The Important Reason 'Chucky' Season 2 Changed Glen & Glenda's Looks From 'Seed Of Chucky'
In Season 2 of “Chucky,” actor Lachlan Watson took on the difficult task of bringing Glen and Glenda to life for the first time after almost 20 years. Fortunately, they had help from the mind of franchise creator Don Mancini when it came to the twins' distinctive physical characteristics.
Speaking to USA Insider, Watson commented on the confusion some fans felt to see the two non-binary characters have different hair lengths from their previous appearance. According to Watson, Mancini made the decision to change their hair for character-driven reasons long before Watson was cast in the role.
“Some people have been commenting on how it feels wrong or that they feel confused because, in the very end of ‘Seed of Chucky’ you see Glen as the one with the short hair, and then Glenda is the one with the long, red hair. So for this season to be exactly the opposite came as a shock to people,” they explained. “But that was something that Don had already decided before I got there, and was a really important choice in who the characters were because he really wanted to make sure that we weren't doing what was expected and that we didn't put Glen and Glenda into kind of the standard — almost stereotypical — gender boxes that you might assume we would.”
RELATED: Artist Behind Viral 'Chucky Cheese' Photos Speaks Out About The Lighthearted Hoax
They added: “So, Don was like, ‘No, I want Glenda to have the punky short kind of sharp haircut and I want Glen to have the long hair that they can almost hide behind.''
Although Glen and Glenda are adults now, a lot of the building blocks put in place in “Seed of Chucky" — in which both characters were voiced by Billy Boyd while inhabiting the body of a single doll — are now updated by way of their hair and wardrobe. Glen, a shy, non-violent type, can hide behind long hair and Glenda, an outgoing and savage personality, puts their face front and center with a pop of orange on top.
“This informs their character so much better than the gendering of those haircuts ever would,” Watson added. “And so that was a big decision that I understood immediately ... To me, as a trans person, it made total sense. We didn't want them to fit into the binary in an unnecessary way.”
Mancini also wanted to make sure the character’s wardrobe played a big role in establishing a visual language for who Glen and Glenda are. However, that required casting Watson first and foremost.
Who Is Lachlan Watson? What To Know About The 'Chucky' Season 2 Glen & Glenda Actor
“Yeah, we knew from the beginning the costumes would be the biggest visual cue to help differentiate the two,” they explained. “So, there was a lot of pressure on making sure that they had their own individual style that was similar enough to fit within the style of ‘Chucky’ and to emphasize the fact that they are twins, but different enough that the audience can kind of look at them and, in a very brief amount of time, know, 'Is this Glen? Is this Glenda?' In addition to the hair, obviously, but the costumes played a huge part in that.”
It’s fortunate that Mancini and Watson made sure to establish Glen and Glenda as such different characters for their return in Season 2, since they’re both on such different journeys. While Glen learns the truth about their past by way of their mom, Tiffany Valentine (Jennifer Tilly), Glenda is on a road trip with their father, who is currently sharing a body with Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif).
To see how Glen and Glenda’s story shakes out, fans can tune into “Chucky” Season 2 every Wednesday at 9/8c on USA Network and SYFY. You can catch up on past episodes on Peacock right now.
