Being in a Horror Movie Is Way More Fun Than You Think, According to Taylor Kinney

The Forest, starring Taylor Kinney and Natalie Dormer, hits theaters on Jan. 8. To prepare for one of 2016's highly anticipated horror films, we've already examined the true nature of Aokigahara, the infamous suicide forest in Japan where the film takes place. Dormer even offered a firsthand account of her own trip into the sacred space. This week, we hopped on the phone with Kinney to talk about the film, plus his thoughts on the horror genre. Keep reading for his commentary, plus his desperate attempts to get Game of Thrones spoilers out of his costar.

POPSUGAR: I think your character toes a very interesting line. You had the challenge of seeming nice but not too nice, and trustworthy but not too trustworthy, all the while never really giving away your true intentions.

Taylor Kinney: Yeah, I was just going to say that that. In those first discussions, when I was speaking with Jason, that's kind of what we were coming up with. The idea of having an ambiguous character in terms of good and evil. . . . I think Aiden, some of the things he says you kind of have to go back and say, "Is he telling the truth? Or how truthful is he? Does he mean that? Is he working an angle?" And I think that was a lot of fun to play. . . . I was working with Natalie [Dormer] and it would be fun to do a scene where, you know, we can play off of each other. She was great. I can't say enough good things about her. She was an amazing scene partner.

PS: What do you make of the film's ending?

TK: As a fan of the genre, when you watch the film, I want people to ask questions. And to try and figure out how it ends or try to figure who is up to what, and what's real and what's not. And then, hopefully, on the way home with your date or your friends, it's a discussion.

PS: That's awesome.

TK: Because it is like a tennis match, it's like a dance. So to have someone that's working with you — it allowed us to shape and mold the character.

PS: Speaking of Natalie, do you watch Game of Thrones?

TK: It's funny, because I didn't. I had seen the pilot or like an episode or two every now and then. Or once in a while, like if my brothers were watching. But when I knew that I was on board and that Natalie was on board, it was like three weeks before I left for shooting and I watched it all. I got up to where season four was airing at the time in a matter of weeks. I think I watched the entire first season in a two days.

PS: Damn!

TK: So I binge-watched the hell out of it. And then Natalie had gotten scripts for season five, I think. So I kept like — you know — we'd be shooting in the morning, or she'd be in one of the trailers, and I'd keep poking her saying, "What happens with this? What happens with that? What's up with Jon Snow? What's up with the white walkers? What's going on with the queen?" So, we had fun with that.

PS: She's tough to crack!

TK: Yeah, she's a tough cookie, that one.

PS: What way do you want to challenge yourself next? Where would you like to take your acting?

TK: I have other cast members and friends doing plays; it might be fun to get up on stage sometime and do something, whether that's in Chicago or LA or New York, who knows? But I'm kind of open. Or . . . I'd love to do like a month road trip on a motorcycle and kind of rip around the country.

PS: Do you think you'll ever venture into the horror genre again?

TK: I'm certainly not against it. I had a great time. You know, it was more of a fun kind of thriller. You know, a fun movie. It wasn't like a slasher flick and I wasn't running around screaming. You see, I don't know if that's my cup of tea. I like the old, kind of classic ones.

PS: Like psychological.

TK: Yeah, like The Shining. . . . Those ones that kind of get stuck with you afterwards.

PS: So you're a horror fan, I take it?

TK: Like I said, I like the older ones. Cujo, Pet Sematary, stuff like that. I really like those, like the older films. Like the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. That one freaked me out.