In THE BABYSITTER: KILLER QUEEN, two years after defeating a satanic cult led by his babysitter Bee, Cole (Judah Lewis) continues to be haunted by the horrific events of that night. Everyone in his life thinks he has lost his mind since Bee and all of her friends disappeared, making Cole’s story hard to believe. He is still hopelessly smitten with his best friend and next door neighbor Melanie (Emily Alyn Lind) – the only one who believes his story – who convinces him to forget the past and come to a party thrown at a nearby lake. But when old enemies unexpectedly return, Cole will once again have to outsmart the forces of evil and survive the night.

Hi Max, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me today! To start things off, can you tell us a little bit about your character, Jimmy? 

Maximilian Acevedo: My character is your typical “new-school” John Travolta coming from Grease type of deal. I’m the star of the school and the man of the hour. I’m the guy that gets the girls that the guys want. At the same time, I’m not the biggest douchebag because I do look out for the people that I care about. I have a very big heart and though I come off very dumb, my intentions are right and pure. When it comes to the character of Cole, specifically, I’m definitely looking out for his best interests, as least at the beginning; kind of like an older brother. Jimmy’s being a good friend as well as an extremely outgoing, ballsy, adventurous character who is extremely raunchy at times. He’s someone who is kind of in his own world. I have my little side-kick the whole, which is Diego (Juliocesar Chavez), he’s also the man of the hour, and then we got Boom Boom (Jennifer Foster) who [retracted for spoilers]. Me and Diego are this yin and yang thing. We’re like polar opposites but we match so perfectly together, it was harmonious. It was a really great time, especially filming with him. He definitely brings out the “I feel confident, I know I’m the man” kind of feeling in the movie because he’s always rooting for me. He’s my number one fan no matter what (laughs).

How was it stepping into the role of Jimmy and were there aspects of the character that you could relate to?

Maximilian Acevedo: Completely. I related to him in a lot of different ways when it came, in general, to being a very confident guy. When it came to having a cute looking girlfriend, that was something I’ve always kind of had in my life as well. It’s been very easy for me when I would date women just because I find myself naturally charming and a very kind guy. Stepping into the role I feel I really created this fresh… [T]here is a red shirt that I was wearing a lot in the movie. I actually chose, with friends, to wear a red tank top for the audition tape and the earrings that I was wearing in the movie are my natural earrings that I had for months before I even got that audition. I’ve always felt like I’m an old soul and I definitely feel like I have a 90’s kind of vibe going with how I carry myself and my style. I feel McG really loved this classic, unique look and you gotta be different and standout. I brought a 90’s vibe to this character and it was what he was looking for in the end. When it came to the hair as well – here’s the thing: I always had short hair for quite some time and it was about 6 months before that audition that I felt I had to start growing my hair out. The longer I would grow it, the more the curls would start coming out, aka the Cuban curls; I’m Cuban which not many people know. It just kind of fell perfectly together, almost like the stars aligned, from my hair and it’s length to my style and my earrings. Everything I brought to the table I created that physical appearance. When it came to the personality and attitude, in real life, of course, I’m not a douchebag but I know how to bring that out if they want that for a character. I definitely understood how to play the shoes of a guy like that. I’m naturally a big-hearted guy and I’ve always just wanted to light up the room wherever I’m at and make people feel good around me.

Everyone involved in the film looked like they were having an absolute blast while filming. Was there a particular scene that you really enjoyed filming?

Maximilian Acevedo: 100%! My favorite scene is the boat scene before [redacted for spoilers]. That whole inside boat scene was, honestly, the easiest and best time on set because everything felt so natural. The whole time I didn’t feel like I was working but, specifically, those scenes in the boat, were coming out of whatever I was feeling in the moment. The energy with all of our characters together was just so picture perfect, really. I can’t complain about anything. It was just an experience to remember.

Last but not least, are you a horror fan and if so, what’s your favorite scary movie? 

Maximilian Acevedo: I am the biggest horror fan, ever. I love everything. I recently watched Rosemary’s Baby for the first time. I’m pretty sure that’s the first horror film, when it came to involving the Devil, that started that kind of trend in film. I noticed a couple references, like from my boat scene, that McG did. When [redacted for spoilers] blood is on the floor and I’m using the pillow to try and wipe it out, there’s this scene in Rosemary’s Baby where there is the same thing on the carpet and I could see some of the references McG got from [that film]. My favorite horror movie…what could it be…do I have to name one? You know, Dawn of the Dead (2004), that was an amazing one. You can’t go wrong with the Paranormal Activity movies, I gotta give it to them. I’m also a big fan of monsters, so 2010’s The Wolfman with Benecio Del Toro is one of my favorite scary movies as well as 2014’s Dracula Untold. Big, big horror fan over here.

THE BABYSITTER: KILLER QUEEN is now available to stream on Netflix. For more on the film, check out our review here. Also, make sure to check out our interview with Hana Mae Lee.

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Shannon McGrew

Founder/Co-Owner at Nightmarish Conjurings

Shannon is the Founder of Nightmarish Conjurings and a lover of all things horror and haunt related. When she's not obsessively collecting all things "Trick 'R Treat" related, or trying to convince everyone that "Hereditary" is one of the greatest horror films ever made, you can find her designing interiors for commercial restaurants. An avid haunt fan, Shannon spends the entire year visiting haunts and immersive experiences throughout the Southern California area and hopes to one day design her own haunted attraction.

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