BEYOND THE SCREAM

FOR HORROR FANS, SUMMER H. HOWELL IS A FAMILIAR FACE WHO HAS PRACTICALLY GROWN UP ON OUR SCREENS. HAVING CUT HER TEETH FACING OFF AGAINST CHUCKY BEFORE NAVIGATING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DREAD OF HUNTER HUNTER, SHE IS NO STRANGER TO THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT. THE SCREAM QUEEN NOW STEPS INTO THE BLOOD-SOAKED SHOES OF ICONIC HORROR PROM QUEEN CARRIE WHITE IN PRIME VIDEO’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED, MODERNISED EIGHT-PART CARRIE SERIES. WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE ACTRESS TO TALK ABOUT BRINGING STEPHEN KING’S CLASSIC CHARACTER INTO THE SOCIAL MEDIA AGE AND INTRODUCING THE ULTIMATE ANTI-HERO TO A WHOLE NEW GENERATION.

Let’s discuss Carrie! You’re way too young to remember the Stephen King classic, so when you landed the iconic role of Carrie White, did you refer to any of the source material – the book and film – beforehand?

I hadn’t seen the original film or any adaptations, and I decided not to read the book before auditioning. After I got the part, I asked Mike [Flanagan, the show’s creator] if he wanted me to do that, and he said no! We agreed it was better if I focused on creating my own Carrie.

How did you find a connection to her and build your version from scratch? This story takes her into the modern social-media age. The Carrie we know is a high school outcast, so how did you immerse yourself in a world without normal teenage social interactions to find her essence?

I feel like the writing really helped with my connection to Carrie. Mike and his team wrote her to be very open and curious about everything. Personally, after I graduated high school, it felt like I was finally free to just pursue my dreams in acting fully and get out into the world. I’ve been so eager to learn and evolve like Carrie. That probably played a big part in my connection to her.

If Carrie White had a secret, anonymous TikTok account, what kind of content do you think she’d post?

Honestly, I don’t think Carrie would have TikTok, but if she tried it out at some point, she’d probably make sewing tutorials and show off all her creations!

Ok, well, let’s talk telekinetic perks instead! If you woke up tomorrow with Carrie's powers in real life, what is the most mundane, lazy task you would use them for?

I would turn the lights off from my bed. Fold laundry and put all my clothes away. I don’t know – what wouldn’t I do? I’d have to try every task with my mind just to see if I could!

What about a very modern prom playlist? If you could pick any song to play in the background during the infamous prom scene, what would it be?

Probably something by Haute & Freddy! A lot of their music is in the show. It just makes sense.

You like to genre-flip too, and I’m curious how you balance shifting between heavy emotional family dramas like Clouds and gritty survival thrillers like Hunter Hunter?

I think I’m a good dramatic actor, so it’s less about me balancing the genres and more about listening to what my director is looking for and trying to deliver that. I would love to branch out of the emotional and dramatic roles, but I do still love filming them. Weirdly, they are my comfort zone.

Which genre would you like to try next? Is there a dream director you want to work with or a story you would love to be part of?

I recently filmed an action movie [Runaway] and had a lot of fun! I’d like to do more, although it’s hard work. I love being active, so I’m into the challenges that come with it. Maybe some kind of fantasy realm would be fun to film in! I keep saying I want to play some kind of elf. As for directors, I want to work with genuine, cool, nice people. I’d love to film more with Hiromi Kamata, my episode six director and now good friend. Oh, and it would be cool to work with Markiplier! Now that he’s making movies, I feel like our paths may align.

What first sparked your interest in starting an acting career at a young age?

I was a super creative kid. My imagination has always been big, and my older brother, Chase, and I would make videos of our Webkinz when we were young. I remember one day, driving in the car, we heard an open casting call on the radio looking for kids to try acting in Winnipeg. We looked at each other with big eyes, and the next thing I knew, we were learning lines for a toothpaste commercial. Long story short, a couple of years later I booked my first role as Alice in Curse of Chucky; my brother decided to play soccer over acting, and now I’m the only actor in our family, and he’s an engineer.

How do you balance personal life and filming demanding movie roles? Also, outside of acting, what kind of creative projects do you hope to explore as you continue growing in your career?

Balancing my personal life and work has been good so far. I really enjoy working hard for as long as I need to on a project, then having total freedom to do whatever I want for a while. Outside of acting, I like to do callisthenics, cook or bake, be in nature, and crochet. I recently made a romper, so now I want to crochet something bigger!

Speaking of fashion! How would you describe your personal style, and how has it evolved as you’ve stepped into major leading roles? Has it informed how you express yourself through style?

I’d say my style has grown to be very whimsical. Like streetwear boho? I kind of just wear whatever I feel happy in. I like a lot of colours, but it depends on the day. The red carpets and events can be fun, but I love comfortable clothing. I don’t think any of my roles have changed how I dress myself, although I do like to keep certain pieces from shows when they let me.... I would say Carrie’s style really evolves over the season; I kept quite a few of the pieces!