PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I cannot even imagine what it’s like being a child actor and being in a horror movie. If the movie is even remotely scary to an adult, how is it for the child? Come Play is a scary cautionary tale about Larry, a scary creature looking for a friend that uses our electronics to bridge the gap between his world and ours. I spoke with 10 year-old Azhy Robertson, who plays Oliver in the film, and we talked about scary movies, how he got his start, and what he has coming up next.
PopHorror: Hi Azhy! How are you today?
Azhy Robertson: Good. How are you?
PopHorror: I’m good, thank you. Come Play… I found it terrifying. It’s a really great movie, so I’m excited to speak with you about it.
Azhy Robertson: Thank you!
PopHorror: Looking through your resume, I don’t see that you’ve made any other horror movies. What was it like for you to make a horror movie?
Azhy Robertson: Well, I’m a very big scaredy-cat, so I feel like doing a horror movie made me feel like it would make me realize that other horror movies are just like this one. The cast probably has just as much fun as we did on set and goof around. That was a part of it. And I also want to add some diversity, so doing a horror movie was really cool.
PopHorror: I get that you guys have to joke around and have fun because it’s such a terrifying subject. Have you seen the finished movie?
Azhy Robertson: Yeah, I have. You’re right. It’s pretty terrifying.
PopHorror: Your character is non-verbal, so you don’t do a lot of speaking. Did you find it difficult not being able to talk?
Azhy Robertson: Kind of, yeah. If you don’t have to do lines, you really just have the DD emotion and acting to show the character’s personality, so you can’t really know what they say because they can’t talk.
PopHorror: I thought you did an amazing job conveying your character’s emotions.
Azhy Robertson: Thank you!
PopHorror: Absolutely. This movie deals with a monster. He finds it in his closet, under his bed, in the dark corners of his home. Is there anything that scared you before doing this film?
Azhy Robertson: What I have as a fear… Even to this day, but I think it was more amplified when I was a bit younger, but I was always scared of Freddy Krueger, the thing that comes in your dreams. I have a lot of nightmares, so I feel like they’re going to be my last breath.
PopHorror: Well, I’m much older than you, and I still get nightmares, so it’s perfectly okay. I know you started acting fairly young. What made you want to be an actor?
Azhy Robertson: Well, I really liked plays. At a very young age, like when I was four, I was watching a bunch of plays. I was really mesmerized by them, and movies as well. I felt like it would be really cool to be in one, so slowly I came to be acting in shorts and plays and feature length movies. It’s been a pretty long journey, but I’m glad I’m here.
PopHorror: You’ve got some impressive credits already, and you’ve worked with some really great people!
Azhy Robertson: Thank you!
PopHorror: If you could work with anyone – anyone that you admire – who would it be?
Azhy Robertson: That’s a hard one. There are so many great actors, but I think my two favorites are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Keanu Reeves.
PopHorror: Great choices! I’m a big Keanu fan as well. I know that a lot of things have been put on hold because of Covid, and some things have been cancelled. But is there anything that you’re currently working on or have coming out?
Azhy Robertson: Well, without going into too much detail, I’m working on a show that’s a very epic sci-fi thrill ride sort of thing. I can’t really say too much about it, but I play a kid in a family that’s sort of torn to shreds by the oncoming apocalypse.
PopHorror: Oh, that sounds exciting!
Azhy Robertson: It really is!
Thank you so much to Azhy for taking the time to speak with us. Come Play is currently playing in theaters.
