From The Thing and They Live to Tales from the Hood 2 and Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, actor Keith David is a commanding and enduring presence in the genre. That includes his enigmatic role in the second season of Shudder’s horror anthology series “Creepshow,” available now on DVD and Blu-ray.
For the sophomore season’s home release, Bloody Disgusting talked to the actor about his role in the segment “Pesticide”. David plays Murdoch, who tasks an exterminator with removing a huge but unconscionable pest problem. Murdoch ultimately reveals himself to be a puppeteer. In true “Creepshow” style, karma plays a vital role in this segment, directed by Greg Nicotero and penned by Frank Dietz.
David’s also known for his voice work. When asked if finding a character’s voice and cadence is an entry point into unlocking a character, the actor answered, “It’s one of the first steps, but I have to take my cue from the writer. Of course, it’s filtered through my instrument, but I have to find the voice of the character, the way the playwright has written it. So, I do look for that.”
The actor also looks for truth in the story. Murdoch exudes charisma and power, and he uses that to coerce the exterminator to commit murder, a morally dubious move. David says, “I mean, I don’t particularly adhere to his philosophy, but he’s not alone in his thinking about the way people are regarded and the way people should be discarded. I mean, there are lots of people who have all kinds of strange ideas about the overrun of people. A lot of issues come up here because the reason why we have such an incredible homeless population in this country is that America has never lived up to its promise to take care of everybody. So that’s the first thing that we need to deal with is that so many moral issues have become political issues. And when the politics get mixed up in it, and we forget that we’re talking about people, we’re talking about humanity, we’re talking about life, well, then it becomes a horror story.”
Horror is a genre that David keeps coming back to. He explains why he’s such a fan with a laugh, “Oh, my goodness. Everybody likes a little adrenaline rush. It makes you feel alive, doesn’t it? Also, depending on the scope of the story, it makes you complain less. Because just when you think you have it bad, well. You don’t.”
Look for David and more on the packed DVD and Blu-ray release of “Creepshow” season two, available now.
