Smile 2 star Naomi Scott reveals the lengths she went to for the horror sequel: “You want to trick your body into a place of anxiety”

Arguably best known for playing Disney princess Jasmine in the live-action adaptation of Aladdin, actor Naomi Scott’s latest movie is certainly on the other end of the spectrum.

In the much anticipated horror sequel Smile 2, which sees the return of the haunting supernatural curse to the big screen, Scott plays pop sensation Skye Riley who is currently on the dawn of her new world tour. However, things soon start spiraling out of control as Skye finds herself at the center of disturbing events.

It’s an incredibly tense movie, with first reactions describing it as “violent and bloody”, emphasizing how it steps things up from the 2022 breakout hit Smile. However, when asking Scott whether she ever felt terrified on set, the actor is perhaps surprisingly nonchalant, telling GamesRadar+ that despite being surrounded by all these creepy, smiling faces, shooting the film was “not really scary”.

But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t intense in other ways, as Scott details how she had to push her body, particularly during the most extreme scenes. She explains that the film demanded a very physical performance from her: “It’s just the performative element of it. It’s not fear so much you want to trick your body into a place of anxiety. You want to be as truthful as possible but in terms of those higher intensity scenes, it’s more a physical state that you need to get yourself too.”

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Skye really does go through it during the film, facing not only the curse but also the troubles of both her past and present. Just like the original film, writer/director Parker Finn explores mental health here, but this time focusing on the darker side of fame.

For Scott, this provided the perfect way to continue the Smile story as with celebrity status comes loneliness, which leaves her pop star vulnerable to the curse. The actor explains: “I definitely think it’s an interesting way to marry the Smile universe. I’m really lucky that I can move through life in obscurity which is so different to Skye, who is operating on a completely different level of fame, with eyes on her and how she’s being perceived. That can be isolating. 

“What’s also hard is the idea that the world is projecting back at you a version of yourself that you don’t even recognize. She’s crafted a version of herself but doesn’t really know who she is away from that. All of these things that she’s dealing with, when you put that in a pressure cooker with fame and having to go on a tour, it doesn’t create an environment that is conducive to you dealing with any issues that you might have. It’s fuel to a fire.”

Although Skye is a megastar and the film very much analyzes the world of celebrity, it is Scott’s hope that people still feel that they can relate to the character. As the actor concludes, some of what Skye goes through in the movie could be universal: “I think part of her wants to go on tour as she wants to drown it out, she doesn’t want to deal with it, but the other part knows that it’s going to be bad. 

“When we first meet Skye she’s numb, but there’s so much going on underneath the surface. She just feels very disconnected and not a part of her body. I think that people might be able to relate to some things that she’s going through, but she’s also in an unrelatable context in regards with the fame part.”

Smile 2 hits UK cinemas on October 17, before releasing in US theaters on October 18.

For more, check out our picks of the best horror movies and the upcoming horror movies you should be watching out for.