The horror genre, particularly the slasher part of it, has a long-standing history of “final girls”. Many of them brilliant and iconic and for good reason. My guest today has had the rare privilege of becoming one of the few great final guys in a series that has established its place in the horror hall of fame.
He has also starred in many other horror films, most fiercely independent ones, and even directed one. He’s been in plenty of non-horror films as well including working with auteurs such as David Fincher and Christopher Nolan (with whom he has worked with several times).
He has evaded being typecast and always brings the kind of gravity and thoughtfulness that makes his presence in any film a highlight. Maybe the best way I can describe him and his contributions to the genre is to say that if he’s in something, I’m going to see it. I don’t need to know anything more about the film than that for it to become something I’ll watch. It’s a system that thus far has served me well as he has given some of my personal favourite performances and led me to some films that I admire that I may not have seen otherwise.
My guest today is Josh Stewart.
Many of you know Josh from his role as Arkin in the beloved films “The Collector” and “The Collection” (there’s a 3rd on its way at long last). Arkin immediately became an outlier in pantheon of horror leads in that not only is he a rather reluctant hero (if you can call him that at all) but he is relatable in that he has is own real-life problems and a psychopath, who sets up an elaborate series of traps that would make Jigsaw proud, seriously screws with his day. It’s a quiet and heavy hitting performance and one of the great ones in the history of horror.
Let’s pull up a chair with one of genres finest actors, Josh Stewart!
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