Actress on the rise, Michele Dawson, is quickly positioning herself as one-to-watch in the entertainment industry today and can be seen starring as Nurse Deb in the unexpected final chapter of Universal Pictures’ Halloween franchise, Halloween Ends, from David Gordon Green.
Halloween Ends, set four years after the events of the second film of the relaunched Halloween franchise, follows Laurie Strode (Jamie lee Curtis) in a final confrontation with Michael Meyers. Laurie is living with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) and is finishing writing her memoir. Michael Myers hasn’t been seen since. Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. But when a young man, Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell; “The Hardy Boys,” “Virgin River”), is accused of killing a boy he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that will force Laurie to finally confront the evil she can’t control, once and for all.
Dawson portrays the role of Nurse Deb, a determined nurse, who might appear to be the mindless beauty but don’t be fooled by her irreverence. She is already one step ahead of you. Deb is unrelentingly searching for the joy in the next moment. Fearless and in constant motion if she possessed wings, she would try to fly.
Check out our interview with Michele!
Do you actually believe that it’s the end of the franchise?
Michele: Yes, this is it. This is the end for Laurie Strode. This is the big epic finale. This will be an epic finale between Laurie and Michael. And I’m so excited for it to be out there because I know fans have been waiting for this, you know, for 40 years.
Do you think that fans are going to be satisfied with the ending?
Michele: I do. I believe that this will leave fans on their feet clapping. There are going to be lots of surprises. It’s going to be very unexpected. It’s definitely unlike any Halloween film before. But I do think it’s going to be an emotional, cathartic conclusion that will leave fans satisfied.
Amazing. You sold me right there.
Michele: Great. Go see it October 14 in theaters or on Peacock.
It’s being released simultaneously, correct?
Michele: Yes. October 14, they’re releasing it in the theaters, which it’s going to be amazing to see on the big screen. I suggest everybody go see it on the big screen, and then, of course, go home and watch it on Peacock afterwards.
Before coming on to this project, were you a fan of the franchise?
Michele: So, to be honest, I’m a little bit of a scaredy cat . Like growing up as a kid, I was always kind of scared to be home alone, you know, in the dark. I was one of those like, turn all the lights on, have the TV on, type of people. I didn’t watch too many horror movies. But as soon as I booked this movie, I was so excited. I jumped in and started watching, starting with obviously the original 1978 film, which, you know, hooked me and now I’ve seen three or four of the Halloween movies. I’m so excited to be a part of this franchise that really just is a staple in the Hollywood film industry.
What was that like for you getting to be a part of this very much established franchise?
Michele: Oh, so exciting. I mean, every actor I think hopes to be a part of something that is so big and so epic that, you know, this franchise began before I was alive and so it’s pretty cool to jump in and get to be a part of something that is so big and so revered by fans and Hollywood itself, and, of course, the horror community.
So, you play Nurse Deb, what can you tell me about her?
Michele: Oh, Nurse Deb was so fun to play. One way I like to think about it is like if she possessed wings, she’d try to fly. Like she’s very determined. And she’s like, young enough to be naive, but instinctually, she’s rather aggressive actually.
One of the lines about Nurse Deb that stuck out to me was “she might appear to be the mindless beauty but don’t be fooled by her irreverence. She’s already one step ahead of you.”
Michele: Yeah. She knows what she’s doing.
Can you go into a little more detail with that?
Michele: Yeah, she’s a bit of a schemer and not afraid to, you know, kind of move her chess pieces around as such.
I also hear that you got to do some stunts in this movie.
Michele: So, growing up, I was a gymnast for 10 years and I currently do partner acrobatics. So, I’m a very physical person. So, I mentioned it to the executive producer and I was like, ‘hey, you know, I’d really like to try that myself.’ And then he was like, ‘Okay, well, let me talk to the director,’ and we talked to the director and he was like, ‘You know what, yes, go for it.’ So, I am super excited to say that all the physicality that you see Nurse Deb do in the film is 100% me.
Is there a stunt from the film that you can share?
Michele: So, to be honest, I mean, I don’t want to give anything away. So some things, as you can see from the trailer, there’s, you know, little glimpses that suggest things but other than that, I think you’re just gonna have to have to see it.
Now that you have kind of immersed yourself into the Halloween franchise with this role. Are you going to try to pursue more horror roles? Are you going to maybe watch more horror movies? What’s your relationship with horror now?
Michele: So, before doing this film, I actually had some other acting experiences with dark, very dramatic, horror or psychological thriller sort of things. I’ve done multiple short films in my past and web series and things like that, that teetered on the horror and psychological thriller sort of genres. I’m so excited for any new opportunities that come my way out of this to continue doing more work in this genre… One of the fun things about it is all the physicality that normally comes with the genre, so that’s obviously very appealing to me.
What else are you working on?
So, I have a couple of things that are currently up in the air, in talks, at the moment. I have a series and a couple of features. But at the moment, I think I’m gonna wait until they land and become official before I count my chickens before they hatch. But there’s a couple of things in talks that I’m excited about.
If people want to connect with you, or stay up to date with those projects, where can they find you? Are you on social media?
Michele: Yes, so I mostly play on Instagram. My handle is @itsmicheledawson.
Is there anything safe that you can add to our conversation about Halloween Ends?
Michele: I mean, just to reiterate, this film has been 40 years in the making. It’s Jaime Lee Curtis’s role that made her, you know, really put her on the map in Hollywood. And it’s a character that she’s been playing for over 40 years which is crazy. So, it’s going to be just such an epic battle between her and Michael Myers, you know, the epic on screen duo.
Halloween Ends is slated for theatrical release on October 14. The film will also debut on NBC Universal’s Peacock streaming service on the same day-and-date.
