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Ted Raimi talks ‘Ash vs. Evil Dead’ & Season 2’s ‘insanely bloody’ finale

For the most part, Season 1 of “Ash vs. Evil Dead” helped put Bruce Campbell back on the genre map — as he eased back into the iconic character of Ashley J. Williams — while also bringing Sam Raimi’s signature slapstick take on horror to the small screen.

Acting as a surprise treat to horror fans — most of us never thought this would actually happen — the Starz program has since helped to push the “Evil Dead” envelope forward in the most delightfully gruesome ways.

One of those horror fans just happens to be a man by the name of Ted Raimi. You may know him from his work as Joxer on “Xena: Warrior Princess” or maybe the multiple characters he’s played throughout the original “Evil Dead” movies — and yes, his brother is show creator Sam Raimi.

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When Season 1 hit, many wondered if Ted would show up in the new series. And luckily for us, he’s not only appeared throughout Season 2 as Ash’s old hometown friend Chet, he surprised us all when he reprised his “Evil Dead II” role as Deadite Henrietta.

With the Season 2 finale right around the corner, Ted Raimi took time out of his busy schedule to discuss his exciting return to the world he helped create.

Did you have any idea, after 30 years, that you’d be putting that Henrietta costume back on for another go?

It was a complete surprise — but it was a most pleasant one!

You know, if Bruce Campbell wasn’t the star of the show I might’ve had second thoughts, because I wouldn’t be sure if Henrietta would have worked without him. Or if Rob Tapert wasn’t the executive producer, I wouldn’t be entirely sure. But since both of those guys were there, I was totally excited to do it.

Also, I know how great the effects team is down in Aukland, New Zealand — so I wasn’t worried about them recreating that look, which is so iconic, you know? It’s like having Indiana Jones, but you’re not sure if you’ve got the right hat for him. If you don’t have the right hat for Indy, he’s not quite Indiana Jones.

So, that costume they created was right on the money and, because of that, I was totally excited and totally into it. I didn’t know it was going to happen — but I’m thrilled that it did!

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Can you talk a bit about getting back into that costume all these years later? Was it just as challenging/tiring/uncomfortable/etc.?

If this were digital effects, like a digital version of her, it would be a lot different. I’d probably be wearing a blue suit with a bunch of lights on it, and then a CGI artist would draw me from that. That would be one easy way to do it. But because it’s a practical effect… Because it’s a suit — which are prosthetic pieces with glue and blood and, you know, fake teeth and everything like that — it’s exactly the same as it was in 1987.

It was no different, but it was as difficult to get into. I would sit in the chair for three or four hours while they applied the prosthetic pieces to me. Then I’d put the whole suit on, the whole giant monster suit, and then I’d go and rehearse a bit with Bruce. We’d shoot the day through and then I’d get lunch and go sit in my trailer, where I’d have to sit upright.

I couldn’t rest on anything because I am in full costume. I would have to drink everything through a straw. Then in the afternoon, you get back on set and act for another three or four hours… It’s pretty challenging. But being together with Bruce and Rob made it all worth it.

Given that this experience was kind of like a family reunion for you, were there any opportunities to go off-script and improvise as Henrietta?

Oh, there most certainly was. There are a couple rules to that, though. Obviously, you want to make sure it’s appropriate to the part. Two, you want to make sure it’s okay with the writers — they spent a great deal of time coming up with the scene and the dialogue, even though you created the character, essentially.

Once those two things are meshed out and you have a good relationship with the creative team, then yeah — Bruce and I will go ahead and improv some stuff.

And Rick Jacobson, in this case, had a lot to do with that. He’s the director behind these final two episodes and has this insane, kinetic — and dare I say, vile — sense of humor, that really took these two episodes to a vile extreme.

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That’s a pretty bold statement right there!

What you are going to see in the season finale are some insanely bloody, gut-wrenching, gut-pulling, blood-spewing fights between Bruce Campbell and myself. I think the fans are really going to dig it. And there are some things in there that are so insanely disgusting, I can’t even repeat them here.