Madelaine Petsch is fully embracing her love for horror, both on and off the screen.
The 31-year-old actress, who became a fan favourite as Cheryl Blossom in Riverdale, has continued building her reputation as a modern scream queen with her role as Maya in The Strangers movie franchise.
Speaking with PEOPLE about the latest installment, The Strangers: Chapter 2, Petsch opened up about her passion for horror films and what draws her to the genre.
“I’ll watch them all,” she said enthusiastically, adding that she especially enjoys a “great sophisticated” horror movie.
She named Climax by Gasper Noé and Weapons by Zach Cregger among her top picks, but admitted she has a soft spot for all kinds of scary stories.
“I also love shark movies. I love them all. Even a bad horror film is still a good horror film. If I enjoyed it and it’s a fun ride, that’s all I really care about. I can find good in anything.”
When it comes to her favourite final girl, Petsch didn’t hesitate before choosing Sigourney Weaver’s legendary character from Alien. “I think my favourite is probably Ripley from Alien,” she said with admiration.
Petsch first stepped into the Strangers universe in 2024’s The Strangers: Chapter 1, where her character Maya faced a terrifying home invasion that ended with the death of her boyfriend.
In Chapter 2, she returns as Maya, still haunted by the masked killers who refuse to let her go. The film, directed by Renny Harlin, continues her harrowing fight for survival, with a third installment already on the way.
Reflecting on how her time in Riverdale helped her prepare for the intense role, Petsch said the show’s dark, twisted themes gave her plenty of practice in channeling fear.
“There are so many horror elements in Riverdale,” she explained. “I think I had to do a 15-second scream once on that show. So it definitely felt like I had the bones within me.”
But stepping into a horror sequel wasn’t without its challenges. Petsch admitted that shooting high-stress scenes can take a toll.
“It is definitely tiring,” she said, adding that she’s still trying to find ways to unwind after filming.
“I don’t have a good method of coming down and decompressing yet… I realized I don’t have a good decompression system and I need to figure that out, but usually I would try to dispel all of the tension and the anxiety with laughing.”
The actress also recalled a particularly nerve-wracking moment while filming a scene involving a wild boar attack.
“When I saw that in the script, I was like, ‘How the f--- am I going to do this?’ But I was also like, ‘Hey, I am already doing it, so let’s go,’” she said.
“When we got to set, I was very intimidated by the idea. I had been very anxious and nervous about it. I had to really calm my mind and just quiet all the voices of doubt and just go in there and do the best I could.”
Madelaine Petsch’s fearless approach, both as an actress and a horror fan, shines through in every project she takes on.
The Strangers: Chapter 2 is now playing in theaters.
