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Key Points Sissy Spacek reflects on 'Carrie,' crediting Stephen King's story and enduring bullying themes. She praises her new film 'Die My Love,' castmates, and director Lynne Ramsay. Spacek values real-life experiences and family, enriching both her career and personal growth. When it comes to the horror movie that shook up teenagers starting in the 1970s, there are few that come close to the impact of Carrie, starring Sissy Spacek as a withdrawn teen with a fanatic mother, who gets her revenge in the end. Based on a novel by Stephen King, the chilling movie still resonates with audiences nearly 50 years after it was released in theaters, a few years after The Exorcist. This all comes to mind as the Oscar-winning Spacek shares her take on the psychological thriller, Die My Love, her latest movie from Mubi films, which will have its movie release on November 7. When asked why she believes that Carrie still tops the lists of horror movie aficionados, Spacek credits King’s storytelling. “Stephen King really hit a nerve with this character and the bullying aspect of the story. I think it’s more about the bullying than the telekinesis, and that never goes away for teenagers,” she exclusively told Parade. Related: We Ranked the 154 Best Horror Movies of All Time, From ‘Halloween’ to ‘Get Out’ “It’s a rite of passage. Who knew some 50 years later, young people would still be lining up to see Carrie in all of its versions? There have been quite a few films made and a TV show coming out,” she added. “So, he definitely hit a nerve.” Related: Iconic Actress, 75, Turns Heads in Rare Red Carpet Appearance She added that she picks her movie roles because something about the story, the script, and the characters speak to her. “What I loved about Carrie and what I think makes it have such a long shelf life is that it’s about real emotions and it’s about the human experience.” Die My Love follows the story of Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and her partner Jackson (Robert Pattinson), who have moved into an old house deep in the country. They settle into their new environment and welcome a baby boy, soon after. Sissy Spacek plays Jackson’s supportive mom, Pam, who tries to help Grace as the pressures of the baby and home life begin to unravel her life, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. Spacek said she was drawn to Pam’s story and the movie that was expertly directed by Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin), as well as the A-list cast, including Lawrence, Pattison, and Nick Nolte. “When you’re young, you think this happens every time. That each movie is going to be a special experience, but that’s not the way the world works,” Spacek explained. “Once I met Lynne, I was completely reeled in. I couldn’t get the character out of my head. It was also the opportunity to work with these other gifted artists.” Exploring the characters of Pam and Grace was a highlight of the experience. “Pam had been a caregiver to her husband with Alzheimer’s, and the family had been through a lot of trauma, and things were looking pretty bleak,” she shared. “As Pam would see when she arrived on the scene, it was not a pretty picture. I felt that Grace was the hope for their future because there was a baby on the way.” Related: ‘The Chicken Sisters’ Stars Lea Thompson and Wendie Mallick Reveal How They Created a ‘Girl’s Network’ With the Cast (Exclusive) She also had high praise for Lawrence’s acting style. “It was such a pleasure working on this because all I had to do was watch Jen’s performance,” Spacek recalled. When it comes to camaraderie, Spacek had the pleasure of spending the summer in Vancouver helping out with her grandchildren. Spacek’s actor daughter, Schuyler Fisk, (who is also a singer-songwriter), stars in Hallmark’s popular series, The Chicken Sisters, a home-spun family-oriented series, along with Genevieve Angelson, Wendie Malick, and Lea Thompson. Spacek’s younger daughter, Madison Fisk, is a production designer and art director. Fisk and Spacek were infamous for hosting regular get-togethers for the female-driven cast, much to the delight of everyone involved. “They would get together every weekend,” Spacek said. “And it’s like ‘Gosh, you’re together all week and then you want to be together on the weekend.’ We spent a lot of time together and we had a lot of fun. Leave it to women; they are remarkable. It was great getting to see them all in action. They will be friends of mine, forever.” Related: Loretta Lynn Is Still Woman Enough To Inspire and Motivate Herself and Other Women in Times of Self-Doubt While Spacek’s career has been filled with stellar performances in Three Women, Crimes of the Heart, Cold Miner’s Daughter, In the Bedroom, and many others, there were difficult times. She said she successfully navigated the bumps in the road with “real life. I was very involved with the lives of my children, and that was at the time when you hit 40, that’s when it’s harder to find work, and interesting characters,” she said. “But real life kept me going. I was involved in my community. I was involved with my children, and I worked backstage with the school productions. I always felt like you need to experience real life to have things to draw from, and that’s what I did.” Related: These 125 Influential Women Will Inspire You To Crush Your Goals When she looked at her career prospects when she was young, she watched a great deal of television and old movies with wonderful actresses, including Barbara Stanwyck and Loretta Young. “I always thought I wanted to work for a long time. I want to work when I’m young, and I want to work as I get older; I truly want to work through every stage of my life,” she explained. “And it’s great because you grow and you change, and as you pointed out, we have difficult things and challenges in our lives, traumas maybe, losses,” Spacek said. “But we can use all of those things in our work. Nothing is wasted for an actor; you can use all of that stuff, the happy times and the disappointments; everything is fodder.” Die My Love will have a theatrical release starting on Friday, November 7.
