Rohan Campbell on Becoming Billy in SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT

Image courtesy of Cineverse

By Shannon McGrew

In Mike P. Nelson’s SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, a twisted reimagining of the 1984 controversial classic of the same name, after witnessing his parents’ brutal murder on Christmas Eve, Billy grows up to deliver an annual spree of holiday violence. This year, his blood-soaked mission collides with love, as a young woman challenges him to confront his darkness.

For the upcoming release of SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, Creepy Kingdom’s Shannon McGrew spoke with actor Rohan Campbell (Halloween Ends), who plays Billy and steps into the Santa Suit originally made famous by Robert Brian Wilson. During our chat, we discussed everything from reimagining Billy for a new generation to the surprising power of the Santa suit and even his favorite holiday kill. 

It’s such a pleasure to speak with you today, Rohan. How did you shape your performance of Billy so that it didn’t echo what fans already knew from the original? 

Rohan Campbell: I can’t take too much credit. I think Mike P. Nelson is a genius, and I think the script he wrote is so expressive, and that man is full of heart. I think the most interesting thing about this version of Billy is how much heart is in him. I think a big focus of this version is on figuring out who Billy was and how well-intentioned he is. Regardless of what his job is or what he needs to do to keep the world spinning, he just so badly wants to be a regular guy and have that experience. There was a lot of focus on thinking about that and thinking about how lonely that boy is. 

Image courtesy of Cineverse

Slipping into a Santa suit comes with a unique kind of power; it’s an instant transformation into an icon. How did it feel the first time you put it on as Billy? And when it came to Santa’s kills, which one was the most fun for you to film?

Rohan Campbell: When you first put on the suit, you feel ridiculous. You’re like, this is so silly and ridiculous, and everything’s loose. You could go to bed, it’s like being in pajamas [Laughs]. Then the bloodshed starts, and you’re like, “What are we doing? This is dark, man.” Then you feel even crazier, and then you’re talking to yourself, and then you’re even more lost in your own reality. As for my favorite kill [aside from the Nazi scene], I’d probably say the car sequence. It was so much fun. The attitude that the actor had was so good. 

This isn’t your first foray into horror or playing a slasher. What is it about working in this sandbox that you enjoy so much?

Rohan Campbell: We can all struggle to find ways to love ourselves. This sounds so sappy, but I really do feel this way. If my job is to explore people who are going through unimaginable things and still finding a way to like themselves, I think that’s a pretty interesting way to go to work every day. The flip side to that is it’s so much fun to go through the exposure therapy of being a crazy person at work, so I think there’s that as well. I’m also such a big fan of this genre and these movies. It’s like being able to be in a movie for real. It was like shooting that cave stuff with Michael Myers, you open your eyes, and he’s standing over you, and you’re really doing it. It’s really happening. It’s like I’ve won the lottery of some immersive experience in horror films, it’s crazy [Laughs].

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT arrives in theaters December 12, 2025.