PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Sometimes an interview puts a smile on my face and that definitely happened with one of my recent ones. Josh Cruddas is an award-nominated actor, musician, and award-winning composer among many other things. Josh has been making his mark in the entertainment industry for over a decade and can be seen in Sony Pictures’ upcoming horror film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. Learn about his career and what inspired it, details about his role in the new Resident Evil film, upcoming projects, his debut album Variety Show, and more!
PopHorror – Hi Josh. It’s an honor to chat with you. How’s 2021 treating you so far?
Josh Cruddas – Too kind. The honor is all mine! Great to chat with you again. 2021 has been a strange year for everyone but I’m extremely fortunate to say, “so far, so good!”
PopHorror – That’s good to hear! Have you always been inspired to work in the film industry?
Josh Cruddas – Honestly, I’ve loved movies ever since I watched the best movie I have ever seen: “Air Bud: World Pup.” But honestly, I’ve always been fascinated by filmmaking and performing. I grew up watching Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke and was just in awe of them and the worlds they inhabited onscreen and onstage. And then when I went to university and realized I was terrible at science, I finally admitted to myself that the film industry was where I was meant to be!
PopHorror – That made me smile. Great answer. You’re an actor, musician, and award-winning composer. Do you prefer acting over music, or do you love both equally?
Josh Cruddas – You know, I love this question but honestly cannot answer it! I’ve tried valiantly over the years, believe me, including just this week when one of my 9-year-old theatre students asked me to “choose like my very life depended on it!” But I really believe that I love both equally and would be equally depressed if I had to stop doing either of them. So, I’m counting my blessings and being grateful that I can love both.
PopHorror – For sure! What was the first film that you worked on in which you were like, “this is it, this is what I want to do with my life”?
Josh Cruddas – My friends Andrew Coll and Tamsin Robson and I made a 45-minute-long sci-fi film with green screens, CGI, and real sets back before iPhones and apps, when you had to record things on tape! It was my worst performance ever captured on screen, but it was my first experience making movies and I knew I loved it. Then, my first major movie job, a blessing of an experience called “Copperhead” for Warner Bros, was really what cemented it for me. I knew that I would try my darndest to make a career out of it after working on that movie with folks I now consider good friends, like Billy Campbell, Angus MacFadyen, and Hugh Thompson.
PopHorror – That’s awesome. Can you tell us about your new film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City?
Josh Cruddas – Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is an incredibly fun, scary movie that manages to be incredibly faithful to the original Resident Evil games. It takes place on a fateful night in Raccoon City in 1998, when things that have been brewing in the town for a while, come to a head.
PopHorror – Can you tell us more about your character?
Josh Cruddas – Yeah! I play Ben Bertolucci, a journalist who is super concerned about what the Umbrella Corporation, a giant pharmaceutical company, is doing to the residents of this small, forgotten American town. He gets dangerously close to the truth.
PopHorror – Oooh, that sounds exciting. Are you a fan of the Resident Evil games?
Josh Cruddas – Oh, my goodness yes. I always say they were far too terrifying for me to play as a kid because I was scared of things like too much syrup on waffles, but as an adult, man those games are fun. And terrifying.
PopHorror – Haha, yes they most definitely are! Are you excited to be a part of a project that has such a huge fanbase?
Josh Cruddas – I sure am! The Resident Evil fandom has welcomed me with open arms, and I am so, so grateful for that. I’m also so excited that we finally have a movie that is based intimately on the games, with lots of easter eggs and references and things that are gonna make folks grin!
PopHorror – I bet! Anything exciting about the film you can tell us without spoiling it?
Josh Cruddas – Hmm. I can tell you that there are a few locations in this movie that have been created from the ground up with the original game blueprints from Capcom…the sets are just so immersive. When you’re working on them you feel like you’re actually part of the world of the games, which was super exciting to me as an actor, so hopefully, it will be to those watching too.
PopHorror – Fans are going to love it! You’ve worked on a variety of films with amazing talent. Who is your favorite actor/actress to work with so far?
Josh Cruddas – Oh, my goodness I could never choose! As you say I’ve been super lucky to work with some amazing talent in front of and behind the camera. Still dreaming about working with the pig from Babe: Pig In the City but maybe one day! I was definitely starstruck upon first meeting Roland and Vanessa Hudgens though, since I grew up watching Independence Day and High School Musical!
PopHorror – Haha, you’re a funny dude. Tell us about your debut album Variety Show?
Josh Cruddas – Thanks for asking! It’s a 7-song pop EP that I hope lives up to its name. I wanted it to be an entertaining romp through genres, so there’s some pop, hip-hop, the 80s and 90s, and a bit of Riverdance-style Celtic pop too. I basically wanted to write songs that I’d want to listen to – very selfish I know – but I love catchy tunes and fun rhythms and vocals so I just wanted to make an album that would entertain – and hopefully emotionally connect with people too!
PopHorror – That’s awesome and it definitely should be about something you would want to listen to – it makes it all that more genuine and fun. Are you excited about releasing it?
Josh Cruddas – Excited and terrified! It came out November 15 and the response has been incredible. I was able to create a music video for one of the songs – a tune about staying positive during the throes of the pandemic – which stars a lot of my acting students so it’s been such a joy to see folks connecting and reacting to that as well.
PopHorror – Congratulations. I hope everyone continues to love it! What’s next for you!
Josh Cruddas – A little holiday vacation back home to Nova Scotia, I hope! I just wrapped filming two movies back-to-back, including one called Cascade, a thriller where I get to play one of my favourite villain roles ever. So along with enjoying the ride with Variety Show and Resident Evil, I’m so stoked to go home and see my family and friends. And maybe someday do a buddy cop movie with the pig from Babe.
PopHorror – Thanks again for chatting with me, Josh. You’re a wholesome, hilarious, and talented guy and I look forward to all your upcoming projects. Good luck! Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City opens on November 24, 2021. The link to Josh’s album where you can pre-save the album on iTunes/Spotify can be found here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/joshcruddas/variety-show.
