Thanks to Christopher Haviland, stand-in for John Landis on Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990), I managed to get in touch with Krissy Cook, the stand-in for actress Olivia Hussey on the made-for-cable TV movie. The pics to the left are also very rare. Ms. Cook provided them along with this interview in July of 2005. Enjoy!

How did you get hired to work on the set of Psycho IV?
I was an intern at the Universal Studios, Florida Production Studio. The Casting Director's assistant, Jan mentioned that I would be a perfect "Stand-In" for Olivia Hussey in the film Psycho IV that they were casting. I acted VERY interested. I told her my main goal was to Act, and to please keep me in mind. I gave her my headshot since her office was down the hall from where I worked. I will never forget the day when she came up to me and said, "Krissy, you have the job as Olivia's Stand-In!" She was SO excited for me. I gave her a hug and thought to myself, I have no idea what a "Stand -In" does but I will do it! Of course, I wouldn't let anyone know I had no clue. I was used to different terminology since I worked more in the theater. I was elated to be a part of this film and to befriend Olivia because I enjoyed watching her at such a young age. I admired her in Romeo and Juliet and Jesus of Nazareth.

What was your job and what did it entail?
I was Olivia Hussey's "Stand-In". I would have to run through the scene and "Stand-In" specific spots while the crew would set-up for the shot. It was long and very tedious work. I learned so much from this one job. I got an appreciation of how long it takes to put a movie together. One shot takes at least an hour to just set up. It is VERY long hours. We would work all times of the day and night.

How was it working with Director Mick Garris?
Working with Mick was very enjoyable. He is a positive, up-lifting person. He is easy going, fun, hard-working, and genuine person. I loved his wife too. They seemed to have a wonderful relationship. He would only get upset with the Florida summer, torrential, rain showers because it would slow up things.

There have been rumors circulating for years that Director Mick Garris and Tony Perkins did not get along on set. Was this true?
I never saw Mick show any animosity towards Anthony Perkins. I just noticed everyone felt a certain "wall" with Anthony Perkins. I didn't see a bond between the two.

What was your experience like working with legendary actor Anthony Perkins?
My experience with Mr. Perkins was interesting. Like others have mentioned, we were not to approach Mr. Perkins. I respected that and did my job. I befriended his Stand-In, Kurt Paul. Kurt also played Raymond Linette in the film. Kurt was a very eccentric person, to say the least. Many of us thought Kurt was Mr. Perkins' child because their looks and behavior were rather uncanny.  Kurt talked about Anthony as a true friend and confidant. Because I was friendly with Kurt, Mr. Perkins and I exchanged glances and hello's. Mr. Perkins did not do much talking to anyone and was very reserved from any and all "group conversation". I do remember I felt very different towards Mr. Perkins while shooting in the sound stage.  I finally saw a glimpse of him, that he does not  normally show. The scene was Norman's bedroom catching on fire. Mr. Perkins was so nervous and didn't want anyone to get hurt due to the fire in the sound stage. He called me, Kurt, and the other stand-in's  to come over to an area away from the fire and he called us, "children".  He was full of anxiety that we would get hurt. I looked at him and felt such warmth. He showed me and the others such compassion. Even though I didn't feel like a "child", I felt somehow he was at that moment "wiser".

How was it working with Olivia Hussey?
The first time I met Olivia, I was so nervous. She greeted me with a big smile and was very soft spoken. In weeks of being together, she and I had very nice conversations. We talked about her Guru, the movies she worked on, and everyday things. I met her husband (boyfriend at the time), and she met my husband (boyfriend at the time).  It is nice to see them still together. I asked her about her experiences on several of her films. She told me the filming of, Jesus of Nazareth was grueling at times because of  3 months filming in the desert. She was a lovely woman, not just in looks but personality.

How did it feel to work on a film in a classic film series?
Amazing. I will never forget being at the set one evening. It was a hot, humid summer night in Orlando, Florida. We were filming at the Universal Studios Theme Park and the location was the "Psycho House". It was very surreal. On one side, it was really cool being on a set and hanging around friends I have made. On the other hand, it was eerie. There is something haunting about that house, set or no set.

How was it shooting at Universal in Florida?
Exciting. You felt like a big fish in small waters because the film community was small at that time. It was an honor to be involved in the production Psycho IV and Universal Studios, Florida. The film jobs were a lot more sparse in Florida than Los Angeles or New York. I would do it all over again.

Return to the Interview Section of Psycho IV