Betty Buckley Was Scared She’d Actually Die On ‘Carrie’ Set In 1976

Carrie is a classic horror film released in 1976, directed by Brian De Palma and based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. The movie tells the story of Carrie White, a shy and introverted high school girl who possesses telekinetic powers and is relentlessly bullied by her peers at school.

Carrie remains a landmark in the horror genre, known for its iconic prom scene and its exploration of the horrors of adolescence and the darker aspects of human nature. It has inspired numerous adaptations, including a 2013 remake. However, Betty Buckley, who portrayed the compassionate gym teacher, Miss Collins, recently reflected on her time and experiences during the movie’s production.

Betty Buckley says she was scared of death while working on ‘Carrie’

Buckley revealed that filming the movie was quite challenging, particularly the death scene. She expressed a profound sense of nervousness, which was especially significant as it marked her debut in such a challenging role. “That was my first death scene,” she noted. “It was pretty classic.”

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She also described how her anxiety worsened following a distressing incident involving a stunt coordinator on the movie set. “There was a mattress for him to land on,” Buckley added, “and they miscalculated the distance, and he hit the ground and hurt himself badly. So we all witnessed that, and we’re like, ‘What? Are we in safe hands?”

After encountering a production mishap, the 76-year-old individual stated that the director took proactive measures to enhance safety on set. Specifically, the director implemented additional safety mechanisms in the form of a layer of balsa wood to mitigate the risk of injury. “It was not going to crush the person in the shot,” she says. “That was the safety mechanism.”

However, Buckley acknowledged that while the producer assured her safety, she still harbored doubts about the stunt’s feasibility, finding the experience rather unsettling. “I’m like, ‘Are you sure?’” she confessed.”And so the terror you see from Miss Collins when that happened was absolutely real.”