Emile Hirsch Movies 2016: Actor Talks ‘The Autopsy Of Jane Doe’ And His Love For Scary Movies

Emile Hirsch loves scary movies, it’s one of the reasons he decided to take the role in “The Autopsy of Jane Doe,” a horror movie directed by André Øvredal. Playing a coroner fascinator the actor, who is arguably best known for his stint in 2007’s “Into The Wild.”

“I think that I’ve always been a kind-of closeted fan of the genre,” he told International Business Times about horror movies in a Monday phone interview. “I always liked to see scary movies with my mom. We have a lot of fun clinging to each other. I’m actually one of the most vocal moviegoers of anyone I know. If I see a scary movie, I’m yelping out loud. Louder than most anyone I’ve ever been around. I don’t know why. I think I get caught up in it. It’s a funny thing and I don’t actually notice that I do it.”

“The Autopsy of Jane Doe” is about father and son coroners. One night, they receive the body of a mysterious homicide victim who has no apparent cause of death. As they try to discover how she died, they uncover peculiar clues that contain deadly secrets.

While Hirsch, 31, wasn't scared while filming “The Autopsy of Jane Doe,” he got spooked while rehearsing at home. “I was re-highlighting and reading my lines over imagining it,” he said about scenes in the film. If he heard a creek, Hirsch would quickly crane his neck into the hallway to make sure no one was there.

Hirsch’s favorite part about the film was the science of being a medical examiner “and crossing into that quasi-medical world,” he explained. To prepare for the role, he read, “An Introduction to the Work of a Medical Examiner: From Death Scene to Autopsy Suite,” by John J. Miletich.

“I found that to be really fascinating,” he said about the work of a coroner. “Disturbing, but also really fascinating-- if not life affirming. After seeing all these dead bodies and studying it, it makes you really [grateful] to be alive.

The actor joked playing a medical examiner made him more cautious, noting he was already a safe driver, but now he’s a “flawless” driver.

There are few actors in the film, but one person Hirsch got to spend a lot of time with was co-star Brian Cox, who has appeared in films like “Troy,” “The Bourne Identity” and “Braveheart.”

“He was so great to work with,” Hirsch said about Cox. The veteran actor, 70, was supportive of his younger co-star. After the first few takes on set, Cox told Hirsch: “‘I’m here for you, I’m your dance partner. I’m gonna catch you every time.’ That gave Hirsch “a lot of confidence.”

The actor said about Cox: “He brought a massive amount of experience and power to the table—and energy, too. It was great having someone like him be the head of the set.”

Ophelia Lovibond, who plays Jane Doe, is the silent star of the movie. While she is apparently responsible for the sinister happenings in the film, Hirsch reiterated the character is a victim, too.

“It’s not really her,” he says about the bad things that happen in the morgue. “There’s this outside darkness that imposes on her.”

“The Autopsy of Jane Doe” premieres in theaters Wednesday, Dec. 21.

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