Exclusive Interview: Vivien Lyra Blair Talks The Boogeyman, Why This Role Is One of Her Favorites, and More

Vivien Lyra Blair is a rising star who has quickly taken the industry by storm. Already in her young career, she’s landed coveted roles in projects including Bird Box, The First Lady, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Fatal Attraction. This spring, she stars opposite Chris Messina and Sophie Thatcher in the must-see horror film, The Boogeyman.

High school student Sadie Harper (Sophie Thatcher) and her younger sister Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will (Chris Messina), a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Vivien about The Boogeyman, why this is one of her favorite roles to date, and more!

PC: Tell us about The Boogeyman and your character in the film.
Vivien: The Boogeyman is a horror movie. It’s about a family who just lost their mother. I play Sawyer, the younger sister of Sophie Thatcher’s character Sadie. Sawyer is a very brave soul. She protects her family from the Boogeyman even though they don’t believe that it’s real. She’s an amazing character and probably one of my favorites, if not my absolute favorite.

PC: You were a little hesitant when you first received the audition for The Boogeyman because you didn’t want to play a character who needs to be saved. But over the course of the film, we see Sawyer evolve from this scared little girl to somebody who’s strong and immensely protective of her family. You brought so much depth to that journey. How did you prepare to tackle this role?
Vivien: I did this acting exercise where I journaled as my character. When you do that, it helps put you in your character’s headspace. The crew was amazing. I had written something in my journal where Sawyer has these red headphones. Although it wasn’t in the script, it does make a cameo when I roll the ball down the halls. There’s a pair of red headphones on the desk. That’s an Easter egg that only me, Rob [Savage], and Sophie know about. It’s a very sweet nod to how I prepared for the role.

PC: I also read that you like to create playlists for your different characters. What was on some of Sawyer’s playlist?
Vivien: There was some Billie Eilish on there. I think Sawyer is definitely the kind of kid whose parents don’t know she listens to music with cuss words in them but she does anyway. My parents don’t care, but I definitely know kids who have parents who are like, “You can’t listen to anything with cuss words!”

PC: There’s great chemistry that comes off the screen between you and Sophie. How did the two of you create that sisterly bond?
Vivien: Rob definitely wanted that to come across on screen, so we used to have these little family outings where it would be me, Chris [Messina], Sophie, some of the producers, and our friends. We would all go to the aquarium together. It was really fun. We went bowling. We created these little family memories which brought us closer together. I’m also an only child. So any time I get to have a sibling in a movie, I tend to want to hang out with them and feel that lifestyle for a bit while I’m filming. We also got closer while filming.

PC: You’ve said in the past that you struggle with the emotion of being scared, but you did such a fantastic job. What was the biggest lesson you learned being a part of this project?
Vivien: Yeah, it’s probably my hardest emotion to get to, acting-wise. This was definitely really good practice to help me figure out how to tap into that part of myself and get into that mindset. It was really good practice for future roles because I do a lot of horror or horror-inspired roles. It was great practice.

PC: You’re such a standout in this film. Is there a particular scene you’re excited for audiences to see?
Vivien: All the scenes are incredibly acted and filmed. Eli Born was our cinematographer and he’s a genius. There are things that are shot so incredibly beautifully. All the acting, the directing, everything is so worth watching. If I had to pick one, without giving any spoilers, it’s the scene where I’m playing video games and I run into the Boogeyman. There’s also a long series of scenes in the basement. Those are some of the best moments.

To keep up with Vivien, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. The Boogeyman is in theaters now.