Standing at a height well over six feet, with a jawline that once defined his portrayal of Jay Leno, Daniel Roebuck brings distinctive joviality to his role as Santa Claus in the new blood-curdling horror film, Terrifier 3. Even if his name doesn’t sound familiar, you would likely recognise his face. With an impressive repertoire of over 250 roles, he holds a high rank among the well-recognised character actors like David Dastmalchian and William Fichtner. Roebuck mentions how some fans mistake their familiarity, asking if they were schoolmates, only for him to remind them of his television presence.
In the 1990s, he made regular appearances as the sharp investigator on Matlock aiding Andy Griffith’s striking courtroom scenes. He reprised his role as Tommy Lee Jones’s federal sidekick, Bob Biggs, from The Fugitive in the 1998 sequel series US Marshals. He became Julianna’s Crane’s covert spy stepfather in The Man in the High Castle, a cunning survivor in The Walking Dead, Greez Dritus in the Star Wars Jedi universe, and was Lost’s practical high-school science teacher Arzt during the first season.
Roebuck’s successful career can be viewed through his significant roles every ten years. Starting with River’s Edge, followed by The Fugitive, Lost, The Man in the High Castle, and currently with Terrifier 3. He anticipates this latest horror film to be a massive success.
From its inception in 2008 as a short film about Art the Clown, a killer mime artist, The Terrifier franchise has shown great potential. Fans were captivated by the traditional video-nasty themes and homebrewed special effects and bloodshed when Art the Clown re-emerged in 2013 for a part of the indie horror compilation, All Hallows Eve. The self-funded independent feature, Terrifier, emerged in 2015.
Drawing on various bloody elements of the film industry, Terrifier, starring David Howard Thornton as Art, gives a nod to a range of gruesome clichés. The movie is a well-received nod to the horror films of the ’80s, which often blended gory violence with comedic elements in anticipation of their video release. These films are most enjoyable when viewed in the dark, with viewers loudly advising the characters against venturing into the basement. Made independently, the Terrifiers, like many other films that have been unjustly criticised, were the result of independent work.
“I’m an outsider filmmaker myself,” conveys Roebuck, “People are drawn to the story of an underdog”. Roebuck vouches for Damien, describing him as a talented, intelligent and kind individual who has remained grounded despite his success. Being part of this journey is truly remarkable, he added.
While initial responses to Terrifier were varied, it was widely praised within the horror fan community. The film even earned three nominations for the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. Over the past ten years, Terrifier and its sequel Terrifier 2 have amassed a sizeable following, leading to a limited re-release ahead of Terrifier 3. The franchise is showing signs of sturdy and sustained popularity.
The third film in the series sticks to the same premise as the previous two. Observing Thornton in action, viewers are left guessing whether he’s about to brutally skin another character alive, an occurrence in the movie, or mimic being in an imaginary glass box.
Bearing in mind a trend that started with distinctly subterranean Christmas horrors like the Silent Night, Deadly Night series and Black Christmas, Terrifier 3 features both Roebuck and Art the Clown as Santa Claus. IndieWire, a high-end website, noted, “It’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face – one so wide it feels like it’s held up with meat hooks”.
“I actually played a clown when I was 12, performing in the Lions All-Star Circus”, shares Roebuck. “I modelled my clown persona after Bela Lugosi; I was a vampire clown. I was around when the Nightmare on Elm Street series took off and Robert Englund, who portrayed Freddie Krueger, is a long-time friend. I foresee Terrifier 3 having a similar trajectory for David Howard Thornton”.
Roebuck shares that he is yet to watch the completed movie, expressing gratitude for the freedom given by Damien. He also applauds Tim Burton for linking Christmas and Halloween in the highly acclaimed animation, ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas,’ although the actual direction was by Henry Selick based on Burton’s design. The film depicts the Halloween Town king exploring Christmas Town, thus combining the two holidays in a movie that can be enjoyed for several months.
Roebuck, who was brought up in the Catholic faith, along with his wife, Tammy Roebuck, established ‘A Channel of Peace’ in 2020. This non-profit production firm creates movies with faith and family themes including the moving cancer film, ‘Getting Grace.’ The company offers guidance to film students in diverse fields like scripting, shooting, and editing. Apart from being the presenter of ‘Classic with Daniel Roebuck’ on New Evangelization Television in New York, Roebuck is also a filmmaker. He reveals that he recently produced a film with a Catholic theme, set to be shown to their bishop soon. He regards the film as heartwarming and hopes for an imprimatur.
Roebuck, known in the Christian and faith community, may seem like a surprise to horror aficionados who recognise him from ‘Phantasm Ravager’ or as a notable collaborator of Rob Zombie. He asserts that acting, including in Zombie’s Halloween Sequence, is simply his profession. His narrative reflects the diversity of the United States, positioning himself as both a notable Christian and a significant figure in the horror circuits. His considerable influence and distinction contribute significantly to the horror genre. This type of advanced character has often been seen in the backdrop of late-night classics.
In collaboration with part-time rocker Zombie, five cinematic projects have been brought to life by him, their historical partnership commencing with the 2005 cult favourite, The Devil’s Rejects. His role from Rejects resurfaced in the wildly unconventional animated feature, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto in 2009, and once again in Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses trilogy’s final episode, 3 from Hell, in 2019.
More recently, in Zombie’s 2022 rejuvenation of the Gothic-styled 1960 sitcom, Roebuck has performed as Grandpa Muster. This is not the brooding, solemn type of horror, known as elevated horror. This material is unruly, reprehensible and has a massive fandom. Zombie, or Robert Bartleh Cummings as his mother calls him, is a figurehead of this realm.
“Rob is a genuinely nice person, but filming with him has resulted in the two most horrifying moments of my life,” comments Roebuck. “The first was during the filming of Halloween. I couldn’t see the camera as it was behind me. All I could see was Michael Myers marching towards me, played by Tyler Mane. Standing at a staggering 7ft 3in tall, all I could think was, Help! Frightening!”
This experience is highly uncharacteristic of a Richard Curtis production. An unforgettable event for Roebuck was from Zombie’s 31, a separate film featuring murderous clowns, with Richard Brake’s “Doom-Head” ominously hovering over him.
“Being restrained to a chair, blood blurring my vision and a steady drip of water on me made for a terrifying scene,” he recalls. “A moment of panic surged when I realised that no one had informed me that the axe in Richard Brake’s possession was made of rubber. Watching him fiercely wield it, I truly believed I was about to be murdered. Thankfully, the axe was indeed rubber. Miraculously, I never experience nightmares afterwards, and I attribute this to Rob’s expertise as a director and his love for hearty laughter.”
During the filming of Terrifier 3, Roebuck acted as a producer and co-director of the uplifting Christmas faith movie, Saint Nick of Bethlehem, the story of a grief-stricken father who transforms into Santa Claus for many. One must not mistake one film for the other.
Roebuck announces that Terrifier 3 is a superbly executed, frightening, peculiar, theatrical, and crazy horror spectacle. You’re permitted to come with your kin, yet we warn you, we’ll have to report you to child services – this applies to Ireland too. We simply can’t allow young Irish eyes to see this film. Terrifier 3 is presently showing in cinemas.