Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with There’s Someone Inside Your House’s Burkely Duffield

It’s no secret that Burkely Duffield is one of Hollywood’s rising young stars. He’s brought dynamic characters to life in projects including House of Anubis, Minority Report, and Beyond.

This October, he can be seen in Netflix’s must-see new horror film: There’s Someone Inside Your House.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Burkely about his career, There’s Someone Inside Your House, and how the film is an ode to the classic slasher genre, but with a modern twist!

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling and the arts?
Burkely: It started at a very young age. My parents told me that I always had an intuition and a bit of a love for it, whether I was acting out stories with stuffed animals or little superhero action figures. They were always talking to each other. I’d create these elaborate stories, like Batman versus Spider-Man versus a Transformer. As a child, I loved storytelling, whether it was in the form of watching movies or creating stories myself. When I realized there was an outlet to portray that in school when I was older, I fell in love with it and I’ve been pursuing it ever since.

PC: When you look at your career as a whole, who or what’s had the biggest influence, either personally or professionally?
Burkely: That’s a great question. I’d like to think of my career as a stepping stone or an arc. I was able to start quite young in the industry. I learned about the industry and what the environment was like from doing commercials and background work. That led to guest star roles which led to recurring roles which led to lead roles. I would like to think it was a nice and sort of gradual crescendo, gaining a little bit of knowledge here and there. It was nice not to be thrown into the deep end. [laughs] I always try to learn from my prior experiences and bring that forward to be as prepared as I can.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there any particular moment that stands out to you?
Burkely: There have definitely been a few good milestones. I would say getting to work internationally was a big milestone. Getting to be a lead on a show was a big milestone for me as well. I’m equally proud of all these different milestones in my career, and I’m looking forward to making a whole bunch more.

PC: Tell us about There’s Someone Inside Your House, your character, and what attracted you to this project.
Burkely: I’m very excited. There’s Someone Inside Your House is dropping on Netflix. It’s a very intense, cool departure. It’s a thriller-horror movie, which is really cool. It’s about a group of seniors. They are being targeted by a masked killer who is intent on not only claiming the lives of their victims but exposing their darkest secrets to their friends and family as well. They are worried about their lives but also about whether any sort of secret they have will get exposed. It’s going to be really fun. I’m very excited for it to be released. It’s going to look really cool. It’s a very well-written and -concocted project. From reading the script, I could see it was a whodunnit, slasher-thriller with retro aspects like Scream. We have very much a slasher-esque vibe, but we also brought modern-day elements. It was a cool combination of both.

PC: What should audiences know about Caleb?
Burkely: Caleb is a bit of an outcast at the beginning, but he’s brought into the main bubble that you’ll see move throughout the story. I’m choosing my words very carefully. [laughs] He’s in the group that’s caught up in this huge, very unfortunate spree of victims. He’s going to have to tread carefully with others to try to hopefully get out of it alive.

PC: There’s an innocence to Caleb that’s very reminiscent of Holden from Beyond. Did you tap into the character work you’ve done in the past to prepare for this role?
Burkely: Thank you. There are definitely elements that I can take if something worked or leave if something didn’t. But at the same time, I like to bring individuality to my characters. I love being able to find the nuances and different aspects that will birth something new. It makes it fun for me. It makes it new for the audience. I’d say I perhaps found inspiration in Holden’s adolescent behaviors, but I also tried to create something new.

PC: This is your first major venture into the slasher genre. Did anything surprise you about the experience? Is there a scene that you’re particularly excited for your fans to see?
Burkely: With it being as you said a slasher film, the actual slashing itself is definitely a new element. When you’re doing the kind of film that we’re doing, no expense is spared with the blood, the gore, or the stabbing. I appreciated seeing the behind-the-scenes action regarding what it looks and feels like. I’ve seen some of the movie so far. It’s going to turn out to be very cool. I liked being involved in a different genre. I got to see all the blood and guts. It was cool.

PC: There’s great chemistry that comes off the screen between you and the rest of the cast. How are you all able to build that bond?
Burkely: That’s great that it comes off like that because we were all friends, not only colleagues. But they were a talented group of people that I was honored to work beside. Not only is a movie fun, it’s also a lot of hard work, a lot of long days. Being in that atmosphere and environment with your colleagues, you start to chat, you start to make friends, and it turns out that everyone was not only talented but also great people. The long hours and wanting to hang out fostered that relationship. They’re genuinely my friends.

PC: Speaking of those long days, there are so many intense moments within the film. How are you all able to kind of decompress after a day of shooting?
Burkely: It’s a funny switch sometimes. Because you’re totally right—you can spend long hours being petrified and running away from killers in dark hallways. There are very grisly scenes. Then cut, let’s have lunch. It’s very interesting to detach yourself from that. But I would also say, as I sort of mentioned before, when you have friends and the crew is amazing and you have that very friendly atmosphere, it definitely helps you come back into reality and understand there isn’t really a killer or that so-and-so isn’t really a victim. You can all laugh and try to make light of a situation that is outwardly funny behind the scenes. The best part is if a victim is stabbed, they’re not really stabbed. They’re going to be fine.

PC: We’re seeing another golden age for the horror genre as another medium to tell really cool stories. There’s Someone Inside Your House is the latest addition to that change/movement. Did that bring any pressure to this project? What do you hope audiences take away after they see it?
Burkely: You’re right. It’s a medium that you can tell all these different stories like coming-of-age experiences. I think that does put pressure on it because a lot of people and industries have new horror content coming out. That competitiveness only drives you to build a stronger film. Everyone is trying their best to get noticed. With that inspiration in mind, everyone went in and really did their best, from the script to the directing to the actors and the crew. Everyone brought their A-game. I’m grateful for the competition because I think we really made a stellar project.

PC: There are so many relevant themes within the film. Was there one in particular that hit home for you?
Burkely: One of the major parts of the logline that I referenced before was that not only is this masked killer taking victims’ lives, he’s also exposing their secrets and the things that they’re hiding from their family and friends and truly feel burdened with. I would say an underlying part of it would be about embracing who you are, your thoughts, your insides, whatever makes you you. If you’re feeling alone, confide in someone. There’s someone for you. Amongst the fun and the gruesomeness, there’s a lovely sentiment that we’re telling as well.

PC: Besides this film, what’s next for you? Where can your fans see you?
Burkely: This is coming out on Netflix, and then we’ll see. Things are opening up. The industry, unfortunately, took a bit of a blow with the pandemic. I’ve got a few things here and there. But for right now, it’s a blank slate. I’m excited to see what comes next.

To keep up with Burkely, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch There’s Someone Inside Your House on Netflix today.