Already heralded as one of the best films of the year, Weapons has been terrifying audiences across the globe since if was release less than a fortnight ago. We were lucky enough to chat to two of its stars, namely Callie Schuttera who plays Mrs. Lilly, Alex’s mother and Clayton Farris who delivers an unforgettable turn as Marcus’s husband, Terry.
Callie Schuttera revealed that she landed her role in Weapons through a traditional audition tape, unlike many of her co-stars who were directly approached. She admitted she didn’t realise how dark or demanding the part would be, nor that the film would break out of the horror niche into mainstream acclaim. A fan of horror that mixes real trauma with dread, she drew inspiration from parental overwhelm and sleep paralysis to portray her character’s fugue-like state. The work was physically intense too, with prosthetics for shocking scenes like the fork-stabbing moment taking hours to apply.
She acknowledged that while some viewers interpret the story as an allegory for school shootings, director Zach Cregger mainly drew from his own experiences with family alcoholism. Schuttera praised his ability to create a safe, supportive set, especially for child actor Kerry, who played her son. She said the cast felt protective of him, and Zach balanced strong direction with encouragement to help him thrive.
Calling Weapons a career breakthrough, Schuttera expressed gratitude for its reception and the growing awards buzz. Looking ahead, she and her wife are launching their production company, Poison Pictures, with a horror-thriller about people fleeing an authoritarian regime, as well as a politically charged narrative documentary.
Elsehwere, Clayton Farris shared that his role in Weapons came about unexpectedly, after his agent checked his availability and quickly set up a meeting with director Zach Cregger. A longtime fan of Cregger, he was thrilled to be cast and wanted to bring humour to his character despite the film’s dark trajectory. He explained that moments of levity hit harder in horror because they provide relief from the tension, making his brief but memorable role impactful. He also recalled the now-viral “hot dog” moment, which was scripted by Zach but playfully enhanced by Farris himself.
Farris praised his co-star Benedict Wong for being both a kind collaborator and a versatile actor, and said that working alongside more established names only reinforced his own passion for storytelling. Though comedy is his background, Farris loves horror for the creative freedom it offers—whether through prosthetics, gore, or heightened performances—and he believes Weapons transcends genre, functioning as a powerful drama as much as a horror film. Like others in the cast, he thinks Amy Madigan’s performance is Oscar-worthy and hopes the film helps shift the way awards bodies view the horror genre.
Looking ahead, Farris said the film has already sparked new opportunities. He’s currently working on Apple TV’s Cape Fear remake alongside Javier Bardem and Patrick Dempsey, describing the project as a dream come true. At the same time, he remains dedicated to his comedic content creation and to taking on more distinctive, character-driven roles, whether in horror or beyond.
