Interview: Patricia Arquette talks Dream Warriors

Just when you thought it safe to go back in the bed, we’ve got a massive exclusive as we continue to celebrate 30 years of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

None other than Patricia Arquette who played Kirsten has shared her thoughts about her first film role.

Nightmare 3 was your first role, how nervous were you auditioning for the role?

I can’t remember. However I am a notoriously bad auditioned so I am sure I was nervous.

What was your favourite scene to film?

I liked being eaten by the big Freddy snake and lines other people said Like “I’m bad and beautiful” I think that’s what she said..

Kristen is very much the heartbeat of the film, how bold was it to have a suicidal teenager as the lead?

Honestly it was my second film and I basically felt pretty underwater just learning how to not get distracted by the technical aspects of filmmaking. Hitting my mark and in that case acting to nothing where a special effect would later be added.

We had a cinematographer who came in and was pretty militant and mean. He dressed like an SS officer wearing jodhpurs and shiny boots. He had a scary mustache and I remember him yelling at me where the hell did you find this girl. Thank God for the rest of the crew and the cast. They were all great.

Was there ever discussion of your returning for further sequels?

They asked me to come back for 4 but at that time I was starting to break into kind of meatier roles. I had just done a movie of the week about teen pregnancy called Daddy and I was really liking getting deeper with my work. I love the horror genre and the Freddy franchise but I was chomping at the bit to try other things as an actor.

Tell us about filming the Freddy ‘snake’ scene?

It was pretty long. I was in that damn snake for hours. Still It was cool. It looked amazing in person. Just our hours were really Ass kickers and I think I fell asleep in his mouth at like 3am in between shots.

Who did you connect with the most out of the cast?

They were all really sweet and funny. Each uniquely charming and talented. Heather was very warm and maternal to all of us even though she was basically our peer.

Laurence was already much more worldly and complicated in his thinking and talking about material. I felt in awe of him. His comfort in screen. He always seemed loose and in his body. They all seemed much more polished then I felt inside.

We were shooting in a closed down veterans hospital at one point. We were all young at excited and we had these shitty dressing rooms that we’re basically 3 walls of unpainted dry wall about the size of a single bed. With a door that was made of what felt like cardboard. We signed each others walls and hung out outside and smoked cigarettes and talked about music and laughed. Good times!