Interview: Bruce Campbell talks Ash vs Evil Dead Season 3

The legendary Bruce Campbell gives Hidden Remote the scoop on Ash vs Evil Dead’s upcoming third season. His character, Ash, will be facing one of his biggest challenges yet — fatherhood.

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Ahead of the Ash vs Evil Dead season 3 premiere, we have spoke with much of the cast to give us a preview of what’s to come. Arielle Carver-O’Neill and Lindsay Farris provided insight on their new characters Brandy and Dalton. Series vets Ray Santiago and Dana DeLorenzo gave us some hints for what is ahead for Pablo and Kelly this season. Now, it is time for the face of the franchise, Bruce Campbell.

After appearing in the original Evil Dead trilogy, Bruce Campbell went on to become a horror icon for his portrayal as Ashley J. Williams. He made his return when the franchise returned as a horror comedy and even though he was a tad older, fans loved that he was still the same Ash. The unlikely hero with the chainsaw hand has a lot on his plate this season with the revelation of a teenage daughter and a “final showdown” against evil. Campbell previews the season and gives fans a few tips on what to do to help with a possible season 4.

Hidden Remote: At the end of season 2, we saw Ash become the hero to the town of Elk Grove. He also takes over his dad’s hardware store so what else has Ash been up to since we last saw him?

Bruce Campbell: Well, we are going to find out in season 3 that he has a daughter that he didn’t know that he had. We’re kind of getting right at it, and I think you’ll find out pretty soon his happy little world won’t last forever because how could it?

Hidden Remote: Having Pablo and Kelly on his side greatly changed Ash. He no longer fights for himself because he has people worth protecting. So how will the revelation of Ash’s daughter change his priorities?

Bruce Campbell: He will even be more protective. There’s a line in the show that I added where he comes up to Ruby and says, “never get between a papa bear and his cub.” You’ll find out what a protective son of a bitch Ashley J. Williams is.

Hidden Remote: In some ways Ash was sort of a father figure to Kelly so will the news of a daughter affect Ash’s special relationship with Kelly in any way?

Bruce Campbell: Not so much because she’s busy, she has her hands full this season because Ruby has gone to the dark side. Ruby needs to be dealt with once and for all so Kelly is a little busy honing her own badassery and Pablo is really growing beyond the sidekick. He’s becoming what he  calls a “psyche-kick” where he is starting to have more brujo abilities. Ash has never been able to read this stuff, the Kandarian writing, but Pablo is descended from a shaman and he will start to get with the program. So Pablo is indispensable this season to translate, see visions to understand what’s happening whereas Ash never understood that crap. So Ash has a go between now, Pablo is becoming a one foot in, one foot out. So Ray [Santiago] has a hell of a season and Dana [DeLorenzo] has had some fun, I think she cracked another rib. Everyone is getting hurt this season.

Hidden Remote: I heard that Ruby doesn’t fully believe that Ash is the “chosen one” so what is it that she wants from him?

Bruce Campbell: Ruby can’t be trusted, don’t believe what Ruby says.

Hidden Remote: So why is she targeting Brandy?

Bruce Campbell: Because that’s what the mafia does, if they can’t get the guy they’re looking for, they go after the family.

Hidden Remote: So a form of evil is back after 30 years to test the mettle of man and Ash is that man, can you preview the “final showdown” teased for this season?

Bruce Campbell: It’s going to be p-h-a-t, PHAT! Well, I’ll put it this way, by the end of episode ten, nothing will ever be the same. I kind of mean nothing!

Hidden Remote: Is Elk Grove in grave danger?

Bruce Campbell: Even more cosmic than that! There’s a cosmic nature to the end of the season.

Hidden Remote: We see in the trailer you have some sort of army and some tanks on your side.

Bruce Campbell: Well the army is there doing the best they can because they don’t know what it is. Ash knows what it is so it is still just him, “mano y demon.” He’s going to go against demon’s best guy this year.

Hidden Remote: Is that the biggest deadite creature?

Bruce Campbell: Yeah, Kandar. It’s going to be pretty wicked.

Hidden Remote: Fans have always gotten a kick out of the various callbacks to the movies, can they expect more of the same in season 3?

Bruce Campbell: Always, always. We have the return of Ash’s father, the great Lee Majors will make his return in ghostly form. Not necessarily helpfully.

Hidden Remote: Ash has spent a lot of the series facing off against Ruby and her creepy kids but for you as an actor, who do you enjoy playing alongside more–ally Ruby or evil Ruby?

Bruce Campbell: I just like acting with Lucy Lawless. I don’t care if she’s good or bad. She’s just the awesome-est. She’s just fun to work with but I think she enjoys playing bad just as much as playing good. Playing good can be very boring. Playing a bad guy is sometime very fun.

Hidden Remote: And I feel like most of the cast had the chance to play good and evil, whether possessed or taken over by a demon.

Bruce Campbell: Oh of course, everyone gets possessed, definitely. None of us get out of here alive.

Hidden Remote: The cast gets drenched in blood, guts, and other unspeakable substances on a regular basis. Is that something you get used to working on this show?

Bruce Campbell: Yeah, you don’t ever really get used to it because we shot in a cold warehouse. Usually in the winter which is rainy and blustery. Then you get hit with cold blood so the first time it happens to Arielle [Carver-O’Neill], who is playing Ash’s daughter, I mean she lost her breath. She was shivering, immediately, and that’s not acting. *laughs* What’s great about it is you want to see the first time they get because it’s a great moment have the cannons tested so we know what’s coming. What kind of nozzle are they going to use? What kind of spread?

They are getting much better at these delivery systems like they can get us from 10 feet away. They’re like viscera cannons and they have pumps where they can sustain it or pumps that are a one time deal. They are very sophisticated. They wheel in a keg, when that comes in you know you’re in trouble. It’s a keg and instead a beer they put fake blood in it and pressurize it which means something is going to spray. So yeah, it’s a fascinating process, usually as an actor its fun one or two times then it stops being fun. Which works fine too because when you get splattered in the face and you’re completely disgusted, it works fine. There’s no bad reaction when you get hit in the face, you’re never bored.

Hidden Remote: Very true, I feel like it’s a good way to get that genuine and real reaction for the screen.

Bruce Campbell: It works, every time!

Hidden Remote: There’s a petition and a #BringBackBoomstick movement on social media but what else can fans to help get a season 4?

Bruce Campbell: Well, we haven’t officially been picked up or canceled, we’re in television limbo. You what they can do is just subscribe to STARZ. It’s one of the bottom line situation. A lot of our fans are unhooked. They have certain subscriptions to some platforms but not others. Our fans have really enjoyed the show and the critics have been kind towards it but what’s really crazy about it is the model day viewer tends to sit back and wait. They’ll wait until it gets onto Netflix.

We just started trending, the first two seasons dropped on Netflix and the show went crazy. People were acting like it was possible to get 4 on Netflix and I’m like guys you don’t get it. If you don’t make that effort to get the show and download the app and pay your subscription, it may not get to Netflix. So it’s a bit of a modern day cautionary tale. If fans aren’t diligent about backing STARZ and pushing that button, even just subscribing and trying out the free trial, it’s very critical. I hate to overstate that but it’s the entertainment business. It’s worth their while and fans have been great, really on top of it, we really appreciate their support but support has a bit of stagger to it. So speed up the response rate and tune in on [February 25th].

Next: Interview: Dana DeLorenzo talks Ash vs Evil Dead Season 3

Check out Bruce Campbell and the next chapter of Ash’s journey when Ash vs Evil Dead returns for its third season, February 25 on STARZ!