‘The Nun’ Cast Share Terrifying On-Set Experiences

Making a good horror movie is apparently just as terrifying as watching one, at least in the case of The Nun, the latest entry to the Conjuring universe.

Filming in an isolated castle in Romania might have lent itself to a creepy feeling on-screen but it also provided more than enough creepy moments for the film’s cast. However, the location itself was just the beginning. Demián Bichir and Taissa Farmiga were burdened with director Corin Hardy’s terrifying jump scare creations during production but also had to face dark, claustrophobic moments.

“It’s not fun to fall into a coffin and be there,” Bichir said, referencing a sequence which sees his Father Anthony Burke falling into and being locked away in a buried coffin. “I’m comfortable with small spaces but that’s not a good thing. Don’t try that at home, kids.”

Farmiga’s scary takeaway memory was no more comforting. “For me, there’s a scene towards the beginning of the movie,” the actress recalled. “We were filming it outside in this castle. It was a wide shot so the camera was way back there so all the crew was far away. I had to start in this little closet and I was holding this lantern. I was terrified because for a good probably a minute, minute and a half, I’m alone. It’s pitch black. I’m waiting for them to call action. I asked for them to send someone to sit with me because I was a little to scared.”

Luckily, Farmiga is not one to have any stern beliefs in the supernatural. “I don’t have such a black and white outlook,” Farmiga said. “I don’t want it to be real but I also don’t want to offend by saying ‘no’ but I don’t want to say ‘yes’ and open that gateway. I’m content living in my little bubble.”

Her character, however, is a firm believer. It’s why she falls victim to horror tropes, such as strolling down that hallway, which the audience certainly knows better than. “Faith” is her character’s driver, the actress said, and it is strong enough to give her a sense of bravery.

“It is our mission,” Bichir added. “When you’re a priest, it’s being a part of an army. You are a soldier. There is no coming back. When they ask you to go in an accomplish your mission, that’s what you do. It doesn’t matter what you face or encounter.”

Still, the jump scares and tactics used on set are enough to make both the cast and audiences watching in theaters leap out of their skin.

“For me as an actor, usually it’s the assistant director who is giving the cues for when the things to happen,” Farmiga said. “They usually do it very quietly or making signals behind my back so I don’t see, so I’m actually experiencing the jump scare as well. They don’t want you to know when it’s coming.”

The Nun hits theaters on Sept. 6, 2018.

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