Hunter Doohan on Breaking Into Horror, Returning to “Wednesday,” and Future Filmmaking Goals

Hunter Doohan moved to Los Angeles in 2012 during a college gap year, initially intending to attend Oklahoma City University. After a decade of auditioning, his first major break arrived in 2019 with the Apple TV+ drama Truth Be Told, where he played the younger version of Aaron Paul’s character. The following year he appeared opposite Bryan Cranston in Apple’s Your Honor. In 2022 he was cast as Tyler Galpin, the love-interest-turned-Hyde monster on Netflix’s Wednesday, a role he has continued into a third season currently filming in Ireland. Most recently he joined the cast of Evil Dead Burn, the sixth installment of the long-running horror franchise, which has earned $17 million domestically to date.

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Doohan describes his early years in L.A. as “a blind optimism delusion” with little proof to back his decision. He endured “so long when nothing was happening,” grinding for several years before landing his first breakout role. The experience of moving repeatedly for work, often away from home for six-month stretches, taught him to build and rely on a network of friends and collaborators in each city.

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• Evil Dead Burn domestic box-office: $17 million (as of the interview).

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Doohan notes that the horror genre is experiencing a resurgence, citing recent successes such as *Sinners* and *Obsession*. He believes audiences are “finally” receptive to horror, and that the industry is “catching up” after years of skepticism about theatrical releases. Additionally, despite being openly gay, Doohan has yet to secure an LGBTQ character, a gap he attributes to casting dynamics rather than personal choice.

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Doohan says the practical effects and makeup on *Evil Dead Burn* made it easier for him to inhabit the film’s extreme violence, even though a particular scene had to be trimmed to avoid an NC-17 rating. He views his involvement in the horror moment as timely, observing that “the industry is catching up” and that young filmmakers are finding success despite broader concerns about the future of theaters. Regarding *Wednesday* season 3, he confirms the storyline will take Tyler to Paris for a “honeymoon”-type arc, linking it to the character’s pursuit of Enid. Looking ahead, Doohan plans to expand behind the camera, having produced the indie film The Wilderness and continuing to write, with the goal of directing his first feature. He emphasizes that sustaining relationships with peers in Los Angeles and wherever he films has been essential to overcoming the “stop-start” rhythm of an acting career.

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• “I loved the blind optimism delusion that I had to move out to L.A. with not a lot of proof to back that decision up,” — Hunter Doohan

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• “It’s kind of my little revenge against all the straight actors taking gay roles.” — Hunter Doohan

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• “I’m smashing something over and over again.” — Hunter Doohan (describing a graphic scene in *Evil Dead Burn*)

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• “That guy fucking hates me because he’s French and you just cannot tell what he’s thinking at all.” — Hunter Doohan

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• “And I’ve been writing basically the last 10, 12 years.” — Hunter Doohan

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Season 3 of *Wednesday* is in production in Ireland, with Doohan’s character slated to appear in Paris. He is also developing a feature-length script he hopes to direct and continues to explore producing opportunities, building on his experience with *The Wilderness*.

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