Biography

[on his character, Ryan, in Perversion] I really don't think there's much of Ryan in me. I've never been through anything like what he's been through. I do think the character has a big heart, though. I admire that. He really loves his brother and his friends so much. I guess I can relate to that.

[on his love for horror films] My late father and I would watch these films every Friday and Saturday night together. Looking back, it's some of the best memories I have of my Dad. He'd lead me into darkness, we'd face my fears together, and discuss them the next morning over breakfast at Waffle House.

[on growing up terrified of scary movies] I was not a fan of scary things. I remember going to see The Swan Princess at my local multiplex and almost having a panic attack when I discovered Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was playing right next door. Somewhere in my tiny little mind, I thought my parents might get confused and walk into that auditorium instead.

[on where his love for horror started] I think the love of horror really came from my love of fairy tales back in the day. I was never a fan of the glossy, sugary Disney versions, although I did enjoy them an awful lot. What I remember most are the countless volumes of these stories that I'd check out at my local library. The REAL versions! The Grimm brothers versions! I just loved the villains. They were so much more dimensional than the heroes and heroines. Even before I knew what real horror was, I was drawn to stories like that.

[on his first scary movie experience] The first horror films I can remember seeing all the way through were Psycho and House of Wax when I was around 5 or 6 years old. Before then, if I saw a poster, video tape, or a TV spot for a horror film, I'd rush out of the room, terrified, and then have nightmares about it for weeks.