Jonathan Groff Reveals His Middle School Movie Obsession
You might know actor Jonathan Groff best for his portrayal of Jesse St. James in Glee, or perhaps you know his voice better than his face (he voiced the roles of Kristoff and Sven in both Frozen films). Groff has had a long, largely wholesome career, with many roles on Broadway and in classic plays.
But recently, Groff’s acting career took a sinister turn when he played the role of Eric in the horror film Knock at the Cabin. But can we expect any more dark movies from this actor? If Groff’s middle school movie obsession is any indication, the answer may be yes.
Groff’s move from musicals to horror
Groff, 37, recently appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers to promote Knock at the Cabin, which was released on February 3, 2023. After the two shared some laughs over “spending Covid together” (Groff watched his show, while Meyers watched Frozen a few too many times with his children), they discussed the horror film.
Groff said that working with M. Night Shyamalan was ”amazing,” calling working inside the cabin “incredibly intense.” After praising Shyamalan’s work, Meyers asks Groff if he was a fan of horror growing up. Groff immediately laughs.
“I was a little bit of an outsider in middle school,” he said. “I feel like the genre of horror tends to gravitate toward — as an outsider, I feel it, like, gravitated for me.” He then added, “It was Scream. I had the mask. I had the voice changer.”
“And you brought it to school?” Meyers asked, as Groff cringed and nodded. “Yeah,” Groff said as the audience laughed. “And I would call people and be like, ‘surprise, Sydney.”
It’s hard to imagine the voice of sweet snowman Olaf once being so sinister. But it sounds like Groff was pretty obsessed with Scream once, so it makes sense that he had so much fun filming a horror movie as an adult.
‘Knock at the Cabin’ is a new hit
Knock at the Cabin is based on a 2018 novel by Paul G. Tremblay. In the film, a family of three is vacationing in a remote cabin in Pennsylvania when they are suddenly held hostage by four strangers. The strangers claim that the apocalypse is imminent, and to prevent it, they must sacrifice one of their own.
Like all M. Night Shyamalan films, Knock at the Cabin is intense and riveting, with plenty of plot twists. While it is heartbreaking at times, the theme of the film appears to be the power of love. And since it has already grossed $52 million worldwide, according to Collider, it’s safe to say Groff’s first delve into the horror genre has been a successful one.
What is next for Jonathan Groff?
During his interview with Seth Meyers, Meyers asked about his next Broadway performance, which will be Merrily We Roll Along. Groff calls the play a “famous flop” since its first run in 1981 didn’t do very well. He calls it “an amazing show,” announcing its move from Off-Broadway to Broadway this fall.
