By Joe Puccio

If someone would have attempted to sell Samantha Scaffidi on the notion that Terrifier, the 2016 American slasher film about, well, a terrifying serial killer clown, would have become a pop culture phenomenon, she likely would have thought them to be just as misguided as Art, the demented joker at the film’s forefront.

“I was completely ignorant to the horror genre and was definitely caught off guard,” Scaffidi admitted, in a recent conversation with Generation X Wire. “Its success was so surprising.”

Made on a relative shoestring budget in the vicinity of $45,000, the movie impressively managed to gross almost ten times that amount. Naturally, its prosperity resulted in the production of an expected sequel, horrifying theatergoers two years ago, proving to be an even bigger hit than its predecessor in the process. And as all fright flick aficionados know, you can’t have a second installment in a film series without the inevitable part three to complete the holy grail of the trifecta.

Terrifier 3, director/writer Damien Leone’s most ambitious effort to date, was unleashed to the public just over a month ago, strategically timed to coincide with its perfect counterpart, Halloween. Having already taken in over $85 million, this time no one is surprised, including Scaffidi. “Being part of Terrifier for the past decade and meeting all the fans and in working with Damien, who’s a genius and one of the hardest working people I know, it’s not shocking at all. In hindsight, I’m like ‘of course!’’’

At its core, what sets Scaffidi apart from her Terrifier colleagues is simple. Aside from Art, the aforementioned antagonist played by David Howard Thornton, the multi-talented performer has the distinction of being the franchise’s sole cast member to appear in all three films, chillingly bringing the disfigured character of Victoria Heyes to life in all its gory glory.

“Going through all the prosthetics work each day was really tough; I hated it,” Scaffidi said, facetiously. “The first two movies kind of primed me for what it’s like in the makeup chair because it only took about two to three hours to get ready. But by the third, I didn’t even have two eyes, which made it much more uncomfortable,” she laughed. “The prosthetics took six to eight hours for Terrifier 3 so it was definitely a curveball and it’s a really lengthy process. The character was such an awesome creation by Damien and Christien Tinsley (make-up artist), who’s one of the best in the business. Everyone in that department was amazing.”

One aspect of the grisly franchise that has certainly sparked a divisive flame is its penchant for extreme bloodshed. Although the over-the-top carnage is undoubtedly a turn-off to some, horror buffs tend to embrace it. Scaffidi, at least initially, demonstrated a bit of reluctance before accepting the grueling role.

“Oh my God, when I first read the script, I thought ‘Oh, hell no!,’” she recalled. “I didn’t think I’d be able to do it because it just sounded like pure violence and I had this horrible feeling in my stomach. But when you read an Art the Clown script, Art really doesn’t jump off the page until Damien and David put themselves together and create the art. It becomes magnetic and it’s so much more. Plus, I didn’t think anyone was going to see it,” she kidded.

While the Terrifier series may not be for the faint of heart, Scaffidi’s blossoming career has a plethora of other, less gruesome, facets to it as well, including writing and directing. The versatile artist checked both of those boxes off in the form of the acclaimed RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) public service announcement Wait in 2019. “The RAINN piece was the first commercial PSA I’d ever done. It was based off a past experience I had with a friend who’d been raped,” she shared. “She waited about ten hours to be given a rape kit and I was so frustrated and angry. I was able to externalize it into writing and it was very well received in both a commercial sense, as well as by hospital workers and survivors,” she declared. “It started a different kind of fire within me.”

The creative fire is clearly still burning as Scaffidi has a short film that she penned and directed named Open Your Eyes that’s currently making waves in the festival circuit. A psychological thriller, the feature stars Daisy Bevan and Ella Loudon, and streaming details are expected to be announced by early next year. In addition, Scaffidi will be back in front of the camera in the 2025 Spanish film Ocaso, written and directed by Alexander Mansfield Martinez.

The stunning, New York City-born entertainer, whose credits also include the black comedy/slasher hybrid Demon Hole, has no reservations about the possibility of being typecast as a fright film actor considering the amount of work she’s done in the category. “I’ve grown to realize how incredible this genre is and whether I’m playing a villain, a final girl, or just a supporting character, it’s an honor,” she stressed.

Appearances at popular fan conventions like Monster-Mania and Chiller Theatre have further solidified Scaffidi’s infatuation. “I’ve had many conversations with fans who’ve shared poignant stories with me about their struggles in life and how horror has been a refuge for them. I really get it,” she acknowledged. “I’m grateful for any opportunity I get to connect with others.”

As for a possible presence in the confirmed fourth chapter of Terrifier, Scaffidi doesn’t know, but is more than game to transform into Victoria one more time. “Damien hasn’t written it yet,” she clarified, matter of factly. “But if the only thing that I do is show up to the set and bring coffee, so be it,” she added with a smile.

Follow Samantha Scaffidi:
https://www.samanthascaffidi.com/
https://x.com/SScaffidi
https://www.instagram.com/sscaffidi/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5394181/
https://samanthascaffidi.substack.com/