Exclusive Interview: How The Parenting’s Dean Norris Took That Scene to the Next Level

Craig Johnson’s The Parenting delivers the perfect blend of horror and hilarity, turning a classic family meet-the-parents weekend into a supernatural spectacle. Written by Kent Sublette, the film follows Rohan and Josh as they bring their parents together for the first time, only to discover their picturesque rental is haunted by a 400-year-old poltergeist. As familial tensions rise and the ghostly chaos escalates, it’s up to the young couple—and their overzealous best friend—to unite their bickering parents and banish the spirit before it’s too late.

Audiences may know Dean Norris best for his hard-edged dramatic roles, but The Parenting offers a chance to see him in a whole new light. As Cliff, a dad trying (and mostly failing) to keep things under control, Norris fully embraces the film’s absurdity, delivering dry one-liners and deadpan reactions that only heighten the chaos. While his signature gruffness remains, it’s put to comedic use as he navigates paranormal possessions, family squabbles, and a haunted getaway gone completely off the rails. It’s a performance that reminds us how effortlessly he can switch gears, proving he’s just as at home in comedy as he is in drama.

Pop Culturalist spoke with Dean Norris about stepping into this unexpected role, the wildest moments on set, and how The Parenting taps into both the horrors of family gatherings and the absurdity of the paranormal. He also shares what it was like working with a cast that thrived on improv, why Parker Posey was the ultimate scene partner, and what drew him to this hilariously offbeat take on the haunted house genre.

PC: One of the most hilarious moments in the film is when Cliff tries to protect his wife, leading to a confrontation with a demon dog. What was your reaction when you first read that in the script? How much did you lean on Craig [Johnson] and Kent [Sublette] to determine how far to push that scene? It’s definitely one audiences will be talking about!
Dean: [laughs] I laughed my butt off when I first read it. You’re right—it was up to those guys because Cliff is the kind of guy who would stick his finger up a dog’s butt to save his wife. That’s part of the charm of their relationship. That was a wild day—we had real dogs, fake dogs, and I was looking forward to shooting that scene.
PC: Cliff also has this really dry, dark sense of humor—it feels like the next evolution of the dad joke. Was there a particular scene or moment in the script that really helped you lock into his comedic voice?
Dean: We shot this scene a bit later, so I had already locked into his voice, but when Brian Cox’s character comes out naked and everyone else is freaking out, Cliff just stands there and says, “Hey, he’s got a hard-on. I see you, pal.” Cliff comes into this weekend as a dad who loves and accepts his son, wanting to be the guy who fixes things and makes everything work. He’s thinking, No matter what happens this weekend, we’re going to be good. We’re going to put our best foot forward. There’s no way he could have imagined a 400-year-old poltergeist would take over his father-in-law and that he’d have to deal with that—but he’s going to do it.
PC: That is so Cliff. You’ve done it all throughout your career, and there are so many unexpected elements in this project that will make it memorable. What was the first thing that caught your eye?
Dean: It was the combination of humor and horror—that really intrigued me. The horror elements reminded me of Stranger Things or the ’80s movies I grew up on as a young adult. It felt familiar and funny, but the horror added an extra layer that made it even more exciting.

PC: The comedy also feels so grounded in what’s happening to these characters. As audiences watch, it feels like the entire ensemble is elevating one another’s performances. What was it like being in that environment, and how did those dynamics influence your own performance?
Dean: We all bonded immediately—it was really incredible. We lived close to each other, and just sharing all that time off-camera was great. I had so much fun because we would riff and improv together.

Parker Posey and I even created this bit where we pretended we had an affair, and now it was very uncomfortable to be working together. She’s brilliant. Off-camera, we’d act like we had to get along for the sake of the cast—you had to be there. The boys were always around, going out and having fun. We all bonded so quickly, and we’re still on a group text.

To keep up with Dean, follow him on X and Instagram. The Parenting is out now on Max.