Madelaine Petsch Has Been Screaming Since She Was Born

Madelaine Petsch may look scared, but she isn’t. Ever since the 31-year-old actor debuted her instantly iconic screaming face on Riverdale, she’s kept the volume up by embracing horror in her career. In her newest release, The Strangers — Chapter 2, which hit theaters Sept. 26, Petsch shrieks and howls as Maya Lucas, who is still being hunted down by a trio of masked killers. Luckily, Petsch is well-trained in dealing with (fictional) murderers by now, along with just about any other fantastical situation you can think up.

“Riverdale was boot camp for anything I could possibly do for the rest of my career. Any genre,” Petsch tells Elite Daily. “Charles Melton said it best: Riverdale was my Juilliard. I genuinely feel that at my core.”

As the perennially cursed teenager Cheryl Blossom, Petsch became known for her incredibly emotive screaming on the CW show. But she didn’t exactly love seeing her horrified face when it first became a thing. “I was so mortified the first time I screamed on Riverdale and watched it back,” Petsch says. “I was like, my face can contort into the ugliest shapes known to man, and I had no idea.”

I can’t get Botox or anything, because then, all of a sudden, my scream’s going to look real weird.

She’s since grown to treasure what she considers to be a lifelong gift: “I've been screaming since I was born, so I think maybe it’s just a natural-born talent.” While she’s dabbled in a few rom-coms, Petsch’s filmography is largely full of psychological thriller and horror roles, like 2019’s Polaroid, 2020’s Sightless, and 2022’s Jane.

However, there are some unexpected cosmetic downsides to being known for your scream. “I can’t get Botox or anything, because then, all of a sudden, my scream’s going to look real weird. It’s going to be just a flat forehead,” Petsch says. “I need to be able to do all these things with my face all the time.”

Petsch’s new movie is an even greater showcase of her expressive talents. In 2024’s The Strangers — Chapter 1, she and Froy Gutierrez starred as a couple who are targeted by the murderous Strangers. But in Chapter 2, Petsch’s character is all alone, which significantly cut down on dialogue.

“It was very easy to memorize the second movie. I don’t talk, almost at all, to anybody,” Petsch says. “I’m just running alone this time. I have less dead weight though, you know what I mean? Maya can move a little quicker in Movie 2. She’s more agile.”

I was like, ‘What girl in 2021 does not have nail polish on?’

With a lot more silence this time around, Petsch relied on aesthetic choices to convey Maya’s character. It was her idea to wear bright gold chrome nail polish throughout all three of the movies.

“They wanted me to have no nail polish on, and I was like, ‘What girl in 2021 does not have nail polish on?’” Petsch says. “I was like, ‘Maya would have gold nails.’ In my heart, I just knew that’s what Maya would have. I don’t know why, it just felt like Maya to me. The minute they were on, I was like, ‘There she is.’”

She can’t say much about next year’s The Strangers — Chapter 3, which will conclude the rebooted trilogy, except that it will provide answers to fans who have been waiting nearly two decades for them. “It’s safe to say you’ll get a lot more lore,” Petsch teases. “And you get some other really unexpected things involving Maya.”

I always want to get scared, and I never do.

As she draws nearer to bidding The Strangers farewell, Petsch reflects on the unexpected impact working within the horror genre has had on her personally. “I never get scared watching horror films anymore. I always want to get scared, and I never do,” she says. “I got scared as a kid, but now I see right through everything. I still enjoy it. I still feel the thrill. But I’m not going to get scared.”

While they may not give her much of a fright, Petsch is still very committed to her annual Halloween movie marathon. Below, she shares her plans for spooky season, her “very accurate” zodiac placements, and her iconic first concert.

Elite Daily: What movie do you have to watch every Halloween?

Madelaine Petsch: I have a list of like 40. First is always Coraline; it’s one of my favorite movies of all time. Then I’ll watch Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown. And then I get into the scary stuff: All the I Know What You Did Last Summers, all the Strangers, Freddie vs. Jason, Friday the 13th. I go through literally anything. I’ve already started — Sept. 1, I was on it. I come alive the minute it becomes fall.

ED: What’s your favorite Halloween costume you’ve worn?

MP: Probably when Lili [Reinhart], Cami [Mendes], and I did Hocus Pocus.

ED: Your group costumes were legendary. Will there be more in the future?

MP: Unfortunately, we’re not in the same city at all this year, so we won’t be doing it. But we do talk about it all the time. We love doing it.

ED: What’s the last TV show you were obsessed with?

MP: Landman.

ED: Who's your dream actor to work with someday?

MP: Eddie Redmayne.

ED: If you’re an astrology person, do you think your big three is accurate?

MP: It’s very accurate. I’m a Leo sun, a Scorpio rising, and a Capricorn moon. Watch out for me.

ED: What’s your go-to karaoke song?

MP: “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers.

ED: What song is going to be on the top of your Spotify Wrapped this year?

MP: Probably “Mr. Fantasy.”

ED: What app do you use the most?

MP: Text or Gmail, unfortunately.

ED: What’s the first concert you ever went to?

MP: I think it was Enya. My parents took me to Lilith Fair when I was like 2 or 3 to see Enya.

ED: What TV show have you re-watched the most in your life?

MP: The Office. I watch it to fall asleep almost every night.

ED: What are you manifesting for yourself right now?

MP: That is a secret. I can’t tell you until it becomes true. So I’ll tell you next time I see you.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.