Haunting Of Hill House And Midnight Mass Star Henry Thomas Details Why Mike Flanagan Is A Unique Filmmaker - Exclusive
Actor Henry Thomas has proven over the past 40 years that he's capable of making an impact far beyond his iconic portrayal of the boy hero, Elliott, in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," turning in memorable performances in such films as "Psycho IV: The Beginning," "Legends of the Fall," and "Gangs of New York." In fact, Thomas is so revered an actor that he's appeared in more than 70 films and television series since his "E.T." days, proving that no single genre can define him.
Thomas just dove into the action thriller genre in earnest for the first time in "Crawlspace" — a new digital video release where he plays an everyday plumber who channels his inner Bruce Willis-slash-John McClane while stuck in a crawlspace beneath a cabin, fending off a pair of bad guys "Die Hard"-style.
The actor's entertaining turn in "Crawlspace" comes after a stretch of acclaimed horror projects series starring Thomas, including the films "Ouija: Origin of Evil," "Gerald's Game," and "Doctor Sleep," as well as the streaming miniseries "The Haunting of Hill House," "The Haunting of Bly Manor," and "Midnight Mass." The common denominator for all those projects is that they're written and directed by horror maestro Mike Flanagan, and Thomas is a troupe member in a cast of eclectic actors who have appeared in nearly all of the filmmaker's projects.
With a starring role in yet another limited series on the way from Flanagan — an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's classic chiller "The Fall of the House of Usher" — Thomas revealed what makes working with the writer-director such a thrilling and unique experience.
Thomas loves how Flanagan turns the horror genre 'on its head'
During an exclusive interview with Looper to discuss his work in "Crawlspace," Henry Thomas reflected on his working relationship with Mike Flanagan, which began with his role of Father Tom in 2016's "Ouija: Origin of Evil."
Having just completed his seventh project with Flanagan with "The Fall of the House of Usher" — which also features the director's troupe members Kate Siegel, Carla Gugino, and Bruce Greenwood — Thomas said he loves the unique spins the filmmaker brings to the horror genre. Among those spins was casting Thomas in the role of Jack Torrance (credited as "The Bartender") in "Doctor Sleep," the 2019 sequel to the 1980 horror classic "The Shining," in which Jack Nicholson originated the iconic role.
"He is a master of suspense and the horror genre, and he knows how to kind of skew it in a way that it kind of turns it on its head a lot of times," Thomas said of Flanagan. "I'm looking forward to audience's reactions to 'House of Usher,' which I just finished and I'm very excited about — and the characters in this story are really amazing."
While it's hard picking favorites, he noted that his favorite Flanagan project so far is 2018's "The Haunting of Hill House."
A release date is yet to be announced for the release of "The Fall of the House of Usher." In the meantime, Thomas can be seen in "Crawlspace," new on digital video from Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment.