Patrick Wilson on Balancing Acting & Directing in Insidious: The Red Door

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Patrick Wilson on Balancing Acting & Directing in Insidious: The Red Door

For the first time, Patrick Wilson is stepping behind the camera to direct. Wilson is set to make his feature film directorial debut in the upcoming horror Insidious: The Red Door. Wilson, who stars in the film, recently discussed his method for acting and directing in Insidious: The Red Door.

What Did Patrick Wilson Say about Acting & Directing For Insidious: The Red Door?

While speaking with Above the Line, Wilson explained his process for directing while simultaneously acting in the same film. Because of his background in theater, Wilson experiences challenges while directing the scenes he acts in with his co-stars.

“I am so old-school [and] from the theater. Like, you don’t direct another actor, as an actor. Even if I’m stepping on your line, don’t tell me. Go to the director. It’s so ingrained in my blood,” Wilson said. “It’s different [for] a younger actor. I feel like the relationship’s a little easier. But I’m not going to finish a scene with Rose Byrne and say, ‘That’s great. Next time, do it like this.’ The last thing you want from me, [and] the last thing I want my scene partners to feel is, ‘My scene partner is judging me.

“I don’t want to direct while I’m acting, that’s not fair to the scene,” Wilson continued. “I usually had to kind of separate myself a little bit, [and] sometimes even walk away, look at the take, [and go,] ‘Is what I’m feeling what I’m seeing?’ [So I’m] making sure [it does], and then coming back and talking about it, saying, ‘Let’s try this. What about this?’ I really liked the camaraderie of it all.”

Doing multiple takes as an actor does not phase Wilson. However, giving direction to another actor is where the difficulty lies.

“Again, as a theater guy, you’re used to just drilling scenes over and over and over, [and] rehearsing for hours,” Wilson said. “I have no problem doing it a million different ways — that’s easy, to me — but actually giving another actor direction as the actor? That’s a little tricky, depending on the relationship…”

Wilson reprises his role from the first two Insidious films as Dalton Lambert. Also returning to their roles from previous films are Ty Simpkins as Dalton Lambert, Rose Byrne as Renai Lambert, Andrew Astor as Foster Lambert, and Lin Shaye as Elise Rainier.

“Set ten years after the ending events of the second film, Josh Lambert heads east to drop his son Dalton off at an idyllic, ivy-league university,” the official synopsis reads from Sony Pictures Releasing. “However, Dalton’s college dream becomes a nightmare when the repressed demons of his past suddenly return to haunt them both. To end the haunting and to put the demons to rest once and for all, Josh and Dalton must return once again to the Further in order to stop the Lambert nightmare for good.”

Wilson directs Insidious: The Red Door on a script written by Scott Teems and a story by Leigh Whannell and Teems. Jason Blum, James Wan, Oren Peli, and Whannell produce. Insidious: The Red Door opens in theaters on July 7, 2023.