IN CONVERSATION WITH CAMERON SCOTT ROBERTS

interview by JANA LETONJA

Actor and playwright Cameron Scott Roberts is stepping into the spotlight with one of the year’s most anticipated comedy releases, Scary Movie, which premiered globally on 5th June. Joining comedy icons Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans, Cameron is one of the fresh faces helping usher the beloved franchise into a new era. A graduate of DePaul University’s Theatre School, he has steadily built an impressive résumé with roles in Ben Is Back, The Last Shift, and recurring appearances on Chicago Fire and The Walking Dead. Most recently, he earned the Grand Jury Award for Best Performance at the Gasparilla International Film Festival for his work in Relative. Off-screen, Cameron is a proud working actor, playwright, crossword enthusiast, coffee lover and New Yorker whose journey reflects both talent and perseverance.

Scary Movie is one of the most iconic comedy franchises of the past two decades. What was your reaction when you found out you had landed a role in the new film?

I was on my way to work my restaurant job when I got the news I'd booked Scary Movie. I knew I was walking to work to get a talking-to from my bosses for having missed work the night before for the final callback. So when I arrived, I gladly accepted a write-up from my bosses, but then I got to tell them I had booked the movie, and they went from punishment mode to celebration mode instantly. I love that story because it captures an epic kind of duality, fitting for a franchise as wild as Scary Movie.

Were you a fan of the original movies growing up, and did that make joining the franchise even more surreal?

I had never seen a Scary Movie until after I booked the job. I think that helped me because I wasn't trying to go for a "parody" style of acting. When I read the scenes, I thought "This just sounds like middle-school Cameron," so I made a choice that I was just going to do every scene the way middle school Cameron would have done it, with total abandon and lust for life. I think not having seen the franchise before allowed me to bring my own thing to this already brilliant franchise. Now that I've seen the movies, though, Scary Movie 1 and 2 are in my top ten of all time.

This film spoofs everything from reboots and legacy sequels to elevated horror. What contemporary horror trends were the most fun to parody?

The reason it was so fun to parody a lot of these films is because in this Scary Movie, we are spoofing Oscar Winners. It's all the more fun to parody something that has been praised and put on a pedestal of "genius". If you're parodying low-budget or "bad" movies, it can sometimes feel like a low blow. But when you make fun of an Oscar winner with a parody, it's like "They have a statue, they can take a bunch of funny people poking fun at them."

What was it like stepping onto set with comedy legends like Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans?

It was like the best acting class of all time. They were the most encouraging, supportive leads anyone could ask for. They never made the younger cast feel like we were less funny or important. Day one, Marlon told me, "Bring every single idea to the first rehearsal and do not hold back." It's not every day you get a lead actor, encouraging the newbies to assert themselves with so much enthusiasm. That's just one example of why the Wayans are the most generous and gracious bosses I'll ever have.

Comedy often looks effortless on screen, but it’s incredibly precise. What did you learn about comic timing while making this film?

You must always be willing to be unfunny. You have to be completely open to the joke bombing, without holding back, or else there's no way you're going to hit the mark. For example, the Wicked parody was originally written as "The window is locked, so Jack throws a brick through it to get inside." When I read it, it felt incomplete to me. Then, on the night before filming, I was watching clips of Jim Carrey from In Living Color and asked myself, "What would Jim Carrey do?" with the brick scene. It was instantly clear to me he'd break the window with Cynthia Erivo's final riff from Defying Gravity. I was only given one take to shoot that version of the scene. Everyone was tired, it was 3 am, and we were in a residential neighbourhood, but I let it rip because I knew I'd always regret holding back. And that's the take that made it in the final cut.

You’ve worked in drama, horror and comedy. What does comedy allow you to do as an actor that other genres don’t?

It opens up the greatest question an actor can have: "What if anything could happen in this scene, and there are no boundaries?"

You recently won the Grand Jury Award for Best Performance for Relative. What did that recognition mean to you personally?

In the long run, it has really encouraged me to keep acting even when things get tough. But in the moment, the recognition meant "Oh shit, I've had three beers and had no idea there was a prize, and they're calling my name, and I have to make it up to the stage." The director didn't tell me there was going to be an award- It was still a blast, and I'm so grateful for it. And now I don't drink beer at closing nights of film festivals.

You’re also a playwright. How does writing influence the way you approach acting and character development?

It causes me to think long-term about the character. For Example, in Scary Movie, it was my writer's mind that noticed Jack gets physically harmed in nearly every scene, so I wanted to differentiate each violent act inflicted on Jack so that they don't all feel the same. I mapped it out for myself and made specific choices for each scene so that by the end, getting shot in the leg by Cindy is the straw that breaks the camel's back.

There’s often a perception that actors achieve overnight success, but your journey reflects years of steady work. What keeps you motivated during the quieter periods?

Having an incredibly secure and reliable group of friends and family in the restaurant industry. They keep me so rooted in truth and reality. These are the hardest workers I know, and they always remind me what's important at the end of the day. The premiere was fun, but the most fun I had was taking all my coworkers to see the movie down the block from our restaurant because they always remind me who I truly am.

As someone who loves New York, coffee and interior design, what does a perfect day off look like for you?

Listening to WQXR, New York's classical radio, while making my strawberry coferment coffee pourover from this amazing bean grower in Colombia named Jairo Arcila. Doing yoga on my roof, making an Aperol spritz, and laying in the sun. I'm also obsessed with these ambience videos on YouTube lately, where I'm in my apartment, but on my projector, it makes it look like I'm in "A peaceful country morning with birds and a stream." I know it's probably AI garbage, but it's so soothing.

Looking back at your time at DePaul University’s Theatre School, what advice would you give aspiring actors just beginning their careers?

Don't stay away from restaurant jobs. I lied to myself for years, thinking accepting a job as a waiter meant giving up on the dream. In truth, it was the opposite, waiting tables keeps me on my feet and in the present, which is imperative for acting, so that when the right audition comes up, I'm ready and open for it 1000%.

With Scary Movie introducing you to a much wider audience, what are you most excited for people to discover about your work?

That I can help carry a story, while also being a total weirdo, and hit an incredible high note in a banging falsetto.

As your career continues to grow, what kinds of roles or stories are you most eager to tackle next?

I really want roles that free me to bring playfulness and weirdness, but that are rooted in strong stories and arcs. I loved spending time with middle school Cameron on Scary Movie, so what I'm really wondering is, “What would it be like to bring preschool Cameron to the next project?”

TEAM CREDITS:

photography GRACIE MEIER