Actress Gracie Gillam Discusses Her New Horror Film Who’s Watching

Heaven of Horror recently spoke with actress Gracie Gillam about playing Krista in Tim Kasher’s new horror film, Who’s Watching. The film was distributed by Dark Sky Films and is now available on digital.

With credits ranging from Fright Night (2011) to Syfy’s Z Nation, Gracie Gillam is no stranger to the horror genre. Her latest role in Tim Kasher’s Who’s Watching, however, puts her in a very different kind of nightmare—and is already generating buzz.

The official synopsis for the film reads:

Eccentric musician and aspiring filmmaker Caleb becomes obsessed with his new coworker, Krista, secretly documenting every aspect of her life in an effort to make her the subject of his latest film. As Caleb’s fixation intensifies, the lines between observer and participant begin to blur, pulling him deeper into a dangerous spiral of surveillance, manipulation and obsession. As the cameras keep rolling, the question becomes increasingly unsettling: who is really watching who?

We spoke with Gracie below about Who’s Watching and some of her other credits.

What was it about Krista and the story of Who’s Watching that made you want to take on the role?

Assuming the best in others has put me in grave danger before. I used to think it was rude not to trust someone. I had to learn that trust is to be earned. I think that’s a common experience, especially for anyone socialized as female from birth. I thought the script was so smart and empathetic, so once I met Tim and found him to be the same, I felt safe and confident signing on.

Krista is being watched and documented without her knowledge, which makes the horror feel incredibly personal and realistic. What did you find most unsettling about stepping into that situation as an actor?

I would say that most film acting involves a bit of unexamined surveillance, but nowadays, that’s a part of everyone’s life. Mostly for this job, I knew there was going to be a very concentrated amount of scenes that involved screaming and crying, etc., so I prepared ways to self-care after those days on set. Luckily, I was getting to stay with the incomparable, lovely, and hilarious Olivia Luccardi, and even more luckily, she was always down to stay up late and cook a good meal after work.

Director Tim Kasher has talked about the challenge of developing Krista into a fully realized character when so much of the story is initially filtered through Caleb’s perspective. What did you want to bring to Krista that existed beyond the way Caleb sees her?

I wanted it to be clear that she was already experiencing one of the most dramatic times in her life before she met Caleb. She had her life upended and her heart broken before moving to a different state. But she’s resilient. I think you can see that in how she forges relationships in her new home.

Horror often works best when it takes something familiar and makes it terrifying. What ordinary aspect of Krista’s life became the scariest to you once you understood where the story was going?

When I first read the script, I thought the horror was going to play in how common the situation was. I have definitely found myself being overly nice to someone who is making me uncomfortable. But once I saw how Zachary was approaching the character, I realized we were telling a story about how terrifying it is to live in a society where almost nothing can be done about an obviously dangerous situation until it’s too late.

I think it’s easy to watch horror and believe you could outsmart the horrific situation the characters find themselves in. But most people would feel safe leaving their bag in their office.

There’s also the double-edged sword of the faun response. Playing nice to a creep is often safer than confronting them. But what happens when that gets taken as encouragement?

There’s no supernatural monster in Who’s Watching, but Caleb can feel just as frightening as any horror villain. What makes a human antagonist scary to play opposite?

I suppose the reality of Krista’s situation made it feel a little closer to home. That being said, I’ve had a flashback during a scene being suffocated by a very silly many-limbed zombie. Trauma is trauma. It doesn’t matter how many arms the villain has.

What did you discover about Krista during production that wasn’t necessarily obvious when you first read the script?

I knew my job as an actor was to make sure she seemed ordinary. This could have happened to anyone. Once it was time to film, I worked with wardrobe and hair and makeup to actualize that.

Additionally, Tim added the detail about Krista being married, but separated after we met up about the project. That opened up a whole world of juicy backstory for me in terms of her inner life.

-You’ve appeared in several horror projects, including Fright Night, Some Kind of Hate, and Superhost. What continues to draw you back to the genre?

First of all, I love big, crunchy, yummy stakes. Give me a world entirely like the one I inhabit to play in, and I am a happy actor. Second, I looooooove the fandom. I am a horror fan, and I love horror fans. Third, the people who work in horror tend to be chill and super fun to work with. There is something about wrestling your inner demons professionally that lends itself to sanity. And Fourth, I like fake blood.

You played a very different kind of horror role in Superhost. How did your experience on that film influence the way you approached Who’s Watching?

At the end of the day, I want to serve the story first, while keeping in mind the audience experience. I knew my job in Superhost was to be entertaining as well as scary. I think if you can get the audience to laugh, it will be easier to make them scream. They are opposite ends of the same instinct. Rebecca was kinda both the Caleb and the Tawnia of that story.

Playing Krista demanded a very different set of responsibilities. My job was to anchor. She needed to lend heart, but also mostly to support.

When you look back at Krista now, what is the one thing about her that you think audiences might underestimate?

It’s a cliché for a reason; don’t mistake her kindness for weakness. Kindness is a survival tactic.

You can read our review of WHO’S WATCHING here, and watch a trailer below.