Clayton (Timothy Granaderos) is an aspiring actor gunning for a role as a demonologist. Donald (Emile Hirsch) is a more experienced actor, having done commercial work and a few other projects, and is also up for the role. In order to gain a competitive edge, Clayton hires a real demonologist named Eliza (Radha Mitchell) to help him do research. What begins as a basic introduction to the world of demonology quickly descends into dark rituals that force Clayton to face his past and present demons.

“I definitely thought it would be a fun experience to play this kind of villainous actor, this actor who is like the king of the audition rooms… or who maybe gets more roles than others, but he’s still a pretty small-time actor. He’s not a big actor, but he’s got his own little lane, and he acts like a bully within it,” commented Hirsch on what it was that attracted him to his role.

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Prior to his role in Devil’s Workshop, Hirsch can be recognized for a number of outstanding projects including Into the Wild, The Girl Next Door, The Darkest Hour, and much more.

“I had to do surprisingly little research,” he continued, “I’ve been an actor for most of my life now. So, I’ve met every kind of actor you can think of, and I didn’t base the character on any particular person, I just unconsciously was like, ‘Okay, what are the least appealing qualities I can think of,’ and put them all in this guy.”

Also in the cast of Devil’s Workshop are Sarah Coffey, Brooke Ramirez, and Chris von Hoffmann, who also served as the writer and director.

Emile Hirsch in Devil’s Workshop

     Lionsgate

Devil’s Workshop does an excellent job of balancing the genre of horror in moments of comedy that act as commentary or satire on the film industry, yet at the same time, doesn’t take away from serious themes like mother-son relationships, or the demonology at play.

“I think that seeing the send-up of the world of acting, mixed in with horror, as an actor, it’s just a funny thing. As an actor, it’s funny to see a horror movie about an actor who wants to prepare so well for his callback that he consults a real demonologist who ends up having connections to the devil. There’s a little bit of dark satire there that I found pretty fascinating,” said Hirsch.

Hirsch’s character Donald brings elements of satire to the movie as well, especially in scenes where he’s brutally honest with his acting coach asking him to get in touch with his agent, when he’s hyper-competitive with other actors, or in moments when his own behavior is flipped on him while intensifying his preparation with his friends.

“Personally, I’m not like that. I want everyone to have a good time and enjoy their experience. I’ve never been an actor that tries to actually make somebody uncomfortable in a scene. I get uncomfortable if I think someone’s uncomfortable. I get upset and don’t like that feeling. And in those scenes, I think we found it so ridiculous that this actor would set up this impromptu exorcism with these girls as they’re doing drugs and drinking and basically partying… this character Donald takes it to such an uncalled-for extent, the stuff he says to these women, and there are some surprises towards the end of that sequences which are very humorous and kind of satisfying, having this character pontificate and be invasive, to have the tables turn on him,” said Hirsch.

Emile Hirsch on Working with Director Chris von Hoffmann

Hoffmann noted in a previous interview that Devil’s Workshop was a way for him to return to his roots and that he wishes for it to be a “love letter to creatives.”

“Chris is a very intelligent and methodical director. It’s great because he wrote the script too. So, he had such an ease with the material and a vision. He really knew what he wanted, and sometimes when you’re shooting a smaller budget film, you don’t have a lot of time to do many takes. It was cool working with Chris because you really get the sense that he’s not just going to move on, he’s going to do those extra two or three takes to really get the perfect moment,” commented Hirsch.

As for the collaboration that took place on set, Hirsch said that he of course likes to arrive on set prepared, “and then while I’m shooting with Tim, and with Sarah and Brooke, as we’re rehearsing it, find the moments that are really working. If I see any entry point for any additional like or something, I’ll try it out in rehearsal, and then if Chris would like it, he’d be like, ‘Yeah, keep that,’ or, ‘lose that.’ I just let him pick and choose. I try to be of service to the director. That’s my ultimate goal… finding something that works, that you can all like.”

Devil’s Workshop comes to us from Lionsgate and is in select theaters as of September 30, 2022. It will see a later release on Blu-ray and DVD on November 8.