How Glenn Close “startled” Kerry Washington’s dog on Wake Up Dead Man set

The darkest Knives Out yet, Wake Up Dead Man features some pretty spine-chilling moments as Glenn Close character’s “blood-curling” screams managed to scare a special guest on set.

Rian Johnson’s third murder mystery, in cinemas now, boasts a brand new cast of unusual suspects surrounding the “impossible” death of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin).

As Josh O’Connor’s Father Jud is considered the prime suspect, a host of loyal followers of Wicks is also in the picture, according to sleuth Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig).

In an exclusive chat with Digital Spy, the cast has reflected on some of the scariest moments on set, courtesy of Close’s pious Martha Delacroix.

At each reveal, Martha would let out a theatrical scream, startling not just her fellow parishioners, but also Kerry Washington’s adorable Shih Tzu-Yorkshire Terrier mix, Cinnamon.

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“It was a real Scream Queen scream. She’s done that many times and she’s got that scream down,” Cailee Spaeny, who plays cellist Simone Viviane, told us.

“I don’t know if she’s ever screamed [like that],” Mila Kunis, who plays police chief Geraldine, added.

“I would say, not so guttural, not so visceral, but, yeah, blood-curdling. I don’t think we were startled by it, but I was definitely amused by it.”

“I was startled. My dog was startled,” Kerry Washington chimed in. “I remember when we did one take and Cinnamon was like, I was like, ‘Get her out of here’.”

Washington plays Vera Draven, a lawyer whose family has a tight connection to Wicks. Rounding out the cast are Daryl McCormack as Cy Draven, Andrew Scott as Lee Ross, Jeremy Renner as Dr Nat Sharp and Thomas Haden Church as Samson Holt.

Despite a jump scare here and there, it sounds like the ensemble, and hopefully Cinnamon, had a blast on Johnson’s packed set.

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Related: How Daniel Craig helped get Josh O’Connor cast as the lead of Wake Up Dead Man

Scott praised the director for fostering a “feeling of welcomeness” among the stars, saying: “I think really what he likes to create is a sense of an ensemble, that’s what these films are really known for.”

“What he does is to facilitate a feeling of welcomeness because I think one of the concerns when you arrive on a set with all these familiar faces, intimidating faces, is that you’re not going to be able to feel like you can keep up and you don’t want to drop the ball,” he added.

“So the atmosphere he creates is really, genuinely lovely and we were very blessed because everybody got on fantastically well.”

McCormack also came out as a “fan” of the filmmaker’s vision, saying working with him is a “no-brainer”.

“I definitely didn’t anticipate that in 2024, I’d be shooting a Rian Johnson film but I’ve always been a fan of his work. I think for everyone, it’s a no-brainer,” he said.

“He’s made something so specific and unique with these series of films that I think it’s a real joy and the ensemble aspect too is a real joy for any actor to come into.”

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is in select cinemas now and will be released on Netflix on 12 December.

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Reporter, Digital Spy

Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy. 

Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half). 

Movies Editor, Digital Spy  Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor.  Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world.   After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.