If you’ve seen David F. Sandberg’s Lights Out, you are more than well aware that a huge reason why the film’s scares are so effective is due to Alicia Vela-Bailey, who portrays Diana, the supernatural entity that has an aversion to the light and will stop at nothing to destroy anyone she comes across.
Daily Dead recently spoke with the stuntwoman-turned-actress at a press event about her experiences working on Lights Out, collaborating with Sandberg on her character, and more.
What was it like for you to step into the role of Diana?
Alicia Vela-Bailey: It was so much fun. When David first showed me the character, just when she was in the artwork stage, I was just so excited. I was like, "Oh my gosh, this is so creepy." I love horror movies, so I love just trying to help create the mood and to be able to bring this character to life. I had a lot of fun with it.
Did you get to add your own interpretation of how Diana would move, or was that something David clearly had mapped out in his head going into Lights Out?
Alicia Vela-Bailey: He definitely had an idea, but I don't think he really knew exactly how it would look and if someone could move that way. Because of my dance and gymnastics background, I could do these weird movements, because we'd go fully one way and then he'd be like, "Oh, I like this part, but maybe not so much this," so we'd turn it around. We were just weaving in and out of different movements and ways this character can move and how quick and how supernatural the movements would be.
How specifically choreographed does it have to be, versus just getting into the character and playing a villain?
Alicia Vela-Bailey: It wasn't specifically choreographed. Certain scenes, though, David had very specific moments he wanted to capture. I would always ask, "Am I popping up really fast? Is this a slow raise?" There were different moments where I'm crouched in a ball, and it's like, "Do you want me to roll up through my spine? Do you want me to stand up?" A cat just all of a sudden stands, already upright. Everything was just unwinding of the hands, and the fingers are so long, and slow movements to fast movements.
We wanted to mix it up, where not all the movement would be the same. We would do different versions of it just to see what would look better on camera and what David liked.
What's the hardest thing for you in the physicality of what you do as a performer?
Alicia Vela-Bailey: There are parts where I was rigged to the ceiling, and being in the effects outfit, too, it's a little restricting on movement sometimes. I had these goggles on with the reflectors for the eyes, and it was really hard for me to see. Of course, the set is so dark, so I'm blind, trying to go to my mark and do the movements without falling.
A lot of the times, I was barefoot and I'd be on my toes, just to give it an extra creepy limb look. But then, I was always trying not to trip. I didn't want Diana to trip, so it was just trying to make subtle movements and stay tight in my core and still be able to move and look like I'm in full control of myself. That was the hard part for me.
How have you found the transition from stunt work to more performance-based work now in your career?
Alicia Vela-Bailey: As a stunt person, we've gotten the opportunity where you're not just doubling, you're actually playing a character as well, but then usually you just die. You get shot, or you're going to get thrown over this balcony. It's like they need you to perform, but in a different way than this.
With dance, I feel like you don't have to talk or anything, but you're portraying emotion just by body movement. That's why all this horror movie stuff has been so much fun, because it's almost like a dance to me without full-on having to say anything. You're just moving with your body. It brought me back to home, where I started, and I was like, "I love all this."
Getting more into acting, it's just been so much fun. I'm so excited where my path has taken me and I can't wait for what's next.
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*Above image courtesy of Tony Chu Photography.
In case you missed them, check out Heather’s Los Angeles Film Festival review of Lights Out and her interviews with director David F. Sandberg, actress Lotta Losten, producer Lawrence Grey, and screenwriter Eric Heisserer:
Heather A. Wixson was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, until she followed her dreams and moved to Los Angeles in 2009. A 14-year veteran in the world of horror entertainment journalism, Wixson fell in love with genre films at a very early age, and has spent more than a decade as a writer and supporter of preserving the history of horror and science fiction cinema. Throughout her career, Wixson has contributed to several notable websites, including Fangoria, Dread Central, Terror Tube, and FEARnet, and she currently serves as the Managing Editor for Daily Dead, which has been her home since 2013. She's also written for both Fangoria Magazine & ReMind Magazine, and her latest book project, Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume One will be released on October 20, 2021.
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