10 Actors Who Were Haunted By Their Movie Roles
8. Alex Wolff – Hereditary
Hereditary is undoubtedly one of this century’s most haunting and equally horrifying horror movies. Though visually disturbing and mentally draining, it’s a unique horror film in that it is built upon the foundations of some truly wonderful performances, boasting a truly creative concept as well as being beautifully shot.
Toni Colette may steal the show, but that doesn’t take anything away from the incredible job Alex Wolff did.
Hereditary is well and truly a film that will latch onto its viewer and never let go. While it's a harrowing experience for its audience, one can only imagine the emotional exhaustion and fatigue the actors must have felt in both shooting the film and the weeks and months that ensued following its release. And that was certainly the case with Wolff.
The actor was merely a teenager during Hereditary’s production, which only make his performance all the more impressive in retrospect. Wolff unquestionably threw himself into the role head first, but the disturbing content he immersed and inhabited himself within wasn’t without its sacrifices.
When talking to Vice back in 2018, Wolff spoke openly about the distressing flashbacks he had after filming wrapped, which led to him struggling to sleep as well as experiencing PTSD-related symptoms. As he detailed, “It stuck with me while we were filming, and it stuck with me well after… I don’t think you can go through something like this and not have some sort of PTSD afterwards.”
After all, who could forget that desk scene? Bravo, sir.