Danny Zovatto stepped into the mind of the infamous Dating game Murderer, Rodney Alcalafor his new film Woman of the Hour – and it all started with his physical transformation.

“Oh my God, I’ve been eating pizza and ice cream all day. I just wanted to gain weight,” Zovatto, 33, said exclusively We weekly prior to the release of the Netflix film. “I noticed that when he saw the photos of Rodney, he looked a little heavier than me. And the way he moved, his teeth, the weight he carried. I focused on that a lot. And obviously the (70s-inspired) clothes and shoes and all that stuff helps.”

Anna Kendricks directorial debut, which was released on Netflix on Friday, October 18, tells the story of one of the most infamous serial killers of the 1970s, appearing on The dating game show. Alcala was one of the contestants on a 1978 episode opposite Bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw (played by Kendrick in the movie). While Rodney eventually won Cheryl over by using his charm, she later told casting directors that she would not continue the date after getting strange “vibes” from him.

It was later discovered that Rodney had been killing for almost a decade before appearing on the game show. He was arrested in 1979 and although he was given the death penalty in 1980 and 1986, the judges changed their minds twice. He was eventually given a final death sentence in 2010 after new evidence came to light. Although he was ultimately charged with the deaths of seven women, prosecutors speculate that his real victim list could exceed 130 victims. He died in 2021 from unspecified natural causes.

Because of Alcala’s “chameleon”-like behavior, it was challenging to conduct an extensive amount of research, according to Zovatto. (Scenes from this particular one The dating game The episode is online, but the episode as a whole seems to have been lost to time.) Instead, Zovatto studied the photos of the found victim that ultimately helped incriminate Alcala, who worked as a photographer for years before his arrest.

“He had a camera with him all the time, so he would go around and photograph women, young women and young boys,” Zovatto explained. “There was a dressing room that he left with all these images. And this footage, a lot of it has been released by the police because a lot of these (victims) have yet to be found. So that was the biggest piece of information for me because it showed me in those ten years of his killing spree what he was doing.

Zovatto noted that Alcala had the ability to draw people in and “make them feel comfortable” enough to let down their “guard” to capture “who they were.”

“So he could just be a chameleon and charm and manipulate people,” he continued. “And for me that was the golden key to all of this. I thought, ‘Oh my God, now I know who this guy is.’ Because a lot of the information (that’s out there) comes from after The Dating Game, when he got caught and like during the trials.

While Woman of the Hour While the film certainly chronicles Alcala’s life and grotesque murders, the film has received a lot of attention for Kendrick’s choice to turn the true crime story on its head by focusing more on Alcala’s female victims. That decision, Zovatto said, was only part of why he was excited to be part of the project.

“(Rodney is) one of those characters you hope to play one day. So when Anna called and said she had this script and this character, and she was looking at me for the role, my first thought was, ‘Are you sure?’” he said, laughing. “But it’s a really cool take on a story that we’ve seen in a lot of different ways, usually glorifying the serial killer. In this case it was told from a woman’s point of view, and from Anna’s point of view (as Cheryl), but to also give space to the victims.”

Zovatto said Kendrick’s approach “really intrigued” him, and his interest only increased as he listened to how “passionate” she was about telling the story. “It made it an easy choice for me to continue,” he said. “Rodney is really interesting, and I just wanted to get under his skin and see how that went.”

The actor – who is known for his roles in horror-focused projects such as Fear the Walking Dead, to follow and more – had an edge when he stepped into character, as he is a big fan of true crime in real life.

“I’m a big one Dateline dude,” he admitted. “Any true crime, anything, I sit down and watch it. So when I heard about (this story), I was like, ‘Dude, I think I’ve heard of this before.’

Zovatto noted that even after taking on the role, he remained shocked by how Alcala was able to “take off” half of his crimes.

“It’s just crazy that this guy used his real name and was on one of the coolest and most popular shows. I mean, that’s ridiculous,” he said. “Like, I was aware of it, but not every detail, and once I got into it I just couldn’t believe it. I thought, ‘This is unreal.’”

Portraying such a sinister role is not easy, and Zovatto confessed that there were days on set when he would get into a dark headspace about the role, which is why he was grateful for Kendrick’s decision to take on the actual Dating Game create scenes like dream. such as fantasy sequences.

“There were days when Ronnie was a charming man, so those days were a little easier, but I had a lot of time for myself,” he said. Us. “During the day The dating game part of the show, which we shot as a play – it was a 20, 25 page scene that was only 30 minutes – we did it over and over again. It felt like we were actually on the show, and so there were moments where we could breathe and I could talk to the (other) bachelorettes. That whole sequence was really fun.

Zovatto noted that Kendrick, as an actress himself, really understood the “rhythms of it all” and was aware of when he “might need his space” during filming. “She was really respectful,” he said. “It felt like a really nice set to be with.” He added that Kendrick has generally done a “great job” behind the camera, which he credits to her decades of experience in Hollywood.

‘What I cherish about our working relationship was the confidence she gave me to try things. To trust my instincts,” he said of the Pitch Perfect star. “And she was very positive and very much like someone who supported me and helped me and pushed me and was by my side while we were working. I really cherish that.”

Throughout his career, Zovatto has been “lucky” to work with a long list of female directors, something he says he “always” enjoys doing. “I just feel like the conversations are different,” he said Us.

“I mean, for example, in this story, a lot of the horrible (crimes) that Rodney commits to these victims are not flashy, not gory, not visual,” he explained. “I feel like the way it’s told by hearing things like the breathing and hearing the battle and not seeing it, I think it’s more powerful because your imagination takes you somewhere else. You don’t have to see it. You already know what happens.”

Zovatto confessed that while hinting at terrible things off-screen and still showing the same chilling effect can sometimes be “harder” to pull off, Kendrick knocked it out of the park every time.

“Her sensibilities come from a woman’s perspective and tell this terrible story about Rodney from her perspective. I feel like it benefits (the film), and I think we’re not used to it. And I think this is what sets it apart from any other (true crime) story that would focus on the (murderers) trials, the lawyers and all that nonsense.

If anyone knows what works in the horror or thriller world, it’s Zovatto, who has made a name for himself in both genres. But while he’s becoming a bona fide Scream King himself as a huge horror fan, the actor is certainly open to trying something lighter in the future – like a wholesome romantic comedy, for example.

“I’ve never done one before, so let’s say yes,” he said, laughing. When asked who his dream costar would be, Zovatto didn’t hesitate. “Jennifer Aniston. I’m going with my crush from when I was (younger),” he said. “It will never happen, but Jennifer Aniston.”

Woman of the Hour is now streaming on Netflix.