Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Ma’s Corey Fogelmanis

Corey Fogelmanis got his big break as Farkle Minkus on Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World. The role established him as a rising young actor, and for three years, he captivated audiences with his performance. Following the show’s series finale, it was important to Corey that he explore different avenues and projects that would further challenge him as an actor. It led him to the horror-thriller, Ma, where he’s starring opposite Octavia Spencer. We caught up with Pop Culturalist fave Corey Fogelmanis to chat about his new project.

PC: Tell us about Ma, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Corey: Ma is about a lonely woman, played by Octavia Spencer, who befriends a group of teenagers. She starts buying them alcohol and lets them party in her basement. When things seem too good to be true, they realize that they are.

My character’s name is Andy. He’s the designated driver of the group, and I think that says a lot about him. He’s sweet and responsible and he cares about his friends. He develops a liking to Maggie when she moves to town, and that turns out to be a point of contention when the kids start partying at Ma’s—Ma gets a little jealous!

The opportunity to work with Octavia and Tate Taylor [director] was more than enough reason to do this.

PC: How similar or different is Andy to yourself and other characters you’ve played?
Corey: Out of all the characters that I’ve played, Andy is probably the most similar to me. Tate really wanted us to bring ourselves to the roles and was super trusting with our instincts. It allowed us to portray these teens as much like real people as possible. In Andy, I found an opening to bring the kindness and gentleness that I aspire to embody in my life.

PC: You’re best known for your roles on Girl Meets World and PrankMe. What was the transition like going from those projects to Ma?
Corey: It’s been challenging and exciting. It’s been really important to me since Girl Meets World that I find projects that allow me to challenge myself and explore different avenues. For PrankMe and Ma, I felt like I had to fight to prove that I had more to offer than just what people had seen on Girl Meets World. I’m really grateful to the casting directors that took a chance in seeing me in a new light.

PC: The cast wrote a song during production. What’s the backstory behind that?
Corey: Oh my gosh! I didn’t know people knew about this. It’s called “T*tty Pics and Hot Dogs”. I wish there was some way to insert a video here, but let’s just hope Octavia posts it on her Instagram at some point.

It came about so randomly! One day we were doing nothing in between set-ups and Octavia said something about, well, t*tty pics, and then later in the day she was eating a hot dog and it just turned it into a song. The delirium that takes place at 10 PM after a long day of shooting is something special. It became a staple for the last couple days of the shoot and I can’t believe I’m talking about it right now. [laughs]

PC: How does Ma differentiate itself from other horror/thriller films? How will it redefine the genre?
Corey: Ma gives you the chance to get to know the characters before it throws them into the crazy circumstances of the film. In that way, you care about them and it creates this back and forth between who the audience lends their empathy to: the kids or Ma. It’s a really nice slow burn, and I love that about the movie.

In terms of how it’ll redefine the genre, I’m not sure! I think it might introduce more character-driven thrillers, which I feel like people respond to really well. In my opinion, there’s nothing scarier than a person who’s dealing with a lot (in Ma, Sue Ann is emotionally struggling), and throughout the film, exploring the psychology of that person and how they affect those around them.

PC: Besides Ma, do you have any other upcoming projects you can chat about at this time?
Corey: I do! I have an episode of an anthology series on Hulu called Into the Dark coming out August 2nd. My episode is called “School Spirit”, and I think it’s best described as The Breakfast Club with a Blumhouse twist.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Favorite scary movie?
Corey: Halloween 1978

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Corey: The Act on Hulu. Joey King is incredible.

PC: A place you’d like to visit?
Corey: I’d love to visit Japan.

PC: Last person you called or text?
Corey: The last person I texted was my stylist, Franzy. The last person I called was my mom for a morning catch up.

PC: Most used emoji?
Corey: 😺

Keep up with Corey by following him on Twitter and Instagram, and catch Ma in theaters now!