Interview: Daeg Faerch on Life Since Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Starring in Josie, and Anti-Bullying
When Rob Zombie released his remake of Halloween in 2007, many John Carpenter fans were beyond apoplectic. Some even sought to turn the shock-rocker-turned-filmmaker into a pariah, lambasting his approach to the horror classic’s mythology along with his writing and directing skills. While fans can objectively make the case that Zombie’s Halloween fails in ways that Carpenter’s Halloween succeeds, no one deserves the level of abuse he suffered from online trolls and professional journalists alike.
While Zombie is known for his thick skin and don’t-give-a-fuck attitude, the disproportionate negativity the film received couldn’t have been easy on the cast and crew. Someone who probably took way more than his share of venomous bluster is Daeg Faerch, the actor who played young Michael Myers; he was only 12 when the film hit theaters.
The main difference between Carpenter’s Halloween and Zombie’s Halloween is that the latter spent an entire first act giving a backstory to a young psychopath who was left completely enigmatic in 1978. Whether you found Myers’ extended backstory a success or a fumble, Daeg is blameless; he was a paid actor who did his job as instructed. If he wasn’t able to accurately communicate Zombie’s vision, he’d have been fired. So, whether you love or hate Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Daeg did a damn fine job and deserves his due credit.
But Daeg isn’t a kid anymore and he’s building a solid legacy in which Halloween is just a single chapter. Since working with Zombie, he’s appeared in Hancock, Run! Bitch Run!, and Ditch Party. And he’s not limiting himself to just film, having recently appeared in the Blondie video for “Fun”; he also models and spits hip-hop fire!
We were lucky enough to catch up with Daeg as his latest film, Josie, is set to arrive in theaters and VOD on March 16th. The film is directed by Eric England (Contracted, Get the Girl), and he stars as Gator opposite Dylan McDermott (“American Horror Story”) and Sophie Turner (“Game of Thrones”). Check out the trailer below, followed by our interview.
Dread Central: How did you land the role of young Michael Myers in Rob Zombie’s Halloween?
Daeg Faerch: In a nutshell, I walked into a room full of brunette boys who were all smaller than me, and I booked it!
DC: Halloween received a lot of backlash from John Carpenter fans. How has playing young Michael Myers affect your life?
DF: Playing young Michael will always be part of my journey. The experience and opportunities have been a blessing.
DC: What have you been up to lately?
DF: I love making music; music production and film production for my rap music videos. Yeah, spending a lot of time there. I’m developing a fitness routine now that I’m a sponsored bodybuilder. I work out every day and I’m sponsored by INSANE LABZ; get 20% off using promo code “GreatDaeg.”
DC: Let’s talk about Josie! How did you get involved in the production? Can you tell us a bit about the character you play?
DF: Eric reached out to me to play Gator. Love me some Gator, but I’m vegan!
DC: What was it like working with Eric England? How would you describe his style versus other directors you’ve worked with?
DF: Eric is a cool, laid-back director. I may even compare him to Rob Zombie in that they understand that the actor brings his own talent to the project and they let me have fun with the roles.
DC: What was it like working with Sophie Turner and Dylan McDermott?
DF: Dylan was in character the entire time and that was awesome, but it didn’t give me much of an opportunity to get to know him. Sophie is super cool with wild, awesome energy. At the point that I met her, I was just starting to make my music videos and she was very supportive and even did a little dance for the music video “GIGGIN” along with Jack Kilmer and Eric England.
Jen Soska, Tristan Risk, James Duval, Daeg Faerch, Sylvia Soska
DC: What’s next for you in terms of movies and music?
DF: I played a necrophiliac recently in a film that’s running the festival circuit. I’ve got other stuff in the works, but nothing I can talk about yet. Music-wise there is always another slap around the corner!
DC: Are you looking forward to Blumhouse’s Halloween?
DF: It is really cool that they are bringing Jamie Lee [Curtis] back. I am happy the franchise is boomin’!
DC: Is there anything else you want to tell our readers?
DF: I have a message for the kids: Be better than you were yesterday, no holds barred. I’m now taking bookings for talks about anti-bullying because it’s an important issue to me.
DC: That’s awesome! Tell us more.
DF: The message is especially important with the recent school shootings. My past includes playing young Michael Myers and being bullied, and there’s a strong anti-bullying message in Ditch Party. I’ve recently accepted offers to speak at schools and locations with my message of being positive… being better than you were yesterday. I want to help the victims of bullying deal with their experiences in a positive way and bring hope to all.
DC: Thanks so much for talking to us.
DF: Thanks, Josh! Ask your readers to follow GreatDaeg on Spotify!
Categorized:News
