From the perch of a penthouse loft overlooking downtown Los Angeles, 27-year-old actress Meagan Good candidly reflects on her evolution from child actress to teen idol and now to scream queen. The talented, stunningly beautiful California native has, in her considerable career, amassed a broad resume of television and movie credits, so there’s much to consider. TV apperances have included The Steve Harvey Show and House, and her film roles have been similarly diverse, Biker Boyz, D.E.B.S., You Got Served, Roll Bounce, Waist Deep, Stomp the Yard and The Love Guru are but a few.
The “scream queen” title is new. It stems from Good’s parts in two marquee horror films: Saw V (scheduled for a highly anticipated October 24 release) and The Unborn (due out next year), which is directed by David S. Goyer, who penned the Blade franchise and co-wrote the story of The Dark Knight.
In Saw V, Good plays a character named Luba, but she’s mum about any plot details. The script is shrouded in secrecy, and the filmmakers shot several endings. As in the previous four films, the vicious serial killer Jigsaw tests his victims’ wills to live through a series of complex and gruesome death traps. Good endured torturous contraptions take after take. Some setups were so dangerous that paramedics were standing by on the set, but Good was up for the challenge. “Meagan brought combination of talent, dedication and personality to the character,” recalls the film’s director David Hackl. “No matter how uncomfortable the scene, Meagan was always ready to go for another take.”
By definition, a scream queen is a nubile, attractive actress who gains commercial notoriety by appearing in a horror film as a damsel in distress. Although such roles are considered lowbrow, Good is in fine company as she joins the ranks of Jamie Lee Curtis, Sissy Spacek and Sara Michelle Gellar. “I love horror movies,” Good declares. “The Halloween movies inspired me to be an actress. I wanted to be the girl being chased and running from something horrible.”
This sentiment may be unexpected from a young African-American actress but Meagan is anything but predictable. “I want to play roles that people wouldnt expect to see me in,” she says. “At the end of the day, I’m no sex kitten. Sometimes I’m downright corny.”
For more Ms. Good, check out the October/November issue of GIANT!
For more Ms. Good, click here to see her exclusive GIANT magazine photo shoot!
