Linnea Quigley is one of the most popular scream queens in horror films. A renaissance woman, she is also a model, singer, author, film producer, and animal rights activist. Her extensive film career includes horror flicks like Graduation Day, The Return of the Living Dead, Creepozoids, Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, Night of the Demons, 1313: Cougar Cult, and 3 Scream Queens, among many others.

Gemstone Publishing’s Associate Editor Amanda Sheriff chatted with Quigley for an interview in The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Horror and picked her brain some more for Scoop. Here, Quigley talks about some of her favorite film roles, what she’s currently working on – including spearheading a documentary, the filmmaking process, and attending conventions.

Scoop: You’ve worked with David DeCoteau on several movies. Do you like his directing style or project choices?
LQ: I think it’s a chemistry thing. It’s also a little bit his directing because he kind of gives you a little bit of free range to bring whatever – as long as it looks okay – it takes to bring your character to life and have some sort of personality.

Scoop: So, you get to make your own choices and can be a little more adventurous?
LQ: Yeah.

Scoop: Do you have a favorite project you’ve worked on together?
LQ: Boy, I loved all of them. I liked doing Sorority Babes and Nightmare Sisters, I think, equally. There were a lot of laughs on Nightmare Sisters because we looked really nerdy and that was pretty funny. That was fun.

Scoop: In the past few years you’ve been in a few movies with fellow scream queens. What’s it like working together at this point?
LQ: Oh my God, it was so weird because it seemed like we’d just done a project together. When we were thinking about it, it had been 20 or 30 years and I couldn’t believe it. It’s like we kind of picked up exactly where we left off and it seemed like it was just the other day.

Scoop: Did the experience on set feel like a reunion?
LQ: Well it didn’t really feel like a reunion. It just felt right. It was just another day of filming together like we always did. It was a family reunion-type thing: we all know our things that we do.

Scoop: Do you enjoy playing villainous characters in your movies?
LQ: Oh my gosh! Villains are very, very fun to play. I don’t like…I never did really like the good girl. One, because nobody ever remembers them. But if I mention Return of the Living Dead, the one that wants to die, people remember it. Other movies where I say I was so-and-so they say, “Oh, okay…” But they always remember the villain?

Scoop: It’s more fun?
LQ: Oh, it’s much more fun.

Scoop: What’s your favorite movie that you were in?
LQ: Well, Return of the Living Dead. I love the music and the writing and directing of Dan O’Bannon. It holds up. It’s one of those films that holds up for a lot of generations. I just think that I’m most proud of it.

Scoop: Since it’s part of the series and with the music and wardrobe, it’s definitely a notable ’80s flick.
LQ: Yeah! And a lot of people don’t remember Night of the Demons and it’s sad because it’s a great movie. But they’ll remember Return.

Scoop: Speaking of Night of the Demons, you came back for the remake, credited as “Ballerina Lady.” How did that come to be?
LQ: The producers or somebody mentioned using me. It was so funny because they didn’t know if maybe I’d gained a lot of weight, this and that. And they kept going to my manager saying, “Can she send a picture of herself, like a full length?” Then it was, “Can she send a bathing suit picture?” I knew what they were getting at, they thought it would be so horrible to get me onset and then my buttocks would be, like the size of a bouncy ball or something. Because, that could happen.

Scoop: [Laughs] Would you consider doing another cameo like that if your other movies were remade?
LQ: It depends which movie. I would never want to do one for Return. But, pretty much all of the other ones would be fine.

Scoop: Tell me about The Barn. Word is the creator wrote the part for you?
LQ: Yeah, I played Ms. Barnhart. I was so amazed that when he was like 9 or something, he had actually thought about casting me in this part. It really made me feel good. It shocks me every time someone says, “Oh, I wrote this part for you years ago and now we’re doing it.” I was really flattered that he had thought of me for the part and we did it.

Scoop: Now, there’s talk of a sequel, right?
LQ: That’s what they told me when we were filming. They said, “We’re going to do a sequel and you’ll be in it,” because I don’t die [in the first one]. They said, “You’re going to be a bigger part in it.” I’ve heard that one before. [laughs] On Return of the Living Dead and Night of the Demons they said, “Stick with us this time and you’re going to make a lot more money and have a great part in the next one.” So you kind of get used to going, “Okay…”

Scoop: Are there any horror subgenres you haven’t worked in yet but want to? For instance, have you done crime thrillers or psychological flicks?
LQ: Not really. I would love to do that because some of my favorite shows are Criminal Minds and CSI: Miami. I would love to be in something that involves suspense or a thriller, not a bunch of monsters. At least not monsters in costumes. Something like Silence of the Lambs would be really fun to do.

Scoop: What about the recent trend of ghost and spirit flicks like Insidious and The Conjuring?
LQ: I’m not into those kinds of things, too much, like the paranormal. I’m not totally excited about that. I like the monsters and the people but I’m not really into the paranormal.

Scoop: What about TV shows like American Horror Story or Scream Queens?
LQ: I haven’t seen Scream Queens yet, but I’ve seen some of American Horror Story. I’d love to be involved with something like that. That would be great. It would be really fun. It’s a well-watched show and they write really well and you’d be dealing with some great actors.

Scoop: There’s definitely a sense of community among horror fans. Do you feel a sense of comradery among industry pros?
LQ: Yeah, because we all know why we’re doing what we’re doing. For the most part, we enjoy the fans and want to make things a good experience for them. We all understand, okay, this is not easy. There are people that say, “Oh, this is so easy. You just do this and that.” But another actor or entertainer would be understanding of what you go through with any kind of entertainment. Not, just getting up there and doing it. A lot is involved. A lot of fans don’t really understand that, so there’s a lot of comradery.

Scoop: Some horror con guests hang out with attendees after hours. Have you ever done that?
LQ: Gone to VIP parties?

Scoop: Yeah, the VIP parties or hang out at the bar with fans.
LQ: Oh yeah. I don’t drink, so I don’t hang out at the bar, but I go to the VIP parties. The last one I went to the promotor plays really good guitar and covers songs. I got up there, I was surprised I did, and a Joan Jett song came on, I sang the chorus with him. Another girl came in and we sang. I think the fans like that – when we do something like that. It shows that we’re not snobs and that we’re having fun too.

Scoop: Definitely. It shows that you are having fun and it’s a great memory for fans to take home with them.
LQ: Yeah! There’s some that I’ve gone to and everybody is just standing around holding their drinks and nothing is going on. You know, they spent extra money to go to something and it doesn’t look like they are having fun.

Scoop: That surprises me that attendees wouldn’t try to talk to the guests.
LQ: Well, I think they’re shy and the actors, most actors are shy too, so it becomes awkward.

Scoop: They need getting-to-know-you games.
LQ: They should have some games they include too.

Scoop: What are some surprising requests you’ve gotten at cons?
LQ: This one girl had me write my name on her breast and I asked, “Are you going to have that tattooed on?” She said, “Yes!” Now, I don’t know if that’s the truth or what. But, I thought, “Wow, that’s permanent.” Just yesterday somebody named their guitar after me. It’s so nice. It’s a good feeling that people appreciate whatever you’ve done. Now I have a guitar named after me! It’s really an honor and everything. I don’t have a tattoo at all, but that’s really permanent, so I think that’s great. It’s really, really an honor.  

Scoop: What film projects are you currently working on?
LQ: I’ve got one coming up. I’ve never worked with werewolves, but it’s a werewolf movie. They haven’t done werewolf movies in a long time. That should be a lot of fun. I’ve seen pictures of what the werewolf looks like and it’s really good. Everything is practical effects – no CGI. Just practical effects.

Scoop: You have some other projects coming up too, like The Best Laid Plans.
LQ: Oh, yes, that’s with Ed Neal. That was really cool. This agent I know down here, Marti Morato, got a call and it was for somebody in the horror genre that might live here to do a part for this guy’s film. Of course, they call me and I loved the writing. It’s like four pages of dialogue done really fast and the director is the kind that wants it word for word. It was a challenge, I tell you, to get it word for word. Then we had a lot of trouble with this guy who agreed we could use the outside of his building. He got drunk and we couldn’t get as many shots as we wanted to. I guess they repaired it. But, I don’t want to step in and say to the director, “Okay, you’ve done enough of the establishing shots let’s get some close-ups in here quick before the guy gets more drunk.”

But, The Best Laid Plans is more comedy and I love Ed Neal. They asked me for advice about people and he was definitely on my list and he did it!

Scoop: What about Terror Toons 4?
LQ: Yeah, I did that about four years ago and I have no idea why it isn’t done. I have no idea why they haven’t put it together. But it was at least four or five years ago.

Scoop: I think that’s something a lot of people don’t know about the filmmaking process; sometimes it starts but it can take a while to finish.
LQ: Oh yeah, because they can’t find a distributor or they don’t have the money to finish it or they’re lazy. All kinds of stuff.

Scoop: Have you worked on any movies that flat-out didn’t get finished?
LQ: Yeah, I’m sure there have been. A while ago I played a goth reporter, I remember that, but it was one that I shot and it was really fun. The guy said, “Well, someday it’ll come out.” It was a case of money, trying to get the money together to finish it. I’m sure there are other ones. Oh, I did one, oh man, a really long time ago for Donald Farmer. I’ve heard they put some of the footage into another film that Donald Farmer did recently and just filled it in with that film. But, the original script and the original character was kind of a Manson-ish thing. But I got to play a strong woman and a bit loony. From what I’ve heard, my stuff was really good in it, so I wish he would’ve finished that instead of pulling some stuff out for another movie.

Scoop: Are you scheduled for any con appearances in the next few months?
LQ: Yes, I film in a couple weeks. Then I go to a film festival in Tupelo, Mississippi the end part of July. I’m leaving some space because I’m doing my own documentary. Then I have the Monsterpalooza on September 15, then I have Monster-Mania in the end of September – which is a really fun one. Then I’ve got a film festival with this female director called, Devotion. I worked with her last year and that’s pretty quick for it to get edited and out. Then I have Rock and Shock. Then I’m doing a film and I play a very strange and maniacal babysitter/nanny. So I get to play a bad person.

Scoop: So, it’ll be something to sink your teeth into?
LQ: I know! It’s so weird to go the gamut from the ingénue and playing high schoolers to playing lawyers or mothers and all that. It’s so weird. It’s kind of like, “What?! Why can’t we age backward!”

Scoop: [Laughs] That would be nice. Earlier you mentioned the werewolf flick and how it was practical effects. What are your thoughts on practical versus CGI?
LQ: I know there’s a lot of things you just can’t really do right [with practical effects]. And it’s gotten so good with CGI. It’s amazing what they can do. The only thing that always looks funny to me is the blood. I do like practical effects if they can do it. But, it makes it a lot easier for the actor not to go through a lot of stuff, like facial appliances. That’s what they had to do. I hate facial appliances. I’ve had to go through all that makeup. But [CGI effects] can all of a sudden make you look like a demon or zombie by just doing something like that. So, I like it and I don’t.

Just as an example, there was a movie I did called Hunters, and there’s a lighthouse and my daughter, husband, and I come out the door and he gets shot. They had one of those sprayers and we come out, he gets shot, and then the sprayer, with all that pressure went into my eye. I kept going with the scene. But, they didn’t get focus or something, they had to wash the house down right away so they could do another take, and that took, like, an hour. So, it saves a lot of time. I remember talking to Steve Johnson, my husband then, and we were all scared when we saw CGI coming in [in the early ’90s]. It was freaky because we thought, “Oh my God, they’re not going to need us anymore. There’s going to be CGI actors and effects.” It’s happening. Especially with the effects world.

Scoop: I thought about that with the young Arnold Schwarzenegger in the new Terminator and young Kurt Russell in Guardians of the Galaxy 2.
LQ: Yeah! Whereas before they might have cast a guy that looks like him. Now, they can use him and just make him look younger. In some ways it takes you out of it. At least, I’m thinking, “Well, that’s not actually how they look.”

Scoop: Yeah, I think I’d almost prefer they just use a younger actor that kind of looks like them.
LQ: Me too.

Scoop: What advice would you give to aspiring actors and actresses?
LQ: Well, I tell them to take acting classes and just get used to the set by applying for extra work, which is what my documentary is about. Just get used to being on the set. A lot of people think they’re going to go in and they’re going to be the next badass guy because they look badass. And it doesn’t work like that. You’ve got to be in a place people can see you and there are so many factors. You have to get a reel, audition in a totally different way than before and just really work on it. I think actors should study some. Some people are naturals, but, it can’t hurt. Just don’t have these unexpected ideas that, “Oh I’m just going to walk in because I’m pretty or handsome and they’re going to give me the part.”

Scoop: And you’re working on the documentary now?
LQ: Yes. It’s called Extras. It’s about all the different stories of people that are extras. There are sad ones, funny ones, weird ones, just all these stories. It’s very similar to Penelope Spheeris The Decline of Western Civilization.

Scoop: Sounds interesting.
LQ: Yeah, I’ve gotten about 60 people, at least. I got into it [being an extra] so that I would learn – also nobody had offered me a leading role. I got into it to see how things worked because I didn’t really want to show up on a set and not know what things meant or the etiquette, and things like that that go along with being on a set. It makes you appreciate when you get a lead part and they’re corralling the extras to a tent for boxed lunches.

Scoop: Are the people you’re talking to extras or at some point they were extras?
LQ: Both. A lot of them are actors that have done extra work a lot. They’re talking about their experiences and what their expectations are going to be. The things that they’ve gone through being an extra. All that kind of stuff. I just talked to Ari Lehman, the first Jason, which is really kind of interesting. Then in Paris I interviewed a guy there that’s kind of well known as a bad guy but he’s in the background a lot too. He’s got this special “big guy with tattoos” look. In France he’s known for his looks. I’ve got so many more to do. With all the cons I go to, it’s hard to find the time to do it, but I’m trying really hard.

Scoop: Are you talking to anybody who is starting out as an extra or just people who are established in the industry?
LQ: Oh, I’m talking to people that want to be extras and have done just a little bit and the ones that make a career out of it. Being an extra, which I did, definitely was kind of exciting to me. I remember driving in LA and getting a call, “Oh, you’re going to be a girl in the background dancing at a party.” And I’d be like, “Okay, I’ll be there!”

Scoop: It’s like the first week of college where you want to join every club because you are so excited.
LQ: Yes! And then you go, “Oh, no…” [laughs] “I’m not being treated that well and I’m not making much money. I don’t know if I want to do this.”

Scoop: As a principal cast member and as an extra, when you are waiting around for shots to be set up, does it take you out of the movie?
LQ: No, because I’m not the type of actor that stays in character. I just do what I need to do and then after they call, “Cut,” I’m fine again. I know there’s a lot of actors that stay in character for months and months. It’s crazy. But, whatever works for them, works. I remember being on a set in Mexico and it was taking forever to set up a shot. This one guy who was one of the pirates, kind of a big part, but not big-big – but he kept meditating. And I thought, “Oh boy, he’s going to be so tired from it.” But he kept getting himself ready for his part and then it was hours and hours and hours. I guess he was trying to stay in character, but he was way off away from everyone else. Nowadays I’d probably go up to him and say, “Why are you doing that?”

Scoop: Where can people find you on social media?
LQ: They can go to either Linnea Quigley The Official Facebook Page, and then I’m on Twitter and Instagram, and also I have a webstore, linnea-quigley.com. It keeps you posted on the different cons I’ll be at and fun things like pictures and stuff like that.

Scoop: Will you post updates on Extras?
LQ: I’m going to start. That’s a very good idea. Yes. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that! [laughs] I’m doing that because of you, Amanda!

Scoop: Awesome! Well, I’m happy to help. I thought it’d be cool to see updates, even teaser videos of people talking about what they’ve done and where they are now.
LQ: Yes! The editor’s really good. I am going to mention that that’s a great idea to start putting something up there to get people excited about it.

Scoop: Anything else you want to share?
LQ: Just tell people to be more respectful to animals and try not to eat them and hurt them. Somehow try to help save animals.

Another interview with Quigley where she talks about her introduction to film, favorite roles, her thoughts on horror in general, and work outside of film such as helping animals, will appear in The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Horror. Quigley also wrote the foreword for that book, the newest in Gemstone’s line of “how to” reference guides. Get your copy this fall!