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[title]William Catlett spoke exclusively with Time Out Buenos Aires about joining one of the most iconic horror franchises and bringing Levon Brooks, the police officer in Crystal Lake, to life. The new series, which centers on Pam Voorhees (Linda Cardellini), will arrive in Argentina on Universal+.
In this interview, the actor, known for Abigail, Black Lightning and Constellation, reveals what convinced him to join the project, how he built his connection with Cardellini, and why Sidney Poitier was one of his main inspirations for playing Levon.
A New Character in an Iconic Universe
For Catlett, joining Crystal Lake meant becoming part of a franchise with an enormous legacy. Although he initially turned down the project after finishing Abigail, the scripts changed his mind.
“When the project came to me, I turned it down because I'd just finished making Abigail, and I thought, ‘I like the world of horror, but I don't know if it has everything I'd like to do.’ Then the scripts arrived, I read them and thought, ‘Oh, wow.’”
After an audition and a month of waiting, new scenes arrived, along with a chemistry test with Linda Cardellini. “And as soon as we finished the Zoom call, I knew I had a good chance of being her ‘dancing partner’ in Crystal Lake.”
Showrunner Brad's enthusiasm ultimately helped convince him, too. “I'd love to be part of this, to help tell this story and give the fans what they've been asking for and waiting for all this time.”
For Catlett, it was also rewarding to settle into Levon's daily routine: “Walking the beat, going around Crystal Lake, driving the car, all those things.” And there's one detail he particularly highlights: he drove the car himself in the series. “That's me driving. It's not a stunt double. That's me behind the wheel.”
The biggest challenge of playing Levon, Catlett says, was his relationship with Pam: “The woman I'm falling in love with might be a serial killer.”
“The woman I'm falling in love with might be a serial killer.”
His Relationship With Linda
The chemistry with Linda Cardellini was another key element in building the story. “Linda has a lot of experience and, you know, she knows how to get into a scene, and so do I. It's good to work with someone who's experienced and has put in so many hours on the job, because you can learn from that person,” he says.
To build that connection, Catlett decided not to look too deeply into Cardellini's work before meeting her. He wanted to go into their first encounter without any preconceived ideas about who she was as an actress.
“I saw a picture of Linda online. I didn't want to start watching Linda's work or anything like that. I already knew some of it, but I didn't want to have a preconceived idea of who she was. I looked at the picture and thought, ‘I could fall in love with that woman.’”
Then came the chemistry test, and the connection between the characters began to take shape. “Levon is in love with this woman. He doesn't know why. He's just lost his wife, and he's trying to make sense of it. But when a new love comes along, it comes unexpectedly, when you least expect it.”
For Catlett, that connection also grows out of shared grief. “I think he sees where Pam is emotionally. And he's been there before. So how can he save her from the grief she's going through, and how can she help him move forward after what he's lost, too? I think that's the kind of bond that emerges from trauma, but in a very particular way.”
From Horror to a Story About Grief
Throughout his career, Catlett has worked across a range of genres. His filmography includes the romantic comedy-drama Love Is, the science fiction drama-thriller Constellation and the horror film Abigail, as well as productions such as Black Lightning and True Story. In Crystal Lake, the actor returns to horror, but he found a particular reason to do so.
“I think horror allows you to take a lot of risks. You've got the blood, the suspense, the story. And you've also got some of those slightly cheesy moments we grew up with,” he explains. “I grew up watching Friday the 13th, Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger. We all love that stuff. And especially during October. Everyone wants to get into cuffing season,” he says, referring to the time of year when many people look for a romantic partner.
“This time of year, you want to go on a journey, you want to be entertained. So I think that combination of entertainment and storytelling was what really drew me in,” he adds. “I know people are expecting the blood and the murders. They're going to get that, but they're also going to get a deep, empathetic story. And that's what Brad brought to the Friday the 13th universe.”
“I know people are expecting the blood and the murders. They're going to get that, but they're also going to get a deep, empathetic story.”
Sidney Poitier as an Inspiration
To develop Levon, Catlett drew inspiration from Sidney Poitier, particularly his performance in In the Heat of the Night.
“It was Sidney's texture. I think he did a great job of letting the role or the character he was playing settle into him. And he's one of my guiding stars,” he explains. “I like the way he carried himself, the style he had in the seventies, because Crystal Lake takes place in 1972.”
“I thought he would be a great source of inspiration, someone I could draw elements from. And I felt that Linda Cardellini, as Pam, would fall in love with a character who represented that era and the men of that time. So I wanted to get it right for the men of that era.”
