Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Haunting of Hill House’s Paxton Singleton

Audiences and critics have spoken and Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House is a must-see series that’s redefining the horror genre. A modern reimagining of Shirley Jackson’s iconic novel by the same name, The Haunting of Hill House tells the story of the five Crain siblings: Nell, Luke, Theo, Steven, and Shirley, who as children experience the unimaginable while living and growing up in the terrifying Hill House. They reunite years later after another tragedy strikes their family and are forced to come to terms with their past. One of the show’s breakout performances comes from next-gen leading man, Paxton Singleton, who plays young Steven and is making his television series debut. We had the chance to speak with Paxton about the project, what it was like sharing a character with Michiel Huisman, how he prepared, and the biggest lesson he learned.

PC: Tell us about The Haunting of Hill House, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Paxton: The first thing that drew me to this project was the fact that it was an Amblin production. To be a part of anything that is in any way associated with Steven Spielberg is a dream…and, with Netflix on top of that. It just doesn’t get any better. At the time, I had never heard of the book, The Haunting of Hill House, but by just reading the sides for the audition, I could tell it was going to be amazing. This is the type of show that actors dream about.

PC: How much of Paxton is in Steven?
Paxton: I feel like we are actually a lot alike. Steven is just a really good kid and that’s what I try to be. We are both big brothers and we both really look up to our parents. Of course, I hope I never have to experience what he has; that would not be good. I’ll stick with acting. [laughs]

PC: How is Steven different than the rest of his siblings? What can you tease about his arc this season?
Paxton: Steven is one of the siblings in denial about what happened. He has found a way to explain it all away and actually ends up creating a life for himself that is centered around that explanation.

PC: As an actor, what is the preparation like when you’re working on a horror series?
Paxton: My mom and I spent a lot of time with the script. It’s not just about memorizing the words. I made sure I knew everything I could about it: not just what was being said, but also what wasn’t being said. I tried to think more about what was going on inside my character’s head. I wanted to make sure that I knew all of that well enough that I could just live the moment when it was time to work. If you know all of that, once you get on that spooky set and with the other actors, it’s much easier.

PC: You’re one of two actors portraying one character. What is that like sharing a character?
Paxton: First of all, it’s an honor to play a younger version of Michiel Huisman…I mean, come on! Just that, alone, is huge. As much as we are one character, though, I’m playing Steven before and during Hill House and Michiel is playing him afterward. In some ways, he’s a different person. After that experience, you can’t be the same as you were before.

Photo Credit: Steve Dietl/Netflix

PC: What was the collaboration like between you and Michiel Huisman? Did he share any words of wisdom with you?
Paxton: We weren’t on set together much because…well, we’re playing the same person, but, a good example of us collaborating would be a situation in which our character says the same line. I can’t remember who says it first, but one of us says it, then it cuts right to the other one saying the same line. In that situation, we quickly talked about how the line would be delivered. Michiel said that he just kind of “throws it away.” He just says it like it’s nothing. That worked perfectly because now I could see it as a line that my character probably says a lot—something he says without really thinking about it.

PC: It’s your first role as a series regular. What was the biggest lesson you learned?
Paxton: Even though this is a series, it was really filmed more like a movie, so I feel like I learned more about making a movie than I did a series. The biggest lesson I learned is just how hard everyone works. Mike Flanagan’s set works like a professional football team. Everyone has their job and they do their absolute best all the time, both cast and crew! There’s no slacking!

PC: Besides The Haunting of Hill House, do you have any other upcoming projects that you can chat about?
Paxton: Before The Haunting of Hill House, I worked on an independent film written and directed by Ryan Bliss called Alice Fades Away, which will be coming out in 2019. I also recently booked a small guest star part on The Rookie, Nathan Fillion’s new series for ABC. I’ve been really lucky to get to work with such nice, talented people, and Nathan definitely fits into those categories.

Career Questions

PC: When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in acting?
Paxton: When I was eleven, I was asked to be in a local play in my hometown. I probably wouldn’t have done it, but a neighbor of mine was trying to get a bunch of boys to be in it. Did I mention the neighbor was a cute girl? I kind of had a crush on her at the time. My mom noticed I had a raw talent and asked if I wanted to keep doing it. After my first short film, I was hooked.

PC: What is your dream role?
Paxton: Probably a coming-of-age TV series or movie.

PC: Who is someone you’d like to work with in the future?
Paxton: Millie Bobby Brown

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Paxton: Friends, but the only guilty part is how much I watch it.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Paxton: Bring It On

PC: Favorite book?
Paxton: The Outsiders

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Paxton: Rage Against the Machine and Beastie Boys

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Paxton: Riverdale

PC: Hidden talent?
Paxton: I can beatbox!

Make sure to follow Paxton on Instagram and check out The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Collin Stark