‘Hysteria’ Star Bruce Campbell Calls Out Tom Cruise For Doing His Own Stunts: “It’s OK For Stunt Guys To Make Money, Too”

Don’t expect Bruce Campbell to hang off the side of a plane or jump off the Stade de France like Tom Cruise , a.k.a. Hollywood’s biggest daredevil, did. While Campbell is known for starring in action-packed movies like Army of Darkness and the Evil Dead franchise, he admitted that, while he’s always “game” to do more stunts, he has no problem leaving it to the pros — unlike Cruise, who typically performs his own stunts.

“I also have learned the lesson — it’s okay for stunt guys to make money, too, you know, Tom Cruise,” Campbell told DECIDER in a recent Zoom interview. “Some actors need to learn it’s okay, because guess what? He hurts himself, and he has hurt himself, and you stop shooting. I don’t know how he gets insurance. He must personally insure his own movies.”

Campbell is now promoting his latest project, Peacock ‘s new thriller/horror series Hysteria , in which he plays a police chief in a town overcome by the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. After the star quarterback of the high school football team is murdered, a group of misfit kids pretend to be Satanists to promote their heavy metal band. Meanwhile, the parents and other adults in the town seem to be dealing with real supernatural events.

Campbell, who is a well-established genre actor, revealed to DECIDER that he’s “picky” about the horror movies he stars in. But there was something about “the words” in Hysteria’s script and his character’s skepticism regarding the mass panic that drew him in.

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“[Chief Dandridge] seemed like a rational character because the chief of police in this story — small-town Michigan, ‘80s — he doesn’t buy it. And I don’t buy any of this stuff either,” Campbell explained. “So it was easier for me to convey and to be that character who’s trying to tell people this all has a logical explanation.”

Check out our full interview with Campbell below.

DECIDER: You obviously had your big break with the Evil Dead franchise in the ‘80s. How did it feel to do a horror/thriller series based in the ‘80s today? Was it a full-circle moment for you?

BRUCE CAMPBELL: Yeah, I needed another big break, so I’m really hoping this show is going to put me on the map because my wife was sitting around and she goes, “Man, you need a break. Something needs to happen for you, man.” So look, horror I’m really picky about, believe it or not, and the words were good. Matthew Scott Kane and the crew, they wrote words that got my attention. Every actor, and they won’t admit it, but they go through the script looking for their character. And then they go, “My line, my line, my line, my line.” And they keep rifling through, “My line, my line, my line.” So I kept stopping a lot because the guy had dialog, and it was kind of good dialog. He seemed like a rational character because the chief of police in this story — small town Michigan, ‘80s — he doesn’t buy it. And I don’t buy any of this stuff either. So it was easier for me to convey and to be that character who’s trying to tell people this all has a logical explanation. And the problems start when they don’t.

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Given your resume, I’m sure you are pitched genre projects every day. What about Hysteria stood out to you? How did creator Matthew Scott Kane pitch this to you?

There wasn’t a whole, huge pitch involved. These days, you just send the script in and go, “Hey, what do you think?” The thing that got me was I could relate to a lot of it. I’m from Michigan. I was there in the ‘80s. I was there under Ronald Reagan. I heard of the Satanic Panic. So it’s fun to just take an angle on it where you’re fooling around more of the origins of it, and then you’re also fooling around with the reality of it because so many years later, how many actual court cases went through and people were jailed for doing satanic things? No more than the normal amount of people who would be doing that anyway. It didn’t take a movement for creepy people to do creepy things. So it didn’t result in anything. But it shows you that fear is a real motivator. When people are afraid, they’ll almost believe in anything.

Your co-stars — especially Julia Bowen — have to do some wild stunt work. In the first six episodes, you haven’t had to do anything too crazy physically. Did you miss it? Were you jealous?

I’m not jealous of any physicality. I point to one movie called Army of Darkness , and I say I don’t ever have to do anything in any movie ever again. If I sit on a bench for the rest of my professional career, that’ll be enough.

No, it’s great to watch other people do it. I’m always game. But I also have learned the lesson – it’s okay for stunt guys to make money, too. You know, Tom Cruise. Some actors need to learn it’s okay, because guess what? He hurts himself, and he has hurt himself, and you stop shooting. I don’t know how he gets insurance. He must personally insure his own movies. I really don’t know. So it’s great.

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And Julie, it’s good for her coming from the very, let’s just say, controlled world of Modern Family . Now, she’s getting stuff thrown in her face, and fog in her face, and cameras shaking, and she’s sweating. Horror acting is a very specific type of acting. She had to figure that out.

I think the craziest and cringiest scene in the show was when your character walked in on that wild sex ritual between Dylan and Judith. What was your reaction when you first read that script? Do you remember that day on set?

There’s a character who I’m related to in this troubling scene, so it was pretty easy to play. I am an actual grandfather in real life, and to imagine that happening is completely disturbing. So there wasn’t a lot of acting necessary. It’s also when you realize, if you’re following the story as an actor, you go, “Things are maybe different now. Maybe things aren’t what I thought they were.”

We’re a site that celebrates all things streaming. Since spooky season is coming up, what’s your favorite scary movie?

Favorite scary movie? The original Exorcist . The original, original Exorcist . And here’s why it works. It’s about a priest who’s doubting his faith. That’s the one you want to take an exorcism to, not a robo-priest who’s from Rome, like he’s Schwarzenegger as a priest. That’s how Hollywood would do it. This is brilliant. The guy’s like, “I don’t know if I believe anymore.” And now they go, “Okay, good. Exercise the demon from this child.”

Hysteria is currently streaming on Peacock.

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