Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Parker Queenan About Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Parker Queenan is one of Hollywood’s most exciting fresh faces and the true definition of a triple threat; not only does he act, but he also writes and directs.

This year, he made his debut as a series regular in Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark?. The anthology series follows different chapters of the Midnight Society, a group of teenagers who gather at midnight to tell scary stories.

This season’s mystery surrounds the disappearance of Parker’s character, Connor Stevens, and has had audiences on the edge of their seats.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Parker about this breakout role and the different facets of his craft.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Parker: My earliest memory of loving acting or film in general is when we would have our family movie nights every Friday. My dad’s a big fan of the ’80s, so it became pretty routine that every Friday night we would explore some movies that were out of my social periphery. It was very exciting. We were watching all the Indiana Jones movies, all the Star Wars movies, and then some really interesting indie films.

At the same time, I began to do community theater as a kid. I gravitated towards both modes of storytelling. I would also write a lot. I love to tell stories. I loved to do puppet shows and all that fun stuff, but I also loved videography, digital cameras, and stuff like that. When those two things coalesced, I realized I had this draw to cinematic storytelling. It’s been something that I’ve always been super interested in.

PC: That’s the perfect segue into this next question. In addition to being an actor, you’re also a writer and director. How has your work behind the scenes made you a stronger actor and vice versa?
Parker: From my perspective, it’s integral to my acting. As an actor, I’m as much cerebral as I am intuitive or instinctive. When I break down a story or character, I try to understand their point of view or what motivates them to do what they do, what motivates their “irrational decisions”. From a writer’s perspective, it’s incredibly useful to understand all of the psychology that goes behind those things. When you have an idea of what the director’s going through, what the writer’s going through, what they’re setting up, what they’re trying to do with the script, it makes it much easier to serve them. Then, being able to give my personal spin on that. They very, very much go in tandem.

PC: When you look at your career as a whole, who or what has had the biggest influence, either personally or professionally?
Parker: My friends have been vital to me in showing me films, television series, and the arts, exposing me to intellectual and emotional worlds. As far as my personal inspirations go, that’s a tough one. I have so many people who I am a fan of. I’m always a fan of actors that hone in on the craft of acting, which is what I was saying before about the place where intuition and preparation meet.

Recently, I watched Your Honor with two of my favorite actors: Bryan Cranston and Michael Stuhlbarg. They’re perfect examples, in my opinion, of craftful actors. Those two have been huge inspirations for me and points of reference to where my trajectory lies and how close I can get to that.

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

PC: You’re currently starring in Are You Afraid of the Dark?. Can you tell us about the series, your character, and what drew you to this project?
Parker: The series is a reboot of the ’90s anthology series, Are You Afraid of the Dark? on Nickelodeon. What they’ve done is they’ve taken the original premise and concept of the Midnight Society, similar to the Breakfast Club kids, who meet at midnight to tell scary stories, which end up manifesting in their real lives and they have to battle. They’ve taken that concept and they’ve put a Midnight Society in many different towns. Each season, like American Horror Story, follows a new monster and Midnight Society.

This season, I’m the leader of the Midnight Society. I go missing and it’s now their pursuit to find me. It’s kind of like Will Byers going missing at the beginning of Stranger Things. Now, they have to go rescue their friend.

What drew me to the project, honestly, it was the people making it. This is JT Billings’ first major project that he’s written, but the director that was attached at the time that I signed onto it was Jeff Wadlow. He’s done many pretty acclaimed horror films, like Truth or Dare, a lot of Blumhouse stuff, Fantasy Island, things like that. I really enjoyed his work. I wanted to see what kind of twist he would take with this because it’s Nickelodeon, and they’re bringing a much more mature take to the ’90s show. I was really curious to see how it would go. The specific character that I play on the show is pretty layered, so it’s a challenge and enticing to me as an actor as well.

PC: Like you were saying, this is a reboot of the ’90s series. Did you feel any pressure heading into this project, given how large this fanbase is?
Parker: It didn’t really catch up to me until I was shooting it. I didn’t really know when I got it. Then, I hitched up and went to Canada to shoot it, and I realized a lot of my friends—people that I knew—knew of the show. They were like, “You’re going to be part of the Midnight Society? You’re going to be on Are You Afraid of the Dark?”

I think with any project, though, there’s a certain weight on your shoulders that you have to carry. I know the series that we’re doing is taking such a unique spin on it, which made it more comfortable because we maintain the same integrity of the original story while giving a more modern take on it. It’s cinematic and indie. It’s still scary, but it’s a different kind of scary.

PC: In the most recent episode, we see that Connor has been reunited with the Midnight Society. What’s ahead for them, specifically for Connor in the back half of the season?
Parker: There’s a certain twist that happens halfway through. I’m not going to say, even though it’s kind of already happened, but I won’t say. I’ll tease it and say there’s a certain twist that happens halfway through because we do have six hour-long episodes, so it’s hard to pursue one singular monster throughout the entire time. There’s a little switcheroo that happens halfway through, and the monster is suddenly hiding in plain sight. Now, they have to battle it as it takes on stronger abilities and becomes more and more invisible.

PC: This is a breakout television role for you. Has anything surprised you about the experience? What’s been the biggest takeaway?
Parker: I’ve never shot for that long before. There are a lot of issues and adversities that come in the way, and you realize places to grow and things you should work harder at. It was such a great opportunity to become more affiliated with a project, a story, a character, a feeling, and be able to connect myself to something like that. It gave me a great opportunity to develop my craft. There are so many takeaways. It was such a new experience for me.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Parker: The things that I would consider to be guilty pleasures, most people wouldn’t consider to be guilty pleasures. I love Superstore, but I don’t think that’s a guilty pleasure—I feel like it’s a really solid show. I’ll say Superstore, though, because that’s what I always go to first.

PC: Favorite movie?
Parker: 2001: A Space Odyssey.

PC: Favorite book?
Parker: I’ll say the one that struck me the most last year was a book called A Little Life, which, I believe won the Booker prize. It’s a very, very good book.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Parker: The Sound of Music.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Parker: Backstreet Boys.

PC: Dream role?
Parker: I’d say anything in a Paul Thomas Anderson movie would be my dream role.

To keep up with Parker, follow him on Instagram. Watch new episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark? on Nickelodeon.