Daniel Zovatto talks about portraying a real-life serial killer

Daniel Zovatto transforms into real-life serial killer Rodney Alcala in the Netflix seriesWoman of the hourDirector: Anna Kendrick. The film fictionalizes the story of Cheryl Bradshaw (who is called “Sheryl” in the film), who Alcala actually met through an episode of The dating game in 1978. Told in a non-chronological timeline, Woman of the hour creepily leads to Sheryl and Rodney’s later meeting as she picks him as her favorite bachelor on the show, while viewers know the horrific atrocities he has already committed to other women.

Rodney Alcala, who was nicknamed “The Dating Game Killer” after his appearance on the game show, is well known in the true crime world. But while other true crime shows or movies explicitly depict the violence committed by the murderer, Zovatto found this “powerful.” Woman of the hour eschews visual violence. That, along with his goal of portraying a serial killer in his acting career, was one of the factors that attracted Zovatto to the film. In an interview with CBR, Zovatto talked more about the way Kendrick balanced her roles as director and actress, and the physical preparation Zovatto took to become Alcala.

I spoke to Tony Hale earlier who said he doesn’t like true crime at all. How do you feel about true crime stories?

Daniel Zovatto:
I kind of like her. But I understand why Mr. Tony Hale, aka Forky in Toy Story, doesn’t like these kinds of movies. But I love it.
I love watching documentaries and Dateline episodes.
As an actor, I always wanted to take on the role of a serial killer. I always felt like it was a good challenge for me personally. It was a lot of fun doing this with Anna.

Did your interest in true crime contribute to your choosing this role?

Yes, 100%.
I think it’s a combination of things
: taking part in Anna’s first film, wanting to work with her, Rodney as a person and diving into the 1970s. I think it’s a great era because of the outfits and everything. It’s a story that I think most people have heard of. You have an idea, which was the case for me too. I had somehow heard about it before. All of those things together made me say, “Let’s do this.”

Woman of the hour could be classified as a horror film because it is frightening in its own way. You actually have a background in horror films. Did any of your previous performances or experiences in the horror genre help you prepare for your role here?

I feel like I learn something in every job and take it with me to the next job. One of the things I love about my work is the opportunity to work with different personalities in different worlds. I always take something with me. Was there a specific character choice or something? I can’t think of one, but I definitely think one of the cool things about what we do is that you get to work with and learn from so many different people.

By the way, as far as your performance is concerned, you did a fantastic job. I just had to say that.

Thank you very much.

How much of your achievement was based on creative freedom and how much of it was your research into Rodney, if you did any?

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I think it’s a balance of both things you mentioned.
One of the good things was that Anna was an actress first.
She understands the whole thing. So when I needed to talk to her, we talked. If I didn’t need to talk to her, we didn’t. When I needed encouragement, she was there. When I needed space, she gave me space too.

I feel like I’m eternally grateful for that. It just transported me to those moments with the different victims that Rodney unfortunately took the lives of. There was a very chatty back and forth between me and Anna before we started the film. Then, depending on the scene or day, there was a lot of mutual support and always being there. She’s just a great leader in that regard.

Was there anything about Rodney that really surprised you when preparing for this role and that you wanted to incorporate into your performance?

I think physically the way I saw him was a little different than me.
I decided to gain weight.
His posture is also slightly different, as is the way he stands, moves and walks. During the entire research I paid great attention to both the exterior and the interior. But actually I sculpted something like a sculpture. When I put on the wig and clothes and take the walk, I’m already there. Then I just have to put the other things in there.

He has this creepy charm. He’s almost a magnet because he knows exactly what to say. How did you embrace this charming side of him while acknowledging his darker side?

2:18

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It’s one of those things where if you become very conscious and intellectualize it, it just freezes you, at least for me. I feel like I’m confined within these walls and can’t really move. My main focus is just not to think, “Oh, in this moment I’m going to do this.”
It was more like jumping into the pool and seeing where it takes you.
I guess it was there subconsciously. But no, I wasn’t trying to capture that moment. It wasn’t like that.

The last 10-15 minutes really blew me away because the way Anna Amy wakes up after being attacked is so daring. And Rodney just sits next to her and cries his eyes out. It looked like a classic manipulation tactic. Can you tell us what was going through his mind in that scene?

I think Rodney is like a lion playing with his prey.
He doesn’t just want to kill, and that’s all. He was addicted to this power and to being God for the next hour or two.

He thought, “I’m going to suffocate you and let you come back to life.” There was so much of that disgusting behavior that he loved. He loved doing this to his victims and feeling like he controlled their lives. Her life was in his hands. We also get to see that crying, young, boyish quality. I think you can see a little bit of that in the footage we have of Rodney on “The Dating Game,” where he says something funny and suddenly goes, “Oh! People react.” For him it’s like a drug. There’s a lot of it.

How did you manage to make these violent scenes safe and lighthearted, but not so lighthearted that you ignore the seriousness of the scene?

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Sometimes in these films – and in films in general – you want to show everything. I feel like sometimes it’s a little more effective not to show it. Just hearing the breathing, the screams, or the despair with an image that informs you of what’s happening but doesn’t show it to you… your imagination is actually taking you somewhere else. I feel like this is more powerful.
Anna and Zach Kuperstein, our cinematographer, put a lot of thought into how the different frames would come together and bring the story to life.
[They showed] the aggressiveness and disgusting behavior that Rodney portrayed. But sometimes, like I said, it’s more effective if you just do it [what Anna and Zach did].

I think that was definitely because it’s not necessarily something you need to see when the stories tell you what happened. Additionally, you also shot a lot of outdoor scenes that looked like they were in the middle of nowhere The dating game Scenes on a set. Which was your favorite place?

Inside because it was Vancouver and it was fucking freezing.
[Laughs] Every time we went outside we wore nothing. I’m not built for Canadian winters. I was ready for whatever was inside. Let’s do the whole movie indoors if you want. But seriously, filming “The Dating Game” was really fun. Then the last part you mentioned was fun with Autumn Best in the desert and the car.

“Woman of the Hour” is now available to stream on Netflix.

Woman of the hour

Cheryl Bradshaw, a single woman looking for a suitor on a hit 1970s TV show, chooses charming bachelor Rodney Alcala, unaware that he is hiding a deadly secret behind the man’s gentle facade.

director

Anna Kendrick

Release date

September 26, 2023

Pour

Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Autumn Best, Andy Thompson, David Beairsto, Tighe Gill, Bonnie Hay, Thomas Strumpski, Nicolette Robinson, Kathryn Gallagher, Kelley Jakle, Tony Hale

writer

Ian MacAllister McDonald

Duration

94 minutes

Main genre

crime

Studio(s)

AGC Studios, Vertigo Entertainment, BoulderLight Pictures

Sales partner

Netflix

Character(s)

Cheryl Bradshaw, Rodney Alcala, Amy, Bob, Rodney’s boss, bachelor, bartender, laundromat owner

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