Horror films live and die by their recognizable faces and iconic baddies. The world and art of creature performance has many iconic names and faces from Kane Hodder to Doug Jones. From slashers, ghosts, zombies, and demons—there is a lot to play with in this sandbox. A modern name you’ve seen many times and not known is Canadian performer Troy James also known as Twisty Troy. From The Void (2016) to Scary Stories to tell in the Dark (2019) and beyond- Troy has had a hand in top horror selections from television to theaters.

Below, I chat with the master of contortions himself about being bendy and working in horror as a performer in this exclusive!

At what point did you realize you had this talent and ability? Did you ever utilize it growing up?

I was born with the ability, and so didn’t realize it *was* an ability until the other young children in daycare, ever primed to point out differences, started saying, “Ew. That’s gross. You’re weird.” I’d use it to scare my younger sister and cousins, occasionally, but pretty much hid it from everyone else out of embarrassment.

When you get an offer and description of a character/creature- what’s your process for how you decide they will move or “who” they are?

It’s weird having the freedom to decide that, especially coming from the corporate world where everyone did their job the way the boss wanted it done. While it depends on the project, some are more loose in that the script will say Character contorts in a wild and creepy way and the director will say, “I want you to get from Point A to Point B as crazily as possible” Other times specific actions are required, beat for beat.

I remember on my first appearance on Shadowhunters, before anyone really knew what I was capable of, my action was to duck under a small hatch and stalk toward the lead actor. Resetting to our starting positions, I did it backward and upside for fun. It suddenly got really quiet, and they called me back out to set. I actually thought I was in trouble: No horseplay on set, you know? Turns out they loved it, and I got carte-blanche to go all out. (Am I talking too much?)

Other times, I use my basic understanding of monster lore. Is it a shambling corpse? It’ll probably move a bit jangly, stuttering in its steps because its decomposing. Am I a possessed victim? Well, there might be a disconnect as the body isn’t entirely mine. It might be more twitchy, the style of movement might not match up to that of a regular person, because something is very wrong.

Growing up, did you watch horror or have any icons you saw in yourself? Did that ever change or evolve?

I was a scaredy-cat when I was young. Couldn’t even make it past the T-Rex fight in Tomb Raider 3 without playing on mute. And this is all thanks to a chance encounter with Tony Todd’s Candy Man at a very young age. (More than a few people have told me I resemble him, actually; I don’t see it. Do you?)

Storytime: I’m a happy child, innocent of any evil in the world, maybe 6? I don’t remember, and the family is at my aunt’s house and starts up Candy Man. Very quickly, I am told that it is a grown up film not for me to be watching and to go upstairs to bed. I wasn’t even tired! “Fine, but I’ll have the last laugh” I think. Little rebel me sneaks downstairs when everyone was asleep watching by the light of the television. Quickly realize it was a big mistake, but I can’t turn the television off because I’d be left in pitch black. When the credits role, the VHS goes to noisy static, so I have no choice but to run upstairs. The next morning, it’s very clear what I had done, and worst of all, there is no sympathy for poor me, quivering like a leaf because “I told you so.”

Who’d have thought that’d I’d be doing this all these years later?

What was the process for casting and nabbing your role in Channel Zero: Dream Door? What was the experience of working with icon Barbra Crampton?

I auditioned! But maybe I had a leg up since I had appeared briefly the season earlier. Also because I’m allergic to saying nice things about myself, I’ll just leave a little quote from Nick Antosca, writer and showrunner here. He said, “We actually wrote the season around him after we saw what he could do in a small role in Butcher’s Block. None of it is CG. Pretzel Jack’s contortions and bizarre behavior are entirely the performance of Troy James.”

Do you have franchises, roles, or characters you’d like to play that you haven’t? For me, I can see you making such a fun death in a Final Destination movie during the opening incident.

In a wild, vainglorious, I’d write myself into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as *both*. My it’d be fun to play two wildly different characters as one. Meek Doctor, Larger than Life Hyde. Although the script in my head keeps turning it into a buddy comedy somehow, ala Venom. I don’t know why that keeps happening.

You’ve got a point. Tons of beautiful ways to die in Final Destination! I imagine a Mission Impossible laser room infiltration going wrong.

If you had to personally suggest any horror movies, movements, titles for performance actors such as yourself to study what would you suggest and why?

Andy Serkis’ Gollum is by far the gold standard for me, even to this day. Javier Botet in Mama is also an incredible study. Wires and shooting in reverse made for such a wild viewing experience. Planet of the Apes is also up there for me. Exquisite movement mechanics there.

You got to play a recurring villain on CW’s The Flash as Ragdoll- are you a fellow nerd or comic fan? What drew you to the opportunity/role?

I am! And I spent so much time researching the character to make sure I got it right. You’d think I was preparing for an exam or something, and that they would quiz me on my first day. I came armed with so many facts to prove I was up to the task because if I know anything, these characters are near and dear to comic fans’ hearts; you kind of owe it to them to get it right. (And they’ll let you know if you don’t.) Rag Doll was a bit of a blend between Rag Doll Sr. and Rag Doll Jr. his son, so he kind of became his own character with his biggest motivation aiming to cause as much mayhem and targeted misery as possible. What drew me was the fact that he was a supervillain. I’ve played bad guys before, but a veritable meta? In a world of heroes? How could I not?

What’s a “fun fact” or wild antidote you’ve learned from being in this niche, rich world of creature performances?

The acting world is small. Everybody knows each other. Every new set I arrive on, I meet cast and crew I’ve either worked with before, or we have mutual friends from a previous set. Where I’m going with this is: Don’t be a butt head. People talk, and you don’t want to be “that guy” On the plus side, you get mini happy reunions with a bunch of people every once in a while. (and plenty of couches to crash on in a pinch.)

You’ve mentioned to me before a story concerning a “Missing Person” and you? Can you expand on that?

Oh boy. So I used to work in Human Resources for the municipal police in my city. One of my friends took a 30-second video just for fun and posted it. Bam, it goes viral. I’m now getting calls to perform and do film and television. Don’t have an agent, have no idea how film and television works.

“Sure I can come on your show - if it’s after 5:00pm” is what I’m telling production.

Along comes The Strain where instead of a body suit, I wear prosthetics for the first time.

(Important: The application process can take hours. I did not know this)

I book the day off, clear it with my boss, and I’m excited to shoot.

In the world of film and TV, dates and schedules are constantly changing. The day before I am scheduled to shoot I get a call at 3:00 am. It is production. They are furious. I’m supposed to be there in the make-up chair. I was supposed to be there at 2:00. It’s the first episode of the season, and I’m the featured creature. Naturally, I assume I booked the wrong day off of work. Oh-no-it’s-all-my-fault.

Brush the snow off my car, and fly out of the driveway. Mother calls, but I’m on set with angry production - that can wait. Get to set, they meet me in the parking lot. “We’ll park your car. Get in makeup” I text my mother who hasn’t stopped calling, “I’m at work, I’m fine.” Seeing as it’s still stupid o’clock in the morning, I start preparing a work group text message to let them know I won’t make it in today, but before I can press send, I’ve got people taking my clothes, my phone, “Don’t worry, we’ll put it in your trailer. Get. In Makeup” (Wait, I get a trailer!?)

We get to set, act act act. Things have settled, and now we break for lunch.

In the lunchroom, a worried PA approaches. “Troy, I have a Sgt. (name) on the phone, something about a missing person?” I recognize the name, but how does *she* know this name? I didn’t tell anyone where I worked… Oh no. I can hear buzzing from the others in the cafeteria? “The police? Looking for him? Who’s that guy? Do you know him?” (No. Nobody knows me. I’ve never done TV before. The optics are bad.)

First thing I do is get my phone. Slide to unlock, and I’m greeted with my half-finished group text message, “ Hi (work friends), I am unable to come in today. I am–”

Had I just pushed send, everything would have been fine. No. I keep reading.

- Troy?
- Troy? Where are you?
- Oh he’s probably slept in. He’s going to freak out when he wakes up and reads this.

I never miss work. I keep reading, as the messages get more and more worried, and here’s where it gets Seinfeldian.

The police do a safety check. They call my friends and emergency contacts. They call my mother who tells them “He’s at work… He left at 3:00 am.”

Apparently there was a horrible accident on the highway that morning. Now, police are checking the hospitals. Mother thinks I’m dead in a ditch somewhere. I didn’t actually tell my work where I was, when I booked the day off but hey. Finding missing people is what they do.

Started the day thinking it would be my first and last day as an actor, and ended up convinced I needed to start acting full time because clearly I was getting fired from my day job, haha. This is also the story of how I got my agent. One kind soul in the cafeteria asked me, “Why didn’t your agent tell you the dates had changed?” and I responded, “What’s an agent?” He recommended his (agent), and thanks to Peter and Frank, I never missed a set day again. :)

Any horror titles (any media form) you think readers should take a glance at?

I will always and forever champion Thomas Olde Heuvelt. He wrote the novels Hex and Echo. Hex was an amazingly creepy and exciting read. I’m a big fan of his. Also, The Autopsy of Jane Doe is fantastic. I recommend watching it alone very late at night. :)

Any self plugs? Upcoming projects and where to see ‘em?

Nancy Drew’s final season just came out. I’m in it a bunch as different creatures. Also, The Soska Sisters’ Festival of the Living Dead just got announced. Surprise reunion! Loved working on Rabid with them, and I’ll be here too!