After nearly two decades of hiding from creatures, aliens, and mask-wearing murderers, Karen Cliche finds herself face to face with evil; this time, it’s in the form of a truck with a well-known melody.
In a new slasher film, Canadian actress Karen Cliche teams up with director Eli Roth for the third time, starring in Ice Cream Man, a new film hitting the theaters across the country on August 7th. Ice Cream Man is the first movie from Roth’s recently founded horror studio, The Horror Section. The music in the movie is composed by Snoop Dogg and executive produced by Nas.
Karen Cliche will play Alison, wife to Roth’s character, alongside Ari Millen (from Orphan Black), Benjamin Byron Davis and Sarah Abbott. The plot revolves around an innocent town where everything goes upside down after an ice cream man offers the towns’ children some sweet treats with terrifying consequences.
This project marks the third collaboration of Cliche and Roth, coming after his 2023 slasher Thanksgiving, and the fake horror movie trailer they made together last year.
“Working with Eli for the third time now, I did one of his fake horror trailers called ‘Don’t go in that house bitch!’ last year, and it is always an amazing experience,” Karen Cliche told Where Is The Buzz. “He is so passionate about horror, fun, and also very intense, and him being an actor as well really bonds you even more because he gets it. It feels very collaborative. So when he asked me to play his wife in the couple to the main kids, I of course said yes! Let’s just say they might be grounded for a bit once you see what happens”
Karen Cliche kicked off her career starring in several TV series, including Vampire High, Adventure Inc., Mutant X, Young Blades and Flash Gordon. She played Mackenzie Priven in Adventure Inc., created by Gale Anne Hurd, and later starred in Saw VI as part of the popular horror franchise.
When asked what attracts her to the genre so much, Cliche mentioned her true crime obsession, her community of fans, and Eli Roth’s extensive knowledge of the horror universe.
“At the start of my career I did a few sci-fi series and was immersed in that genre. Then came the horror films, and I love it more each time I do one,” she said. “It really challenges you (and your vocal chords) as an actor, and my love of true crime helps my passion! Working with Eli and seeing his love for it and crazy knowledge of horror films big and small really inspired me. Also meeting fans at conventions made me appreciate it even more. Each genre has its own vibe on set. Obviously it depends on the director and the cast, but something about horror brings life and even some laughs!”
Karen Cliche also has a role in MGM+’s crime series The Westies, which started airing on July 12th. The series stars J.K. Simmons and Titus Welliver, and is developed by Chris Brancato, creator of Narcos and Godfather of Harlem.
“In the end, the only scene of mine that made the cut was in episode 2, and that was so fun to shoot. To yell at mafia bosses,” she said. “I was so honoured to be directed by Alan Taylor, who directed ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘Mad Men.’ So being surrounded by such exceptional talent made me bring my A game. The series is so cool and stylized. I think people are loving it so far.”
Cliche will next appear in The Bookie and the Bruiser, written and directed by S. Craig Zahler (director of Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99), starring alongside Vince Vaughn, Theo James and Patrick Schwarzenegger.
“I loved working with Zahler. He is so gentle and kind and encourages pauses and beats and a slower pace,” she said. “He sits right there beside the camera watching you, so it is a very intimate experience, and you feel his investment in your performance. Vince and I had great chemistry and our characters have such a lovely arc. I can’t wait for you to see it.”
Being a single mother, Cliche left acting to raise her daughter, and returned to it on Thanksgiving. Since then, she has kept busy starring in projects with the biggest names in the industry.
“When I stepped away from ‘the biz,’ I literally wrote goodbye letters to casting directors and planned for a new life, in a new city, and dabbled in a few different side hustles. It was fun to try new things, but it was scary because I always felt like the new girl, or was always learning,” she said. “When my daughter was older, I started to crave going back to what I knew and felt comfortable in, and that was acting. I felt I had more to offer now, but was terrified no one would want me older and having missed so much of the momentum I had created. So it took about a year for me to start getting cast again, and it has been pretty good ever since. I am glad I took that risk because I feel more than ever before that this is where I am meant to be.”
On the side, Cliche is a voice for victims of sex trafficking and a women’s rights activist. Her filmography includes Steal, Killer Mom, I Do (But I Don’t), and Turkey Drop. She lives in Ottawa with her teenage daughter and family.
Ice Cream Man will premiere in theaters on August 7th. The Westies is streaming on MGM+.
