Peter Jacobson is the rare character with a leg up on The Smiler inSmile 2. After a variety of smaller and supporting roles in everything from the John Travolta-led legal dramaA Civil ActiontoLaw & Order, Jacobson properly broke out with his turn as Dr. Chris Taub intheHousecastfrom season 4 until the series finale. In the years since the Hugh Laurie-led drama ended, the actor has since gone on to expand his filmography with everything from Justine Bateman’sVioletto Showtime’sRay Donovan, USA Network’sColony,NCIS: Los AngelesandFear the Walking Dead.
InSmile 2’s story, Jacobson stars as Morris, an E.R. technician who reaches out to protagonist Skye Riley as she begins experiencing the hauntings of The Smiler after having the curse passed on to her. Despite her reservations, Skye elects to meet with Morris, who explains that his brother was also part of the chain of cursed victims and killed himself, with Jacobson’s character having since tried to prevent it from spreading further. Theorizing The Smiler to be a parasite, Morris devises a plan to safely stop Skye’s heart and resuscitate her after enough time has passed for the entity to die.
What Is The Smile Curse? How The Evil Entity Works
The Smile franchise centers around the people infected by an evil entity that stalks and ultimately kills its victims in shocking, grisly fashion.
Naomi Scott leadsthe ensembleSmile 2castas Skye alongside Jacobson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Raúl Castillo, Dylan Gelula, Ray Nicholson and Kyle Gallner reprising his role of Joel from the first film. Raising the scale of the viral 2022 hit while also keeping viewers on their toes with further twists, meaner scares and carried by powerful performances from its cast, writer/director Parker Finn’s follow-up is the rare horror sequel that not only lives up to the promise of its predecessor, but often surpasses it.
Ahead of the movie’s release,Screen Rantinterviewed Peter Jacobson to discussSmile 2, how Finn’s approach to telling character-driven stories in the horror genre drew him to want to join the viral franchise, getting to play a character with deeper knowledge of The Smiler, his joy of working with Scott for their scenes together, and his thoughts on a potentialHouserevival.
TheSmileMovies Are So Special Because Of The “Psychic Journey” Finn Takes Everyone On
“You’re never sure what’s right, what’s real, what’s not real.”
Screen Rant: I’m a huge fan of the original film, andeverything I’ve heard aboutSmile 2so far has just made me so amped to see it. I’d love to start with what it was about Parker’s vision for the sequel that really drew you to want to be a part of it.
Peter Jacobson: Well, what made the first one so special was this sort of psychic journey of Sosie Bacon, that she handled so beautifully, and stressfully, and terrifyingly. But that’s what makes the film, is you’ve got this person, you’re in this person’s head, going through this insane break, this question of what’s real, what’s not, and this terror. You’re never sure what’s right, what’s real, what’s not real. And then, when I saw the script for the second one, I was like, “Wow.” I thought, “How do you beat that? How do you top what he did,” in terms of the psychic intensity, and he just upped it, he tripled it, he quadrupled it. It’s not enough to just say, “Okay, well, she’s a pop star.” What it did was it set up a situation where you’ve got just a much bigger, broader world.
And then, with Naomi in there, she’s just a marvel. You needed somebody who was going to be able to, again, drive this psychotic truck on her own for two hours with everybody else working around her, and she succeeds in that. And, again, it’s because Parker’s script is — while the events are so superhuman and otherworldly — a very human experience, and Naomi takes us through what is incredibly terrifying human drama, something we can’t possibly imagine happening. She can’t imagine either, but that’s where the terror and the fun of the scare comes in. But it only happens if she’s as real as she is, and she just does a remarkable job.
Morris Is Coming From A “Very Different” Place Than Skye In Dealing With The Smiler
“There’s something mysterious about him, there’s something quiet about him.”
So, in looking at your character, in particular, I loved that, as we see in the trailer,Morris is someone who has survivedthis once by dying and coming back. [Editor’s Note: The interview was conducted before the movie’s release, which revealed it’s Morris' brother who died.] That’s something that I feel like we don’t see too often in these kinds of curse-following movies. What is it like to dive into his mentality and bring him to life?
Peter Jacobson: Well, it’s a very different experience in terms of the energy of the role. I won’t go into any detail about him, too much about where he comes from, or why he’s there, what he’s doing, but just generally, this sort of mysterious outsider who has had an experience, a very painful experience, with the terror. He’s gathered tons of knowledge about it, so he intervenes to try to help Naomi, Skye, and save her, and essentially save the world from this terror that’s only going to get bigger and bigger.
And he has information that she doesn’t have. There’s something mysterious about him, there’s something quiet about him. He’s an ER nurse, which is part of why he has this medical information that might come in handy. I won’t say any further about that, but I read in him an anxiety, a pain and a total commitment to what was going on. He’s just a great character. Again, Parker wrote a very human, softer character, somebody who’s just in his own little space, and suddenly he busts out and tries to help Naomi, and she’s this crazy rock star.
So, it’s sort of weird for him to be involved with her, but again, just sitting down at this bar, and I’m trying to help her out. She’s in a state, and I’m in a different state, and we’re trying to find a place to work together. She’s just a ball of fire, she’s a star, and bringing those two characters together was really, really fun. Parker just sort of helped us finesse it really well.
I know you don’t want to necessarily get into details about Morris' backstory of how he got there. But, do we actually learn that in this film, or is that sort of left open for maybe future films to explore?
Peter Jacobson: You learn [his backstory in the film]. You do learn why he’s there, and we’ll see what happens with Morris.
Naomi Scott Was “1,000% Committed” During Every Moment OfSmile 2’s Filming
“…underneath that manic terror is a humanity and a reality that she brings to it.”
So you mentioned working with Parker to find that energy and middle ground between you and Naomi. I’d love to hear, though, what it’s like working with Naomi to really find their dynamic, even if it is just for that scene of him trying to help her and the world.
Peter Jacobson: Well, he comes back later, and their relationship continues. But, it’s sort of a weird [situation], this is not a meet cute. Let’s put it that way. She doesn’t want to be there, I don’t want to be there, but we need each other desperately, and that makes for a good script and a good scene, and that’s why the movie is great. Not just because of us, but because those needs are everywhere throughout the film. Naomi needs everybody at every turn. She’s a marvel. I hadn’t met her, and I didn’t know her work, but she came in just loaded and ready to go.
The movie is relentless, and Parker was just, frankly, balls to the wall at every moment. When you see the film, you’ll see Naomi is 1,000% committed every moment. That’s the only way this movie works, and that’s the only way it’s as terrifying as it can possibly be. And, again, underneath that manic terror is a humanity and a reality that she brings to it. She’s so sweet, she’s such a lovely person. It’s not always you get somebody that has that kind of immense talent, and who was that in the role, and is equal parts talent and equal parts grace and sweetness and just friendly.
You want that, you know? It’s her movie, and that trickles down to everybody. I just had a blast working with her, it was a total joy to work with her. She’s great. And I’m not just saying it. I mean, if she was a jerk, I’d find ways to not say that, but I would not be as effusive. She’s just fabulous. She’s a fabulous actress and a wonderful person.
“…I was just thrilled and terrified.”
So, in talking about the movie, so often when you make a horror film like this, you might not realize the sheer scope of it, or the sheer tension of it, until you see the final product. What was it like when you saw the final product?
Peter Jacobson: I had no idea. I had no idea it was going to quite hit like that. I mean, again, my stuff is sort of down in the dumps, in a way. It’s a big movie, it is a big character, it’s a big world. And when I saw it, I was just thrilled and terrified. And, at the same time, part of what also drew me to the film, to doing the sequel, when I met Parker was having seen the first one, he is a very unique filmmaker, and in this genre, there’s a lot out there.
So, how do you distinguish yourself, not only with the first one, he did in a very crowded field, but I mean, the reviews that I’m hearing already are fabulous for the second one, even better, whatever that means. It’s a fabulous film. And to take the first one, a hit like that, and then to up the ante and do it again and do it even bigger and better is a testament to his filmmaking. He has a very unique eye. He’s making a horror movie that’s 360 degrees. It’s not just that Naomi has to bring it — and, oh boy, she does — but it’s the dance that she and Parker are doing together.
Parker creates a space, and he has a filmic eye that just carries this thing at 100 miles an hour, and she drives it as fast. So, when I saw it, I was, frankly, just blown away. I came from the smaller world of the film. I knew the script, you know, you read, and you’re like, “Oh, wow, that’s going to be cool. How are they going to do that?” My scenes were very real and intense in there, and then when you see it explode on the screen, and people are screaming around you, and I myself am terrified, even though I really know what’s going on, that’s a testament to Parker and Naomi. They really pulled it off.
Jacobson Hadn’t Thought OfThe Midnight Meat TrainUntil DoingSmile 2Press
“…I thought this was my first real horror film…”
I think I’m almost coming up on time, so I had two more questions for you, the first of which is that I’m also a bigMidnight Meat Trainand Clive Barker fan. I love that this is a return to the horror genre for you after quite a while. I’d love to hear what it’s like for you, not only reflecting on that movie, but also reflecting on the fact that you came back to that genre after such a period of time for this.
Peter Jacobson: It’s funny, I hadn’t spoken or thought about that movie for a while, and the other day, somebody said, “Have you done other horror films?” And I was like, “Well, I’ve stabbed a lot of zombies, and I’ve been in medically horrific situations, doing a medical show for five years.” But no, I thought this was my first real horror film, and then I was like, “Wait, whoa, hold on, Midnight Meat Train!”
Again, I was not in the gore and the terror of that film, but that was a blast. That was Bradley Cooper before he was Bradley Cooper, and he was also really great to work with. I had a fun time, and yeah, it’s been I don’t know how many years. It’s great to be back into it. I’d love to dive into the actual horror next time, if I get a chance to do it again.
Jacobson “Would Love” For AHouseRevival To Happen
“It was such a wonderful time in my life…”
So, my very final question, you just alluded to it, butHouse, I still love that show. I know many people still want to see it come back at some point. What are your thoughts on the possibility of a revival all these years later?
Peter Jacobson: Well, that’s sort of the thing now. Before, you’d never think about it, and then suddenly, so many of these wonderful shows are back again. It makes sense more now than it did 10 years ago, because of streaming. My kid loves House, and he was barely born when I did it, and you get just a whole new generation of people who really love that show.
It would be up to Hugh, of course. I would love it. I love that character, I had so much fun. It was such a wonderful time in my life, and the writers were so fabulous. It was just such lightning in a bottle for us. It was just a great experience, and I think that there’s a lot more to tell if they want to tell it. When people are game, I’m game.
AboutSmile 2
About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.
Smile 2
Cast
Smile 2 is the sequel to the 2022 psychological horror film by director Parker Finn that centers on a therapist who witnesses a patient’s suicide, leading to a series of terrifying supernatural events. The sequel will see the return of Finn as director, with Paramount continuing distribution.
