Psycho Goreman follows siblings Mimi (Nita-Josee Hanna) and Luke (Owen Myre) wielding a magical amulet that gives them control of the titular galactic threat, abbreviated PG, within small-town suburbia. In the movie, actor Steven Vlahos delightfully brings the mayhem of PG, providing the voice for the gut-ripping alien who was physically acted by Matthew Ninaber.
In an interview with CBR, Vlahos shared what it was like to voice the intergalactic overlord.
CBR: How did you get involved with this project?
Steven Vlahos: When I first heard of the project, there was no split between body and voice. They were just looking for the guy. So, in my audition video, it was supposed to be the opening scene. And they wanted a video of you to show that you had some kind of stamina. And I had three years of Muay Thai and my basic actor combat certification, so there's a video somewhere of me boxing in my parents' backyard. Then, I got a callback and went back in and met with Steve Kostanski -- the writer and director -- and he told me he really loved my interpretation of the character, but I could tell even then just in our conversation that maybe he was having an issue with me wearing the suit because I'm not some six-foot, bulking heavy man. So then I just hoped for the best because I really loved the project. I thought it was so ridiculous and I wanted to do it so badly.
A year later, my agent sent me a message that Steve wanted me to do the voice and I was like, "Yeah, in! 100%"
You voiced PG and Matthew Ninaber embodied PG. What was the process like collaborating with Matthew? How did you two work together to create PG?
I've never actually met Matt. We have not met or spoken once. They shot the movie and I didn't hear from them until a year later. So the movie was in post-production like everything had been shot. And Matt had come in and recorded guide audio. So he went in and did ADR on himself. And then I went in, and I did ADR over that. So I don't actually even know what Matt's real human voice sounds like, because it was filtered through a monster filter.
In terms of working off of him, it was very easy. Matt's great. There were some times during recording where Steve was like, "I actually really like how Matt delivered this line. Could we lean into that?" The most challenging part, because it was voiceover, but it was ADR, like in a Darth Vader situation...
Yeah, that's what I was thinking about...
Yeah, right? That's what I went to too immediately. OK, this is something that's done. It's not uncommon. But, with the helmet [on], you don't have to match up anything. But Matt's mouth moved because the prosthetics were on his face so when you saw his mouth move, I had to match his lips so that was definitely a challenge but I had done ADR quite a few times before so the actual recording days were pretty smooth.
One thing I'm curious about -- because I really love the humor of this film and how it balances not taking itself too seriously but still cares about its characters -- so I wanted to know how you found the balance in finding its comedic timing without sacrificing its scares and thrills?
It came with, I think, the voice. Back when I auditioned originally, his voice was the first thing I worked on because I can't do this audition and just speak like me. Even the writing and the way he speaks, it's very heightened. It's very, like, over the top...
Like D&D?
Yes! Exactly. I can't walk in and be like, "Is that fear I smell?" I can't do that. But in terms of its comedy, I think after seeing the kind of finished product I've realized, unintentionally, that as much as there's like a growl that's menacing like, this evil kind of essence and a scariness to his voice, there's also a little bit of dumbness.
A lot of his comedy comes from the fact that he's like, throwing these massive threats at children but he's completely at their whim. There's nothing he can do. They're empty threats. Like, sure, he's this evil alien overlord who's conquered galaxy, after galaxy, and planet after planet, but now, he's kind of nothing. And then there are some jokes that are very stupid because it is stupid, but you just commit to those moments. You're playing the character, so you just do it as honestly and as best as you can.
What was your favorite comedic moment for PG? I personally loved the "hunky boys" throughline. I was so happy it had a callback to it in the end!
I'm really glad you know that that happens because that's absolutely my favorite moment. Like I remember going through [the script] and doing it. And the first "hunky boys" line just made me laugh. I was like, "That's super funny." Like the thought and fact that he has any kind of sexual identity at all is really funny to me [laughs].
And so and that end moment, as you said, it's so painful for him to have lost his hunky boys. And that's it, that's the big moment that gets him through to win the epic fight. I love it. When we were recording it, I kept breaking halfway through because it's so ridiculous, but it's so great.
Aside from the ADR work, what was the most challenging aspect of voicing PG?
So, definitely the effort that's required to voice him. Like you can like have all the training as an actor to support your breath and your voice and be able to do things that sound like they might be hurting you that isn't. My voice is inherently very raspy and growly to being with... I just sound like this but even when I was certain I had his voice, in certain moments, Steve would push me a little more to give more PG. "You can go more and go deeper" into that menacing feel, so every line I recorded started with this massive inhale. It was definitely hard on the breath.
On the last day of recording, we tackled most of the fight scenes. So all like the barks and the grounding and the screaming. The hardest moment that I actually kind of lost my voice on a bit when we did it a few times was when PG's head appears in the bathroom with Greg. Oh, he is just screaming. Like yelling that at him multiple times.
Multiple times!
Multiple times! Like he comes back three times. And thank god that was the last thing that we did because I shredded my voice.
PG destroys almost all the monsters in this film... If you had to pick one that survives, who would it be?
Well, he does survive... But, he's my favorite. Brain Alastair!
[Laughs.] Yeah, there he is, just eating dinner with his parents who don't care he's a giant brain.
That blew my mind. I love this movie because it's so ridiculous, "So he's just a brain with tentacles? That's his life now?"
What was the most surprising thing for you about the film overall, like when you were reading the script or when you were voicing the character... Something that you just didn't expect? I really thought the film was going in the direction of being an anti-bullying morality tale and then it veers into zaniness.
Yeah, kind of in the same boat. When I got the beginnings of the script, I very much assumed that this was some larger than life kids movie. Just wacky. Like when you see the kids playing Crazy-Ball in the opening scene, you're kind of like, "Alright, this has a very kiddie vibe to it." And then as it progresses, there's just so much, so much gore. And I remember like, the first time I got to see it all the way through because Steve sent me an early draft to just be like, "Hey, this is what we're kind of in for when we go into recording." And so I watched it and I remember thinking, "Who is this for? Like, who?"
But, I love how it turned out. I love watching things that make me go, "What?" I was so stoked when I got to watch the movie. I could not be happier or prouder of how the project turned out. I honestly love the movie. I'm so glad I got to do it. This movie is for people like me.
Written and directed by Steven Kostanski, Psycho Goreman stars Nita-Josee Hanna, Matthew Ninaber, Steven Vlahos, Owen Myre and Kristen MacCulloch. The film arrives in theaters and VOD on Jan. 22.