I Know What You Did Last Summer Killer Actor Terrified Brandy

[Nergal]

 

 

The actor who played killer Ben Willis in the first two I Know What You Did Last Summer films actually terrified musician/actress Brandy. Though the pop star only appeared in 1998’s I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, the film is a favorite of many fans of the franchise.

Back in 1996, the unexpected success of Wes Craven’s Scream gave new life to the slasher genre. Its mixture of horror movie references and unsuspecting teens in the path of a maniacal killer had been a breath of fresh air for the genre, prompting I Know What You Did to be fast-tracked to theatres. The timing was perfect, and the film (also written by Scream writer Kevin Williamson) was an instant hit, raking in $125 million on a mere $17 million budget. One year later, the sequel arrived, though this time the budget was much higher, and unfortunately for Sony, the film tanked at the box office. Nonetheless, today I Still Know What You Did Last Summer remains a guilty pleasure for many, despite its predictability and utterly absurd plot based around a lack of geographical knowledge.

Though the film failed to frighten audiences with its group of teens on holiday at an off-season resort in the Bahamas, at least one of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer’s actors found it terrifying. According to a new interview with actor Muse Watson, who played the film’s killer, Brandy’s arrival on the set of the sequel kicked off with the pop star screaming and trying to run away. Watson told Vulture that Brandy was literally shaking with fear over the reality of having to meet him, saying:
 

 

"But I do remember Brandy, when I got on set of the first day of the [sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer], Jennifer Love Hewitt ran up to me and said, “Brandy is like, falling apart, shaking, because she knows she’s gonna have to meet you.” And I said, “Where is she, Love?” She said, “She’s over in the cafeteria.” So I walked over to the cafeteria and Love came with me, and lord have mercy, [Brandy] was sitting at the table with eight other girls, in a booth, so there was no way she could get out. And as I walked in the door, she immediately saw who I was, and she got to screaming and trying to get across the other people."

 

The film marked Brandy’s big-screen debut, despite having a successful pop music career up to that point. Her character, Karla, was Julie’s (Jennifer Love Hewitt) best friend at college and is one of the few who manages to survive the killer’s wrath. Cinema is filled with stories of actors and filmmakers who have been frightened of their co-stars for one reason or another, but in the case of Brandy, her fears literally seem to stem from the character that Watson played. Fortunately for both actors, their relationship evolved beyond sheer terror that day when Watson assured Brandy that he was nothing at all to be afraid of.

It’s unfortunate that a proper third installment in the I Know What You Did Last Summer series failed to materialize. Instead of expanding on the story, the decision was made to recast and reboot, with a direct to video release for I Will Always Know What You Did Last Summer. There's no shortage of fans out there even today who would love to see Brandy reteam with Hewitt to take on the series’ notorious killer. An intended remake of the original film is reportedly now moving forward as a TV series, which will hopefully recapture the original’s scares.