“I wanted people to feel terrified.”

The Witch in the Window star Charlie Tacker talks to Film Daddy.

There has been a positive buzz building around The Witch in the Window, with critics and fans praising the film’s script and stars. And special praise has been given to the youngest cast member Charlie Tacker, whose role as Finn is brilliantly acted. So to find out a bit more about what the film was like for Charlie, we sat down and had a chat. 

Film Daddy: Charlie thanks for taking the time to talk with us. The Witch in the Window has been getting a lot of positive reviews, did this surprise you or were you aware that you were working on a film that people would like? 

Charlie Tacker: Well when I filmed it I was only 12. So, I didn’t really know what to expect. I had worked on a lot of stuff before, like short films and student films and a couple of features but I never really thought about how much people would like it or what they would say. I just always knew the movie was going to be good. Seeing how much people really love it is great though. And working on the film was great too. 

FD: What was it like on set being the youngest person there? Did you get treated differently or were you “one of the guys?” 

CT: I was definitely one of the guys. At least I think I was. I had a good and different bond with every crew and cast member and all of us worked really well together. We worked hard but I had a lot of fun. 

FD: Your character is going through that difficult period where kids are trying to get their own identity, how much of your own experiences went into the character? 

CT:12 year old Charlie and 12 year old Finn have a lot in common. When we filmed I was in the 7th grade and I had been in trouble a few times because of my phone and my parents are divorced. I really felt like I had a connection to Finn and it helped to kind of figure out what he was going through. 

FD: You often hear about creepy things happening on sets of Horror Movies, did anything happen on the set of The Witch in the Window or was it pretty much a normal shoot? 

CT: For the most part it was a pretty normal. The house was super creepy though and when you heard a creek in the wall or something it was pretty scary. We did school in a room in the back of the house and that room was creepy. At lot of times the doors would creek open by themselves. I kind of made sure I was with somebody all the time because I was too creeped out to be by myself in the house ever. 

FD: The scene where Lydia chases you out of the house scared the crap out of me! What was it like filming the scenes like that? 

CT: Carol Stanzione plays the witch and she is probably the nicest person you could ever meet. Andy and Alex were great helping me get ready and prepping for the scene. Honestly, it wasn’t scary leading up to it but when we filmed it, knowing what was going to happen didn’t make it any less scary. I wanted people to feel terrified and Carol was so good it was easy to get caught up in the moment. It felt real. 

FD: You have got some brilliant reviews for your role in the film, would you consider doing more Horror films, or do you want to work on some other genres? 

CT: We have all been so overwhelmed with all the great reviews the film is getting and I really appreciate every single review about my performance. I was so lucky to get to work with Andy and Alex and I learned so much from both of them. People talk a lot about the chemistry between Finn and his Dad. Alex made that easy. I definitely want to work on more horror in my career. I love watching spooky movies and like being in them even more. I would like to explore more genres and take on different roles too. 

FD: What other projects do you have coming up in the near future? 

CT: I have a nice role in a crime drama that I hope to be able to talk about soon and I’m always looking for new opportunities. 

FD: We will certainly keep an eye out for it, thanks for talking to us. 

The Witch in the Window is been shown as part of this years Grimmfest and will be reviewed onsite soon.