Lizzy Caplan, star of the upcoming horror film Cobweb, has had a long and successful career in Hollywood. However, it may come as a surprise to many that she has never been in a full-fledged horror movie until now. Despite launching her career 24 years ago, Caplan never had the opportunity to explore the genre that is often considered a rite of passage for younger actors.
Caplan first got her start with appearances on Paul Feig and Judd Apatow’s Freaks and Geeks, as well as the latter’s Undeclared. It was through these projects that she formed a friendship with Seth Rogen, who later brought her the script for Cobweb through his production company, Point Grey. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Caplan speculates that her initial reputation for comedy may have prevented scary movies from coming her way.
She explains, “It’s a sound theory. I suppose it was probably a combination of not actively pursuing anything — because I just wasn’t really a horror fan — combined with opportunities not coming my way, possibly because of the [comedic reputation] theory.”
In Cobweb, directed by Samuel Bodin, Caplan plays the role of Carol, a controlling mother who, along with her husband Mark (played by Antony Starr), goes to extreme lengths to shelter their eight-year-old son Peter (played by Woody Norman) from a secret they’ve been keeping. The film showcases a side of Caplan that viewers have rarely seen before, as her character exhibits some rather disturbing tendencies.
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Caplan shares her reasons for taking on this role, saying, “Sam [Bodin], our director, made the show Marianne, and that was the real reason why I wanted to do this film. He wanted to put a few things in [Cobweb] that had some Marianne echoes, specifically the creepy rictus grin that an older woman [Mireille Herbstmeyer] in Marianne always had on her face. And then they put these really disgusting long nails on me, and my own little Easter egg was that I wanted my hands to kind of look like the Babadook.”
Despite her success in the industry, Caplan remains grounded and humble. She recently received her second Emmy nomination for her lead role in the FX limited series Fleishman Is in Trouble. However, she explains that this distinction feels different from her nomination for Masters of Sex in 2014. She admits, “The difference between now and nine years ago is that it’s really nice to have it just be a pleasant surprise and a lovely thing, as opposed to something that felt like it was more important to me than anything else in the world at that time.”
Caplan also expresses conflicted feelings about celebrating her achievements at a time when her peers are facing difficult challenges due to strikes in the industry. She acknowledges, “It’s a really weird time to be celebrating anything with the [SAG-AFTRA] strike right on the horizon and the existing [WGA] strike going into whatever week we’re on now. So it’s a mixed bag of emotions, but personally, I take it as a really delightful honor.”
In a discussion with The Hollywood Reporter, Caplan reflects on her own fears as a child and the movie that scared her off horror movies until recently. She reveals that she was terrified of spiders and vividly remembers the movie Arachnophobia, which left a lasting impact on her. She also shares that as a child, she was more scared of movies like The Strangers, which involved random acts of violence, rather than monster-type fear.
As for her role in Cobweb, Caplan explains how she approached her character and the unique attributes she brought to the role. She reveals that the upright posture, hushed tones, and unsettling demeanor were not actually written in the script. Instead, she and Antony Starr, her co-star, worked together to make their performances as weird and unsettling as possible, adding strange and bizarre elements to each scene.
As Cobweb is set to release, Caplan looks forward to seeing the final cut and hopes that the weirdness they captured on set makes it into the film. Despite her initial hesitation towards horror movies, Caplan has embraced the genre and is excited to explore this new chapter in her career. With her talent and versatility, it’s certain that Caplan will continue to amaze audiences with her performances, no matter the genre.
