Abigail Directors Reflect On Filming With Euphoria’s Angus Cloud In His Final Role

Abigail directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin reflect on their experience filming with the late Angus Cloud. Abigail is a soon-to-be-released horror film about a band of criminals who kidnap a young girl, Abigail, who is the daughter of a powerful demon. Sporting a ballerina tutu, Abigail is initially unsuspecting, until the team realizes that she is a murderous vampire. In addition to Cloud, Abigail’s leading cast features Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, William Catlett, Kathryn Newton, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Durand.

As per Variety, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett speak on their experiences filming with Cloud in his last role. Both of the directors spoke highly of Cloud, with Gillett saying that “there’s not a false moment in anything that he does.” He went on to explain how Cloud’s work on the film encouraged other actors to step into their own and have “permission to be a little weird.” Bettinelli-Olpin explained that, following Cloud’s death, “everybody involved really wanted to make sure that [they] finished the movie strong and did Angus justice.” Check out the full quotes from the Abigail directors below:

Gillett: It was just so evident how much fun he was having. I don’t think we’ve ever worked with somebody that forces the other actors in the scene to pay attention. There’s not a false moment in anything that he does. He kind of gave everyone permission to be a little weird and take some swings that maybe they wouldn’t have otherwise, just because of how natural and charismatic he is in a scene.

Bettinelli-Olpin: [When the cast and crew returned after the strike] everybody involved really wanted to make sure that we finished the movie strong and did Angus justice. We felt a responsibility.

Angus Cloud’s Abigail Character Explained

Best known for his work playing Fezco in the hit HBO show Euphoria, Cloud tragically passed away last year at the age of 25. Cloud died on July 31, 2023, a date which was just days after the SAG-AFTRA strikes shut down production on Abigail. While Cloud had filmed enough scenes to be included in the film, the horror movie’s production still had to come back after the strike hiatus, after Cloud had passed away. It is heartening to know that the team “felt a responsibility” to honor Cloud and his legacy in that aftermath.

Cloud plays Dean in Abigail, who is part of the band of criminals who capture the little girl in the horror film. The Abigail trailers show Cloud, but reveal very little in terms of specifics of Dean’s character, but they show Cloud lurking around in the mansion in the film. Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin’s perspective on the actor’s performance, however, make his role seem even more intriguing. Cloud is already known to make his charm carry through into his acting, as that was a prime aspect of his role in Euphoria.

Because of his death during production, Abigail is one of Cloud’s last roles on screen. His penultimate role was in the action-comedy Freaky Tales, which debuted at Sundance this year. As Abigail hits theaters this weekend, it will hopefully resonate with audiences and thus do well in honoring Cloud’s legacy, as the cast and crew hopes for.

Source: Variety