Pop-Culturalist.com

Michele Dawson is a rising storyteller who is quickly making a name for herself in the industry. Her past credits include Michele & Michael’s Variety Show, Ben & Betsy, and We Are Angels.

This fall, she stars in the highly-anticipated Halloween Ends. The epic saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode comes to a spine-chilling climax in this final installment of this trilogy.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Michele about discovering her passion for the arts, Halloween Ends, and more!

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling?
Michele: I was an only child growing up. I spent a lot of time alone developing my imagination and playing with dolls. I was always creating stories without even knowing it. That’s really what started it all for me.

It really wasn’t until I went to college that I started pursuing acting. I got involved with the theater program. That’s what I majored in, and I was very involved in the main stage play each year. I really dove into all the theater classes.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Michele: That’s a great question. There have been so many people who have shaped me at different points of the journey. I’ve been in one acting class for a very long time. My acting coach there has been a friend and supportive mentor and someone who has guided me and helped develop everything that I learned in theater school and made it more applicable to where I am now as an actor. It’s influenced the way that I get into characters and prepare for projects. I’ve known her for eight years now. She’s had the biggest impact, and it’s the longest acting coach relationship that I’ve had. Her name is Colleen Foy. Shout out to Colleen! She’s a phenomenal actress.

PC: In addition to the incredible work that you’ve done on screen, you’ve also written and produced. How have your experiences behind the camera impacted the way you approach your work as an actress and vice versa?
Michele: It’s always great to understand all the elements that go into storytelling and creating projects. I really have enjoyed getting together with friends. I believe it’s the Duplass Brothers that say, “On the weekends, you should be shooting with your friends.” I’ve taken that to heart. I have a buddy, Michael Benton, and he and I worked together to develop fun little sitcom stories. I really enjoy all the aspects of developing stories. It definitely gives you a great appreciation of knowing the importance of the camera, the positioning, the lighting, the props, and all that goes into that. When you’re writing and developing, things will need to be tweaked along the way. It gives you a greater appreciation for all the elements.

PC: You’ve had so much success already in your career. When you look back, is there a moment that stands out to you?
Michele: It’s right now with Halloween Ends. This is the biggest thing that I’ve done so far. This is a huge moment for me. I’m still pinching myself that I even get to be a part of this franchise. I’m living in that moment right now.

PC: This is one of the most highly anticipated films of the year. What can you tell us about it and the character that you play in it?
Michele: This is the final faceoff between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, which has been 45 years in the making. It’s going to be epic as you can tell from the trailer. The final trailer I personally thought was incredibly epic. It gave me chills. But it’s going to be a Halloween film unlike any other. It’s going to have a lot of fun surprises.

I play Nurse Deb. I like to refer to her as being rather duplicitous. She can be unfiltered and calculating. I had so much fun playing her and giving her life in this world. I had an absolute blast with her.

PC: This is such a pivotal moment in this franchise. How did you find out that you landed the role, and what has it been like being a part of this final chapter?
Michele: It’s actually a fun story. I submitted myself for this project last November on one of the acting/casting sites. From there, I was invited to audition. I did a video audition and then I got a callback. David Gordon Green was in the callback with me. When I submitted myself for this role, the film was actually going by a fake name. I didn’t even know that this was part of the Halloween franchise.

I didn’t even know it was a horror movie. I learned all of that after I had booked it. Then it was like, “Whoa. Are you kidding me?” Because at first the title they picked for it made me chuckle. I was just excited, like, “This is a fun project. The character sounds fun.” The adjectives they used to describe her sounded like something up my alley that I would enjoy playing. I was shocked when I found out that it was actually part of the Halloween franchise. I knew it was going to be epic with it being the end.

PC: This role also finds you combining two passions in your life: athletics and storytelling. How has your background in gymnastics prepared you to tackle all the stunts that you do in this film?
Michele: I absolutely loved being able to merge the physicality of a gymnastics background and my current hobby of partnered acrobatics into this role and do my own stunts. That was a dream come true for me.

I was very shy growing up. Gymnastics was a way that I was able to move past my shyness by performing and executing these routines that were very complicated. You have to be physically and mentally in the moment. If you’re not, you might fall off the beam.

I did a lot of visualization beforehand. I would sit there and visualize myself performing the skills to the best of my ability. That always helped me. That’s something that I carry into my acting. I think about and plan out all the moments I want to hit as an actor. From there, I just try to be in the moment and be present and ready to play.

PC: When the film comes out, it’s going to be released in theaters and available on Peacock. How have streaming services changed and revolutionized this industry?
Michele: It’s really cool what they’re doing in experimenting with it being released on the same day in theaters and on Peacock. They did that for the previous movie, Halloween Kills, last year. It went really well.

It’s great because people will be able to go to the theater and see it and have that experience of it being on the big screen. Because you want to see this on the big screen. You want to take in everything on the big screen. But then to have the opportunity to go home and watch it on Peacock the next day…I love that.

There are so many times when I’ll see a movie and love it, then leave on this high from the experience that I had in the theater and I’m always like, “I can’t wait to see it again!” Now you have this opportunity where you can. You can watch it on Peacock. It’s going to be great for Halloween and people who want to embrace the season.

To keep up with Michele, follow her on Instagram. Watch Halloween Ends in theaters and on Peacock.

Photo Credit: Kevin Scanlon