For Brad and Fiona Dourif, Chucky is a ‘family business’
SyFys Chucky series is a lot of things: a bold continuation of a hit-rate franchise, one of the funniest shows on TV, and a series that consistently takes big, outrageous swings. A place where one of the most talented father-daughter duos in Hollywood can work together like never before.
Brad Dourif has been the voice of Chucky since the original Child’s play, where he also played serial killer Charles Lee Ray, whose soul is transferred to the iconic Good Guy doll. His daughter Fiona first joined the franchise in 2013 Curse of Chucky as lead actor Nica Pierce, a role she reprises in the TV show. But unlike their previous collaborations in Curse of Chucky, Cult of Chuckyor even Dead wood (where Fiona made her acting debut in 2005), the Dourifs were given a unique opportunity in ‘Final Destination’, the finale of the third season of Chucky: Actually acting opposite each other.
It all happens when Jake (Zackary Arthur) fakes his temporary death to visit the Spirit Realm, hoping he can convince Good Chucky to sacrifice himself to destroy Chucky forever. (Just another day in the world of Chucky!). While in the Spirit Realm, Jake meets all the different Chuckys we’ve seen on the show – many different dolls, but also the different versions of Charles Lee Ray that have appeared, including the young adult version played by Fiona Dourif (and voiced by her father) and an older version of the serial killer, embodied by Brad Dourif. This season of Chucky marks Dourif’s first on-screen appearance in the franchise since a 2013 flashback Curse of Chucky – something the legendary actor joked had its drawbacks.
Image: SyFy
“I had to get makeup and hair done,” he told Polygon in a video interview. “Shaving off my beard, etc. Until then I could have done this in my pajamas. But I was alone. So it was nice to suddenly feel like I was really part of the franchise, which strangely enough I wasn’t doing before.
The Charles Lee Rays’ meetings lead to a confrontation and disagreement, giving the Dourifs their first chance to actually share a scene, something Fiona says she “always wanted to do.”
“The scene was a long time coming,” she says. “I was nervous at first, but as soon as we actually started filming it, it all went away because I was face to face with the person I trust the most in the world. It felt like (showrunner) Don Mancini was handing the Dourifs a gift. Hanging out every day for six weeks making something that’s really fun. And we ate together every night. Who is allowed to do that as an adult?”
Image: SyFy
Image: Syfy
Their feud takes place in a movie theater, where all the different Chucky iterations watch a montage of their greatest hits (read: kills) over the course of the franchise. While Brad’s older Charles Lee Ray speaks out about a particularly gruesome murder, Fiona’s younger Charles tries to get him to stay on task and regain favor with the evil spirit Dambala to stop Chucky’s rapid aging and impending death.
It’s nice to see their direct contrast with the same character up close: Fiona is a more feisty and angry Charles, while Brad is more tired and world-weary. (“When you’re my age, you see it’s not all stabby stabby and on to the next one.”) Their banter about the older Charles’ age is particularly funny and pure Chucky — Fiona’s character asks, “Do you know where we are?” Do you know who the president is?” and Brad’s response: “Of course I know who the president is. We just killed him.”
Although the Dourifs hadn’t had the chance to play opposite each other on screen before this series, filming it still brought back memories: the pair used to run lines together for auditions. “It kind of felt like I was back in my living room,” Brad says. And the proud dad jokes about the influence his history as a killer had on his daughter, especially in his favorite performance of hers – as ‘holistic assassin’ Bart Curlish in the BBC America show Dirk Gently’s holistic detective agency.
“Her participation in that TV series was probably one of the best performances I’ve ever seen,” he says. “She was so excited that she could kill this man. As she ran towards him, I went, This is how you do it, darling!(‘Thanks, Dad!’ Fiona agreed to the call).
Image: SyFy
The elder Dourif has been inseparable from the franchise since the beginning – just ask Mark Hamill, a very talented voice actor whose version of the killer doll appeared in the 2019 reboot Child’s play was largely dismissed by critics and fans alike. And now Fiona has become just as entrenched in the series, playing multiple roles and truly making Chucky a “family business,” both agreed.
“Ever since I could form memories, I’ve been Chucky’s seed. It was the coolest thing about high school for me,” says Fiona. “So it feels very, very, very personal. And it’s like winning a lottery.”
That connection is what keeps Brad going in the franchise – the one place he continues to work as an actor.
“But this is why I retired,” he says. “And there’s no way I wouldn’t do this. Because they are family.”
Chucky is streaming on Peacock.