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Sean Whalen Spills His Guts On Depression, Directing & the Power of Horror
Manage episode 486645880 series 3600178
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In this cathartic and wonderfully chaotic episode of Horror Heals, Corey and Kendall sit down with cult horror icon Sean Whalen, best known as Roach from Wes Craven’s The People Under the Stairs, to talk about sock monsters, emotional healing, and his directorial debut, Crust.
Sean opens up about how Crust was born out of a deep depression following his divorce, and how he used humor, horror, and a laundry-dwelling murder sock to process grief and rage. The conversation dives into mental health, chosen family, fan community, and why horror may be the only genre where you never “age out," you just become more beloved.
From the early days working with Wes Craven to Sean’s plans for his next film (Swipe — it’s wild, just wait), this episode is a raw, hilarious, and unexpectedly uplifting look at how horror creates space for healing, connection, and unapologetic weirdness.
Sean Whalen Spills His Guts On Depression, Directing & the Power of Horror
🧠 Themes We Explore:
- Using horror as therapy for depression and grief
- How Crust became a love letter to weirdos and survivors
- The importance of horror conventions and chosen family
- Fans who don’t just support you, they show up with merch money
- The power of unconventional final girls and character actors
- What Wes Craven taught Sean about humanity in horror
- The emotional realism behind The People Under the Stairs
- Upcoming horror project Swipe, featuring… a bladed dildo? Yep.
- Why horror fans are the best fans (and Sean agrees!)
🩸 Mentioned in This Episode:
- 🎬 Crust (2024) on Tubi
- 🧦 The People Under the Stairs – IMDb
- 🎥 Late Night with the Devil, Smile 2, The Substance, and other indie horror gems
- 💡 Sean on TikTok – where horror meets hilarity
👻 Final Person Spotlight
Every episode, Corey and Kendall ask their guest: Who’s your favorite final person in horror?
Sean’s pick? Laurie Strode from Halloween — a misfit who survives because of her quiet strength and vulnerability.
(Also, she knows when to stab and when to scream.)
🎤 Guest Bio: Sean Whalen
Sean Whalen is a veteran character actor and fan-favorite in the horror world, with credits in The People Under the Stairs, Twister, Hatchet III, Never Been Kissed, and many more. With over 30 years in the industry, Sean recently made his directorial debut with Crust — a horror-comedy born from real-life heartbreak and a whole lot of indie spirit. He’s known for his deep connection with horror fans, his dark sense of humor, and his ongoing mission to make meaningful, weird, and heartfelt films.
🔗 Connect & Support
- Follow Sean Whalen:
- 📸 @sean_whalen_actor
- Follow Horror Heals:
- 🖤 @horrorhealspodcast on Instagram
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