zer0hal0: What influenced you all to get into acting?

I always put on shows in my neighborhood starting at a very young age I
think coming from a big family I had to do something with all those kids
hanging around, so we put on shows!  High school was also a very
important moment for decision, I had a lead in a comedy – See How
They Run and really will never forget the joy of that first time I could
make an audience laugh by the way I said or did something. Large ego
are the two key words!!


zer0hal0: What were your first thoughts when reading the script to
The Evil Dead?

I really didn’t know what I would be doing since there was so little to
read. I didn’t care, I was thrilled to be selected!!


zer0hal0: Can each of you please tell us one memory that you had
on or behind the set of The Evil Dead?

Sam was always obsessive about playing Pac Man, this game that you
could play at restaurants and drugstores for a quarter. Whenever we’d
go into town for laundry or to get supplies he insisted on playing. After
playing it so much with him I became obsessed myself.


Shu Tang: Being a native of Chicago myself, I was curious as to what your thoughts were on the theater, acting, and
comedy scene in the Midwest. How was it spending time studying improv at the famous Second City in Chicago?

Chicago was the place I landed after exhausting my efforts to train in Detroit. I did not really study theatre in college so my only
training was what I picked up on the job. I did a lot of children’s theatre, dinner theatre and community theatre. After Evil
Dead I swore I would never do another movie again. I started a two comedy woman act and performed at the Comedy Castle
and other clubs that seemed to be popping up everywhere. I eventually became a solo opening act and started going to Chicago
on the weekends to work the clubs and study at Second City. I opened for Paula  Poundstone and Judy Tenuta  at Zany’s and
worked often at The Comedy Womb. I did my first TV pilot as a co-star with Steve Allen which was produced in Chicago.
Unfortunately, I never got involved with the world class theatre there.

It was a dream come true to be at Second City. However, now that I’ve studied improv I realize that what they were doing in
Chicago then was very political and not necessarily where I was meant to be.  After Chicago I had the chance to go to L.A. My
time there was only a summer, a great one though!
20th Anniversary Cast Reunion of 'The Evil Dead' at Detroit, February 2002
Left: Theresa Tilly (Shelly)          Middle: Betsy Baker (Linda)          Right: Ellen Sandweiss (Cheryl)
zer0hal0: How does it feel knowing that this low-budget independent film you had a role in, turned out to become one of
the most cherished horror films world-wide?

I don’t feel it’s my best work as an actor but I am thrilled to be a part of this legendary film.


zer0hal0: What was it like to work with an inexperienced director Sam Raimi and also Bruce (the chin) Campbell, on and
behind-set?

The whole process from the audition to the shoot to the premier was all very informal. I feel lucky to have made my first movie
in this relaxed atmosphere and yet for it to have become so iconic is just the icing on the cake.


zer0hal0: Over the years you probably had met a lot of strange but interesting people who are huge fans of The Evil Dead.
What is the weirdest thing that they have ever said or done to you?

I guess I would have to say the guy with our faces tattooed on his thigh was in the top 10 unusual fan category. He had us sign
them and then following day came back with our signatures tattooed too.
Shu Tang: What was your most memorable experience working on
The Evil Dead with Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell?

The team of Sam, Bruce and Rob was extraordinary. These guy were
young and somewhat immature, yet they were so focused in their
vision for this movie. Sam by then had already demonstrated his gift
for film making and Rob and Bruce were his adoring team. In some ways
they were a legendary threesome, when one was down the other
picked up behind him. Don’t get me wrong a lot of things were done
improperly and the potential for injury was high. We were all very
lucky that nothing went to seriously wrong.


Shu Tang: After working with your fellow Ladies of Evil Dead on
Brutal Massacre: A Comedy, did you feel that you once again had
got an itch to work again in the horror/sci-fi arena, such as on
Prototype?

I was cast for this by way of auditioning. I never saw the finished work.


zer0hal0: Usually on and behind the set, strange things happen. Did
anything like freak you out?

The first drive across the bridge we did as a cast seemed harmless,
until we drove across and realized how much it needed retrofitting. I
don’t think any of us were willing to re-shoot that one.
Shu Tang: Did you ever think at any time that The Evil Dead would go on to achieve cult status and go on to amass such a
huge fan base?

Not really being very knowledgeable about horror movies I had no idea what we were shooting. I had a total of 14 lines and the
script was thin without detail.  Once we began shooting it all seemed over the top and the focus on the acting and relationships
were not taken too seriously. Truthfully, I could not imagine anyone wanting to see so much blood and vomit.  But I was seriously
wrong!


zer0hal0: How long did it take to have the make-up and special effects applied before shooting a scene? And was there
any problems between takes?

The make-up was the worst part of filming, it took forever to create the masks and then to apply them each time we worked
was painstaking. The materials used were also very primitive and risky to use. And don’t get me started on those contacts!!


zer0hal0: In the scenes where Cheryl, Linda and Shelly were possessed. Why did Sam use other actors (titled as Fake
Shemps) that were brought to play the your roles. Was it to do with budget restraints, refusing to do certain scenes, last
minute ideas add in or something else?

In many cases the scene had already been shot with us and we had been released. This is a guess, but Sam must have wanted to
re-shoot so they figured out a way to do it without us. As far as I know none us ever refused to come back to shoot. It was a
budgetary decision that did not involve us.


zer0hal0: Have any of you ever been asked to appear or be cast in a cameo in the Evil Dead films, including the new Evil
Dead 4 film?

No
Shu Tang: What is your first impression upon
meeting many of the fans of The Evil Dead?
Do you think they are a bit obsessive,
strange, intense….or psychotic….or overall
very nice folks?

To be honest I was worried about the fans
when we first began doing conventions. I
thought anyone that interested in seeing me
must be a little crazy. But through the years I
have come to really enjoy learning about the
movie from them. Most are very informed of
the details of all the movies that Sam has made
and really are very bright and interesting, often
very funny!
zer0hal0: Did you manage to see the Canadian off-Broadway show Evil Dead: The Musical. If so what did you think of it,
the actors who played your characters and was it as gory as the film?

We were guests of honor at the Broadway show. It was great!



zer0hal0: Are there any new projects or films we should know about?

Just finished a short that will be shown at festivals, The Road and the Sun.



Shu Tang: If you could go back and redo your career decision back in 1981, would you be in The Evil Dead again?

I would do it again, presuming I wouldn’t know the difficulty that would be ahead. I would use my real name this time!
Theresa Tilly (aka. Sarah York) Interview
Interviewed on the 21st September, 2009