The Devil’s Rejects Star Reveals How He Brought Otis Back From the Dead for 3 From Hell

Bill Moseley debuted as Otis Driftwood in House of 1000 Corpses and, two years after that film’s release reprised his role for 2005’s The Devil’s Rejects, but, despite how long it’s been since he’s played the character, was able to quickly embrace the sadistic murderer for the upcoming 3 From Hell. Fans believed they had said goodbye to the character when he and his cohorts were seemingly killed at the end of Devil’s Rejects, though, thanks in part to the love of fans, the character never really left him and is excited with how writer/director Rob Zombie found a way to deliver another terrifying adventure featuring the characters.

“I go to a lot of fan conventions and certainly Otis has stayed alive, at least in the eyes and minds of the fans,” Moseley shared with ComicBook.com about reprising the role. “I don’t really watch Devil’s Rejects or House of 1000 Corpses all that often, so, in other words, I’m not home alone at night, burning the midnight oil, keeping those fires burning for Otis or Chop Top (from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), for that matter.”

He added, “They’re just kind of in there. I think once you’ve actually done a movie or two as that character, it’s in your DNA. I guess like riding a bicycle. You just never really forget, especially after Devil’s Rejects. That was the first time I’d ever done a character twice and I think it’s still the only character I’ve ever played more than once. So you get pretty comfortable or the character gets comfortable with you, one way or the other.”

Reports about a Devil’s Rejects sequel emerged last year, with the news taking fans by surprise. Moseley, on the other hand, had a much longer time to mentally prepare to bring the character back to the big screen. Moseley noted that his physical preparation helped him mentally prepare to bring the character back.

“When we were about ready to roll, I had a bit of an advance notice since it took me about a year and a half to grow that beard,” the actor points out. “So there was a little osmosis insofar as every day the beard got bigger, maybe Otis showed up a little bit more. I really can’t say that accurately, but I’m saying it just figuratively. And I just went over the script. I certainly know Sid (Haig) and Sheri (Moon Zombie) and working with Rob, so there was a lot of familiarity there that came back pretty quickly.”

He continued, “And having read the script, I just loved the fact that we’re still around and I like the fact that it wasn’t based on somebody waking up and Devil’s Rejects being consigned to a dream. I’m so glad we didn’t do that, because that stuff became a device in Hollywood.”

When audiences learned that the new film would be titled “3 From Hell,” speculation ignited about what the film’s plot would be, with some fans even thinking we could follow these characters into Hell itself. Moseley, for one, was relieved that this wasn’t the path the film took.

“I liked the fact that we didn’t end up going to Hell and being so bad that the devil rejected us, because then that would make us supernatural,” Moseley admitted. “We’re just hardy, lucky humans. I liked the fact that that was, if you’re going to put them back on two feet, that’s the best way to do it.”

Not only was Moseley able to quickly find his groove with Otis, but also with reigniting the chemistry he has with his co-stars.

“The relationships fell right back into place,” the actor expressed. “Certainly working with Rob and Sheri was fun and felt pretty familiar. I do a lot of those conventions with Sid Haig. The two of us have, I don’t think we’ve gone for more than four weeks at a time without seeing one another. So that relationship is very current.”

Fans can check out 3 From Hell during a special three-night event beginning on September 16th. Tickets for the September 16th, 17th, and 18th nationwide release of 3 From Hell are available at FathomEvents.com/3FromHell.

Are you looking forward to seeing Otis Driftwood again? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!