feel like my performance was right. Or, when my performance felt right, we’d have to start over because something went wrong in the background or it wasn’t where it needed to be. So those days of running through the house with an amputated toe were really exhausting.”
The “amputated toe” refers to a gruesome moment where Rachel loses a toe and it ends up in a champagne drink. Morrone joked that no crew member has admitted to drinking the prop beverage yet.
Also Read:
Morrone Keeps Taking on Challenging Roles
Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is now streaming on Netflix. Morrone said she only picks projects that scare her.
“Every time I pick a project, I ask myself, ‘Is this a real challenge for me? Am I really scared to do it? Am I terrified of failing at it?’ And if the answer is yes, then I have to do the job. I only want my career to be stepping stones of more challenging and complex roles that feel further from me.”
She is currently shooting an adaptation of The Age of Innocence for Netflix, playing the Countess Ellen Olenska. She also stars in Gonzo Girl with Willem Dafoe, directed by Patricia Arquette, which is coming out soon.
Also Read: Prime Video’s ‘Every Year After’ Season 1 Soundtrack: Every Song From Episode 1 to 8
Want more updates on Netflix series and your favorite actors? Keep following VvipTimes for the latest entertainment stories.
