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  Since Evil Dead's
initial release in 1982, Bruce Campbell (Ash) and Sam Raimi
(director) have been the two names mostly associated to the long
lasting classic. But what about the ladies? Betsy Baker
(Linda), Ellen Sandweiss (Sheryl) and Sarah York
(Shelly)? How come we don't hear
about them? Well, the good news is that the ladies of Evil Dead have
recently surfaced out of the cellar through their Official Site and
appearances at conventions. And of course, Arrow had the chance to
chit chat with them. Here's what they had to
say...
ARROW: How does it feel to
meet the fans at the conventions? Does it blow your mind that the
little movie you shot in the woods so long ago is still bringing you
recognition?
 BETSY: It is so great to, after
all these years, be able to meet and talk
with the
fans! We have a blast hearing all about their “Evil Dead”
stories, how many times they’ve seen it, their ‘first’ experience
watching it, where they saw it, who they were with, and how many
nightmares they’ve had!! And yes, it is
unbelievable that it is still such a popular and well-loved
classic -- but I’m thrilled that it is!!
ELLEN: It’s wonderful to finally
meet the fans, and yes, it absolutely blows my mind. I
actually wish that I had known I could get this recognition a little
earlier than 20 years after the film was released, but perhaps in a
way the waiting has made it all the more
pleasurable.
SARAH: Most of the fans are
really friendly, intelligent people and I thoroughly enjoy
reminiscing about filming Book of the
Dead. I have to call the movie that because that’s how
I knew it first.
I think when
it first premiered in
Michigan it was still being called Book of the Dead. It’s a lot of
fun being part of something that is so
legendary, it reminds me of being a kid and being the only one who
could wiggle my ears, it gave me
a lot of favorable attention, who wouldn’t like that! Also,
it’s an icebreaker when I read for casting
directors, as they look at my resume many will say, “Evil
Dead! That’s my favorite movie”!! And then they have
lots of questions about the shoot.
ARROW TO BETSY: I must admit
that your eerie, head-tilting, maniacal laugh was the prime reason
for many of my childhood nightmares. Was there an inspiration for
that laugh? Did Sam direct you into it? How did it come about? Do you still
exercise it at times, maybe upon
request?
 BETSY: First of all, I just
want to say...I’m so sorry you had so many nightmares-- I hope that
by now you are
through those horrible scary nights. (Hmmm... or would
I have???) I really didn’t have an inspiration
for the laugh prior to shooting-- Sam and I really
didn’t know how the scene was actually going to
progress.
We decided to make Linda a sweet, seemingly
innocent, baby-doll monster once she gets possessed, so for the
next few nights of rehearsal, this sickening-sweet infantile
giggle started to emerge. Sam liked it, asked me to giggle longer
and harder and louder, and in the
end this horrible, eerie laugh emerged that wouldn’t stop. I HAVE
been asked a number of times to do Linda’s laugh at public
appearances and at conventions, and it’s always met with
resounding screams and applause --- go
figure!!
ARROW TO ELLEN: Did any of the staged
horror you went through on the Evil Dead set ever follow you home?
How did you sleep at night during or after the shoot?
ELLEN: I’ve never really
been one to frighten easily, and after all, it was just a movie,
with karo syrup blood and rubber body parts. My difficulty in
sleeping during the actual filming resulted more from a messed-up
internal clock, due to the all-night shooting
schedule.
ARROW TO SARAH: What was the hardest
scene you had to shoot? The one that frustrated you the most?
 SARAH: Let me see, what was
the hardest scene to shoot: Could it be the one where I’m “singing”
solo (the song Sam wrote)
in the car as we’re driving to the fateful cabin, or is it the scene
where we’re making frozen
strawberry daiquiris and Bruce makes a rather lame toast and we all
had to laugh real hard, or maybe the
scene where I’m looking passionately into Scotty’s eyes hoping that
he’ll protect me from the evil “Book
of the Dead”…perhaps, it’s the scene where my body parts are strewn
around the cabin floor, dismemberment is never easy to do…that’s the
one!
ARROW TO BETSY: Were you
disappointed that you weren’t asked back for Evil Dead 2? I
mean, they re-shot the chain of events from Evil Dead but with
another
actress playing Ash’s girlfriend. How
did that make you feel?
 BETSY: That’s a
question I’ve been asked many times. Actually, Sam and
Rob (Tapert) DID
ask me to portray Linda again in Evil Dead 2. They phoned me
one day in the spring of 1986, and asked if we could meet for
breakfast. I was a wee bit leery, since that’s how we first
met before shooting Evil
Dead back in Detroit!! We met at a local diner
in L.A., and talked and laughed about old times. They were
going to start shooting Evil Dead 2 later in the year, and asked if
I would be interested.
But you see, at the same time,
my husband and I were expecting our first child, and as we all
talked and reminisced throughout the morning, we all agreed I might
be in the middle of labor during the
middle of filming. As it turned out, we had a beautiful baby girl
--they started on the movie -- and the
rest is history!! Looking back, it would have been lots of fun to
have continued in
the trilogy as Ash’s
girlfriend --- but our daughter is one of the greatest
accomplishments in my life -- next to our
son!!
 ARROW TO ELLEN: One of the more
controversial scenes in the film involves your
character being raped by trees. Looking back,
what can you tell us about how it was shooting
that specific
scene?
ELLEN: Controversial? You really think so?
Looking back, I can tell you I was cold, tired, scraped up, and
choking from the fake fog. However, I was also very committed
to doing a good acting job, so I was intent on playing the scene to
the hilt by running as fast as I could and scaring the hell out of
everyone. Think it worked?
ARROW TO
SARAH: How was the atmosphere on set? Did you gals laugh a lot? Was
it nerve wracking? Was Bruce a funny guy?
SARAH: We were all pretty
relaxed, or should I say exhausted! After the third day of
shooting it was mostly night shoots and who knew when you would
sleep or eat. Does prison ring a bell?
ARROW:
What do you ladies do for a living today? Is the acting bug still
biting on occasion?
 BETSY: I continued acting after “Evil
Dead”, in TV movies and commercials, including working with
great actors such as Karl Malden and John Malkovich, (“Word of
Honor”), Dudley Moore, and Mary Tyler Moore (“Six Weeks”). I also
performed on stage for months as Marion the librarian in “Music
Man”, and have toured with Kaye Ballard and Eddie Bracken. I have
done voice-overs and looping for films and television, and have my
own business that supplies dressing rooms and motor homes for
commercials and videos. These
days, while raising our two children, I teach vocal music at
local elementary schools, and
am auditioning once again for commercials and film
work.
ELLEN: I’m currently raising
two teenaged children and running a manufacturers’ representative
agency with my husband. Occasionally when the spirit moves me, I’ll
do a theatre or singing gig. I’ve also done some local (Detroit)
commercials and voice-overs. Lately, I spend a fair amount of time
with my Evil Dead cohorts, traveling around to conventions and
meeting the fans.
 SARAH: I try to blend raising my family with my
work. I have been the voice for many network promos, such as
Ally Mc Beal, Days of Our Lives, Temptation Island and Six Feet
Under. I
do act in commercials both voice and body (all parts included); a
few are running right now. I have several independent movies in
my credits and some co starring television roles.
ARROW: Have
you seen any of the Evil Dead sequels? If so, what did you
think?
BETSY: I have
only seen Evil Dead 2, and what can I say? A classic is a classic -
Evil Dead
reigns-----!!!
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