[Interview] Brianne Tju for I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER

In the latest series, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, one year after the fatal car accident that haunted their graduation night, a group of teenagers finds themselves bound together by a dark secret and stalked by a brutal killer. As they try to piece together who’s after them, they reveal the dark side of their seemingly perfect town—and themselves. Everyone is hiding something, and uncovering the wrong secret could be deadly.

Ahead of the release of the I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER series on Prime Video, Shannon spoke with Brianne Tju, where they chatted about joining the iconic IKWYDLS franchise, her foray into the horror slasher genre in recent years, and how she approached playing Margot, who is arguably one of the most intriguing characters in the series.

How excited were you when you found out you were going to be part of such an iconic franchise?

Brianne Tju: I was scared shitless but I was also really excited, because it’s so beloved and there’s such a huge fan base and, with anything like that, you want to do it justice and have a level of respect there while still creating something new and fresh. So, I was very excited. Once I talked to Sara Goodman, our showrunner, and really understood her vision and the attention to detail and her take on this, I was hooked. I was like wow, this woman is a genius and I’m willing to be part of whatever she’s leading.

You’re no stranger to the teen slasher genre. You were on the Scream TV series and now you’re on the I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER TV series. So, are you a horror fan? Do you enjoy these types of projects?

Brianne Tju: It’s funny that I’m in both of those projects or some reiteration of it because I love 90s horror. I grew up watching both franchises and yeah I love horror. I especially love psychological horror. A lot of like Haunting of Hill House, Mike Flanagan, where it’s character-driven and relationship-based and there’s a story. There’s not just the thrill of it or the scare of it, there’s a story behind it. And, as an actor, that’s really what you want. But I’m a big fan of like, the 90,s self-aware, slightly kitschy horror because I also like to laugh.

And, with your character, I love her so much, because she’s super funny. But there’s more to her than meets the eye. How did you approach playing her?

Brianne Tju: It was a process. That is why I was attracted to the role in the first place was because there are so many, especially in horror, there’s a lot of stereotypes and there’s an order people can predict of when people can die. It’s very tropey in that way and I love that we’re kind of breaking those boundaries and those patterns and creating something more contemporary. But Margot, at first impression, she is very fabulous. Funny, sassy. I’m not always the most lovable. She’s very blunt and wealthy and popular. At times mean and it all stems from a place of insecurity. And so, she leans on social media for that validation. And she’s a girl that wants love and wants to love, whether that be from her parents, or from her friends, or a romantic partner. And the problem is, she gets caught in these toxic relationships. Because when you confuse love with validation and attention, it can make for something very toxic. A very toxic mentality. So, Margot, there’s a lot more to her than meets the eye.

Absolutely. And I’ve asked everybody this so I have to ask if you were playing yourself in a slasher, what role would you be?

Brianne Tju: Hmm. It’s funny because we were doing a group interview earlier and they asked the question to the group, and it was like superlatives. And they said, who is most likely to survive a horror film and everyone said me, and I’m honored. I don’t know if that’s completely true. But I am very detail-oriented. I love to plan. I love to overthink. I’m kind of neurotic. So, I don’t know, maybe I would be the one to survive. Maybe I would figure out how to get everyone out of there. Or, I’m not really a martyr but, I would work so hard to get everyone out of there and get them out of there, and then, in the end, I’m the sacrifice. I guess that’s just me wanting to go out with a bang.

To wrap up, what are you most excited for people to see of your character? And is there anything you’re kind of hoping that they take away from her?

Brianne Tju: Yeah, I’m really excited for people to see that everyone’s a walking contradiction. Everyone has more than one side to them, especially when it comes to social media. And that before dragging to someone, try to remember that you don’t know what’s going on in their life. And I hope that people take away that Margot has a good heart and she thought she was doing the right thing. But I guess that’s arguable.

That’s what makes it so interesting, though. It challenges the viewer.

Brianne Tju: Exactly. We didn’t want it to be black and white. There’s a lot of gray and someone can be very lovable in one moment and very unlovable in the next and that is humanity in itself. And that is how real people are.

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER premiered on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, October 15, with new episodes airing each Friday following, leading up to the season finale on November 12. To learn more, check out our review!

Author
Recent Posts

Follow Me

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.

Follow Me

Latest posts by Shannon McGrew (see all)