‘Longlegs’ Star Alicia Witt Recalls Being ‘Gently Slapped’ by Al Pacino During Scare on ’88 Minutes’
Ahead of the release of her new horror film, Longlegs, Alicia Witt is reflecting on some of her creepiest on-set memories from her decades-long career.
“I’ve had an out-of-body experience during filming,” she reveals exclusively in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “While working with Al Pacino in 88 Minutes, he had to gently slap me to snap me out of a panic attack because I convinced myself I was seeing a dead body.”
The 2007 film — which stars Pacino as a forensic psychiatrist and Witt as his teaching assistant — shares some similarities with the Osgood Perkins-helmed 2024 horror, Longlegs. Both films center around law enforcement dealing with serial killer investigations in the Pacific Northwest.
Working with such dark subject matter, it’s no wonder Witt began to confuse the movie plot with reality — but clearly it did not scare her away from the horror genre.
Witt’s 88 Minutes story was not the first harrowing experience she had on a serial killer movie set. The actress tells Us that her work on the 1998 slasher film Urban Legend took a physical toll on her.
“When I filmed Urban Legend, I was soaking wet for five weeks,” she tells Us exclusively. “Even when I was filming indoors, my character had just come in from running through the rain, so they’d hose me down before the scene started.”
Keep scrolling for more interesting facts about Witt — including her experience as a singer-songwriter and her very peaceful lifestyle outside of her work in horror films:
Longlegs is in theaters now, and Witt's upcoming tour dates include stops in Nashville and London.
1. I eat an avocado every day.
2. My rescue dog, Ernest, travels almost everywhere with me and joins me on stage for my encore when I play shows.
3. When I moved to L.A., I played background music at hotels, restaurants and events to pay my bills while auditioning for acting work.
4. When I was about to film The Upside of Anger, a cat fell on my face from the awning above where Keri Russell and I played backgammon, tearing my mouth open and requiring 10 stitches.
5. I’ve played classical piano since I was 7 and won 16 competitions.
6. I’m a ringer at Galaga. My champion’s name is “ACE.”
7. When I filmed Urban Legend, I was soaking wet for five weeks. Even when I was filming indoors, my character had just come in from running through the rain, so they’d hose me down before the scene started.
8. I believe in the divine energy of plant medicine, [and] ayahuasca has changed my life.
9. I’ve had an out-of-body experience during filming: While working with Al Pacino in 88 Minutes, he had to gently slap me to snap me out of a panic attack because I convinced myself I was seeing a dead body.
10. I never took an acting class.
11. My song “Chasing Shadows” landed on the Billboard Top 30 chart for five weeks.
12. My house was hit by a tornado in 2020.
13. My first screen kiss, with Crispin Glover on Hotel Room, was also my first kiss ever.
14. I didn’t learn how to ride a bicycle until I was 21 years old.
15. I am double-jointed.
16. My movie debut was in Dune at age 7. I regaled [director] David Lynch about the dogs that lived in my neighborhood at our first meeting.
17. I’m grateful every day that I moved to Nashville seven years ago after 25 years in L.A. The South feels like home.
18. I am 25 percent Italian and learned I’m eligible for dual citizenship through my ancestry.
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19. The way to my heart is an incredible brain: listening, abundant kindness, empathy and seeing the absurdity and magic in life. I’ll fall in love with those [things] above all else.
20. I went on Wheel of Fortune when I was 14 to try to earn money for my move to L.A. I hit bankrupt twice, but went home with $2,600.
21. I don’t wear animal products and my diet is plant-based too, with the rare exception of wild-caught salmon.
22. I’m an author: Small Changes came out in 2021.
23. Piano has been written into my acting roles in Cybill, Playing Mona Lisa and on The Mentalist. In Mr. Holland’s Opus, I had to learn how to play the clarinet.
24. I do a 25-minute yoga flow while listening to the Chopra 21-Day Meditation series.
25. Growing fruits and vegetables from seed brings me so much joy. I have a mini-farm and when I have spare time, it’s a good bet I’ll be there.
