Interview by James Wright

While the plot of Zach Cregger’s “Weapons” is shrouded in secrecy, we had the opportunity to speak with Cary Christopher, who plays Alex Lilly in the film, the one child from Mrs. Gandy’s class that doesn’t mysteriously vanish. Christopher spoke with NYOTA about auditioning for the film, his process for memorizing lines, and how he grew as an actor while working on “Weapons.”

Before we dive into Weapons, take us back to the beginning. When did you first feel that spark for acting?  

I’m 10 and I actually started a long time ago when I was a baby on commercial and print modeling sets. I was really young so I don’t remember exact details of shoots but just remember that I was always having fun and people were nice to me. When I turned three, my agent, Kathy Bolde, wanted to see if I could memorize lines for TV and film auditions. I started learning my lines by hearing them said out loud by my parents and stuffed animals. And around my second or third audition, I booked a series! It’s been a blast ever since, and I feel so lucky to be able to do it. 

What about the script caught your attention and made you want to audition for Weapons?

When I got the audition for the role of Alex, I didn’t have the full script. The character breakdown said ‘Alex was smart, observant, and innocent. He listens more than he speaks and the character is grounded.’ The audition scene was between Alex and a relative of his. I can’t say more because of spoilers! But in one of the audition scenes my character was terrified. I thought Alex would be a really interesting character to play. And I saw who else was cast and read some really positive things about Zach which made Weapons a project I really wanted to be a part of.

There are stories of actors creating playlists or writing journal entries in character. After securing a role, do you have a specific way you prepare? 

When I started acting, I couldn’t read. I learned my lines by hearing the script read to me, stage directions and everything, out loud like a storybook.  I still start out that way to this day. First, one of my parents will read it aloud to me. Hearing everything out loud helps paint a picture in my mind, and then after that, I will read it. Then I got over it with my dad, who is my acting coach. And then I just try to think in character.

Due to playing Alex, you had to grapple with being the only survivor of an unexplainable and tragic event. Did you feel the weight of being the only kid left in Mrs. Gandy’s class while filming, and if so, how did that impact your performance?

While I can’t directly relate to being tragically left alone, I can imagine how that might feel. It would feel terrible! When we shot those scenes, I did ask my mom to tell the crew that I needed some space so I could keep myself in character. Usually, I come in to set and we laugh and do high fives with everyone, but on those days of heavy material that had to wait until after I was done shooting.

The idea for Weapons came to director Zach Cregger after he went through a personal loss. Although the overarching story might not be relatable, the themes of loneliness, fear, and loss are not uncommon. Did you try to think of moments in your life that could help you relate to Alex and what he was going through?

Well, I loved my dog, Oreo, so much and he was my best friend. I knew him my whole life. He was about 14 when I made Weapons and he came to visit me in Atlanta, which was so special. But he had to have a few surgeries in his old age, and even though he got better each time, I was really worried about him and sad because I wanted him to be able to live forever. So, that made me emotional, he died a few months later, after we wrapped. I’m glad I got to enjoy all that time with him, but I miss him. Really, a lot of it is just playing pretend, but yeah, there are things that I can think about to relate to characters. My dad has told me that being able to play these big emotions like sadness or grief about a loss just means that you have things that you love so much.

The plot of Weapons is very hush-hush, without spoiling anything. How would you describe your favorite scene in the movie in five words or fewer?  

Powerful, gripping, full of anxiety!

How would you say you’ve changed or grown as an actor after working on Weapons?  

I have learned that no matter what kind of movie or show it is, working with great people can make it fun. Even though Weapons is terrifying, it was actually so fun to work on. Zach was awesome to work with. And the other actors were so great, and everyone was just going for it with their performances. You can really get swept up in it all and have so much fun being in it, even if it’s scary or emotional stuff. It can feel good to just be fearless and go for it when you have a great cast to work with and the director and crew are all so awesome. Shout out to Devin and Theo, two of my favorite crew members from the set!

What advice do you have for aspiring actors? 

I would say that there are breaks when you don’t have projects to work on and don’t give up when that happens. Enjoy your life! I think it’s important to do other things than being an actor. I play baseball and soccer and have learned to play some music. Because of all those things, and learning new things in school, I don’t get upset if I really like an audition but another actor gets the job. Since there’s other things that I enjoy, too, I can be happy for the kid that gets the role. And then when something comes along for me, I’m ready to do my best work and have fun with it.