Companion’s Jack Quaid Draws Parallels Between This Character And His Ghostface Turn In Scream: ‘They're Sort Of Cut From The Same Cloth’

While doing my best to totally avoid spoilers for the new horror film Companion, I can say this: Josh, the character played by Jack Quaid, is not a good dude. You might be distracted by splashes of goofy charm, but when you see past that façade after the movie’s first act, you recognize a bad controlling aspect of his personality and an outsized expectation that the world owes him something. It’s a terrific character, and one that is particularly interesting to look at as it compares to Quaid’s other big villain role in the genre: Richie Kirsch in 2022’s Scream.

Earlier this week, I had the chance to interview the actor at the Los Angeles press day for Companion, and I asked about how he compares and contrasts Josh with his version of Ghostface – specifically pointing to their shared entitlement (the former in his relationship with women, and the latter in his relationship with the fictional Stab movie franchise). Jack Quaid acknowledged the through line, but noted that a standout difference between the two parts is an extension of audience perception:

They're sort of cut from the same cloth, but the difference for me is always like... Well in terms of how you reveal them, Josh is the antagonist throughout the course of the entire movie. And you more or less know that. Richie, you save that all to the end, and he very much wants to be a Scream, or I guess Stab killer. He wants to be this like campy dude walking around with a knife and terrorizing people. That's what he wants.

We learn in the final act of Scream that Richie is a full-blown psychopath craven for blood and violence as a means to feed his ego… but Josh in Companion is an antagonist of a different kind. As recognized by Josh Quaid, we understand that he is not the hero relatively early in the film, but the dividing line is a consistent inward view of himself as a victim.

Quaid added that a worse version of Companion would have fed on this perspective, story roles reversed with Sophie Thatcher’s Iris, but he loves the take from writer/director Drew Hancock:

But Josh, what I found so fascinating about playing him is that he's a villain that doesn't know he's the villain. And I think the best villains are that way. I think a lesser version of this movie would've been Josh as the protagonist, and Iris is on a rampage and he's got to stop her and no. I'm so happy that we flipped it on its head.

Based on the actor’s comments, it would seem that at least some of that happiness extends from his shared recognition with the film that Josh is a garbage person. Quaid told me that it was actually a struggle for him tune into his awful mix of anxiety and self-righteousness, but he found his way in via an aspect of the character’s backstory that he defined for himself. Said the actor,

He's the most insecure character I've ever played in my life, and the biggest challenge was finding empathy for him. And I think I did that just by realizing one day I was like, 'Oh, Josh has never heard the words “I love you” in his life.' And I think that motivates every despicable act that he commits in this.

Furthering his point, I noted that beyond his romance with Iris, there is definitely something unrequited in his relationship with Megan Suri’s Kat, and Quaid acknowledged that it’s a part of the mix as well. And now that he has some distance from the part, he has a firm message to deliver to the character:

There's something there. There's a lot underneath the surface with him. And I love that about A) the script and just getting to play that character. I thought it was so, so interesting. And now, now that I'm not playing him and I don't have to find empathy for him, screw Josh!

Sufficiently intrigued? You’ll be able to enjoy Companion and all of its amazing secrets this weekend as the film arrives in theaters everywhere. In addition to the aforementioned Jack Quaid, Sophie Thatcher and Megan Suri, the movie also stars Lukas Gage, Harvey Guillén and Rupert Friend, and as I note in my four-star review for CinemaBlend, it’s a tremendous mix of thrills and laughs. Once you see it, be sure to head back here to the site for more from my interviews with the movie’s stars and writer/director.

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Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.