Insidious Star Shares How They Shielded Child Actor from Trauma

In a recent interview, actress Rose Byrne shared the steps taken on the set of the 2010 horror film Insidious to prevent then-child star Ty Simpkins from being "traumatized" by the movie's frightening demon character.

Byrne, who starred in the film, explained that she, Simpkins, and the actor who played the terrifying Lipstick-Face Demon would all get ready together in the same trailer. This was a deliberate effort to "try to make it normal" for the 10-year-old Simpkins, who was the young lead in the movie.

The demon actor, Joseph Bishara, would come in and transform into the iconic villain, complete with red paint, black eyes, fangs, and a "crazy" latex outfit. But Byrne said they would all sit together during this process to ensure Simpkins wouldn't be scarred by the experience.

Byrne applauded the production's decision to have them all get ready together, calling it "a good trick" and "a good thing to do" given the bone-chilling nature of the film's plot. She praised director James Wan's approach, noting that "he knows what he's doing" when it comes to crafting truly frightening horror.

Insidious, which also starred Patrick Wilson and Barbara Hershey, went on to spawn four sequels, cementing its status as a modern horror classic. But thanks to the caring efforts of Byrne and the crew, the young Simpkins was able to emerge from the experience untraumatized.