Following the smash release of Smile 2, star Naomi Scott finds herself in a unique position. Scott has without question given the best performance in a horror movie—if not all movies, for that matter—in 2024, but awards bodies for some odd reason tend to shy away from the horror genre.
That, of course, needs to change, and it can start with recognizing Scott’s transcendent performance in Smile 2.
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The interesting thing is, when Scott auditioned for writer-director Parker Finn’s sequel to the 2022 blockbuster Smile, she never even viewed the project as a horror movie. No matter the genre, a great script is a great script—and great scripts kick open the door for actors to give great performances.
As such, Scott looked at Smile 2 as not a great horror script, but a great script, period.
“I am completely genre-agnostic and Smile 2 felt like was an opportunity,” Scott told me in a recent Zoom conversation. “After seeing the first movie, it was very clear to me that it was a film that centers on character. In Parker’s Smile movies, the story hinges on the character and if you take away the horror elements—which I believe only actually adds to the experience of the viewer but also the conversation itself and the entertainment—it really plays as a drama.”
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In Smile 2, which is playing in theaters nationwide, Scott stars as Skye Riley, a pop superstar recovering from addiction a year after she suffered horrific injuries in a devastating car crash that killed her boyfriend, Paul Hudson (Ray Nicholson).
Unable to cope with the back pain she suffered in the crash, Skye goes to buy Vicodin from Lewis Fregoli (Lukas Gage), a former high school classmate-turned-drug dealer who savagely takes his own life in front of her.
Unbeknownst to Skye, Lewis’ brutal act passes along an invisible, malevolent parasite that bores into her mind, which only physically manifests as visions of people wearing demented smiles. Before too long, the visions become increasingly disturbing as the pressures of fame and the trauma of her past accident inevitably lead Skye down a dark path of self-destruction.
Scott—whose impressive list of credits includes the live-action version of Aladdin (as Jasmine), the most recent iteration of Charlie’s Angels and the acclaimed TV miniseries Anatomy of a Scandal—said her first meeting with Finn was supposed to be a 30-minute conversation.
Two and a half hours later, the actor said she knew that needed to play Skye because the character offered her a rare opportunity.
“What I've really wanted is a challenge and a complex character to be able to sink my teeth into and these types of roles don't come along super-often,” Scott recalled. “Sometimes they do but it’s not meant for you and you miss out on it. I felt like a dog with a bone with this one, though, where I just wanted it after reading the script.”
Even more exciting, Scott added, is that what Finn wrote in his Smile 2 script was translated with perfection on the big screen.
“It felt like it really delivered on the promise of what he said that he wanted to do,” Scott observed. “It’s one thing where someone can talk about their intention, but between Parker’s proof of concept that he had with the first Smile—which was his first movie as a director—and then with the script, it was just a complete no-brainer [to know that Smile 2 was going to work].”
Of course, for it to work, Scott had to go on a torturous trek that was more mentally and physically involved than anything she has ever done. Mentally, of course, Skye is reacting to the terror of a metaphysical parasite that’s bore into her brain that presents itself as humans with creepy smiles. Physically, she panically reacts to the beings as if they are real.
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As a result, Scott was beaten up just as much mentally as she was physically in bringing Finn’s sinister tale to life with Smile 2—but she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“I would say the role is a combination of both mental and physical [and not one more than the other], but that’s what I've wanted,” Scott said. “I see the role as a blessing and to be able to kind of have that creative experience is something we always don’t get. So, we have to savor it when we do.”
Naomi Scott Encountered An Iconic Smile With Deeper Meaning In ‘Smile 2’
Among the maniacal smiles Naomi Scott’s Skye Riley encounters in Smile 2 is one she suffers during the film’s dizzying fundraiser scene.
While on-stage reading a strange message that appears on her teleprompter—which is followed by some not-so-appropriate ad-libbing—the pop star sees the specter of her dead boyfriend, Paul, looking at her with a fiendish grin reminiscent of Jack Nicholson in The Shining.
And while no one but the film icon’s real-life son, Ray Nicholson, could recreate Jack Nicholson’s chilling smile so accurately, Scott said the scene is only a small representation of what her co-star brought to the role.
“I think the scene is such a beautiful combination of the nostalgia [of Jack Nicholson], which is iconic—and it's strong for our movie with the fact that it titled Smile 2,” Scott said.
“But for me, the most exciting part is for people to get to see a little glimpse of what Ray can actually do—He was just incredible in that scene. He just smashed it,” Scott added. “He has such a presence and this kind of charisma about him. So, I'm just really excited for people to see just a little bit of what he can do in this film and I can't wait for people to see more of what he can do.”
Note: The next section includes a spoiler from Smile 2.
Naomi Scott Knew She Was Going To Love ‘Smile 2’ Long Before The Film Was Finished
Much in the same way it was apparent that Sosie Bacon’s character, Rose Cotter, wouldn’t be returning for another Smile movie after the tragic conclusion of the first film, Smile 2 appears to be the end of Skye Riley for Naomi Scott (Could she appear again at the beginning of Smile 3?).
No matter the case, Scott feels blessed to have had the opportunity. What made the experience extra special was that she had a great feeling about the film long before she and Parker Finn finished it and presented it to the masses.
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“He was like, ‘You've got to watch’ and after he asked for my opinion. I think that’s the sign of someone who's truly confident as a filmmaker,” Scott said in admiration. “He knows exactly what he wants as a visionary, but he also is so collaborative. So, after he showed me a couple of scenes, I was like, ‘I'm gonna love this movie!’”
In fact, Scott loves Smile 2 so much that she can’t wait to show her future family the movie—when they’re old enough to see the R-rated movie, of course.
“When I first saw [the completed movie], I turned to Parker and said, ‘Everyone could hate this movie but I don't care. I love it,’” Scott enthused. “When my kids are old enough—when I have kids and when they get older—I can't wait to be like, ‘Look at what we did! Look what your mom did!’ I was very much at peace, just feeling so grateful that I was in something that I loved so much.”
In fact, Scott is so grateful for the opportunity to star in Smile 2 that she doesn’t mind all the blood and gore that came with the role. Even so, with all of the deserved recognition coming her way from her jaw-dropping turn as Skye, Scott is looking to future roles where she can tone things down a bit.
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“I think there were some others in the movie that got the blood thing worse than even I did, but certainly [I won’t miss all the] screaming and shouting,” Scott said with a smile. “I like to imagine a nice little movie in a house where I’m just talking to people. That could be quite interesting. Right now I'm so happy and I feel so grateful for Smile 2. I'm just happy that people are enjoying and loving it as much as I do.”
In addition to Naomi Scott, Smile 2 also stars Rosemarie Dewitt as Skye’s mother and manager Elizabeth, Dylan Gelula as Skye’s estranged best friend, Gemma, and Kyle Gallner reprising his role his role as Joel from 2022’s Smile. Smile 2 is playing in theaters nationwide.
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Note: Some quotes in this interview feature were condensed or edited for clarity.
