Chelan Simmons, scream queen

• By RACHEL SHEPARD
• Special to 2theadvocate.com
• Published: Mar 19, 2008 - UPDATED: 3:30 p.m.

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It’s the scream that makes horror films believable. If the actor or actress can make you believe he or she is really scared, then they have done their job and sold the show. It is no easy task, but that scream is just one of the things that actress Chelan Simmons has mastered.

Known as a scream queen, Simmons loves being a part of horror and science fiction films. She has appeared in such films as “Chupacabra Terror,” “Final Destination 3” and the remake of “Carrie.”

“I think its fun. I mean, I love any script that I can either do some comedy with or that I can scream my head off the entire movie. I’ve just always liked that. When you scream, it’s a fun feeling. It’s so much fun to scare the audience, and I try to do the best that I can with that.”

Simmons is excellent in her chosen field, which is why she is so often cast in these types of movies. However, that doesn’t mean she can always watch all the films in which she appears.

“It’s funny, I’m normally in sci-fi and horror stuff, but I can’t really watch horror films, because I get totally freaked out and my brain believes everything that is going on,” Simmons said. “I’ve just been cast in it a lot. I have a really good horror scream, and I guess they like that in an innocent-looking girl.”

Although she has been cast in many films, Simmons doesn’t limit herself to movies. She also has a regular role in the popular ABC television show “Kyle XY.”

“It’s been amazing. I’ve been there since the pilot, and the coolest part is just working with all the cast for the last three years. Everyone just became so close.”

Simmons plays Hillary, a teenage girl who is often up to no good. But as the seasons progress, she is starting to grow up a bit.

Simmons shared her feelings on playing such a complicated character.

“With my character, I’ve fallen in love with her. In the first couple of seasons, she was definitely the girl that you love to hate, but she’s matured now, and she’s found who she is,” Simmons explained. “I just think she has a kind heart, and she likes to be the center of attention a lot of the times. I like where she’s going and I can’t wait to see where they write her for season three.”

While she loves Hillary on the show, Simmons said she is very different from her character in real life.

“I think she’s very different than me. She’s very outspoken. She would definitely tell you if you did something wrong, where as I’m not like that at all. If I go to a restaurant and order something and it comes completely different -- like I order chicken and it comes as steak -- I won’t say anything. I’ll just sit back and eat it. I think I’m a little bit more polite, maybe I’m a little bit more conservative than she is.”

Surprisingly, Hillary is still her favorite character. That’s saying a lot considering Simmons appeared in her first film at age 8. That movie was the television movie “It,” which was based on the Stephen King novel.