What It Is Like Being A Scare Actor

During the months of September and October of 2021, I worked at Indy Scream Park. I worked nearly every weekend in September and every day in October. My job was that of a scare actor. The concept of that job is something that most people are not very familiar with. A scare actor is a person who dresses up in a costume, puts on makeup, and transforms into a character that scares the wits out of customers.

My main character that I played was Icky the Clown. She had this vibrant red hair and a really goofy costume that included a tutu, and was commonly sighted carrying a red sledgehammer. She was notorious for being grouchy, crazy, and very sarcastic. I loved this character, as I got to be a completely different person without showing my face. The mask I wore was a 25 pound silicone mask that covered my entire head and neck. It was horrible at times. My sweat would pool in areas around my mouth and scalp. I had to powder the mask with baby powder, and that dried my skin out. But once I got used to it, I was a whole different person until that mask came off.

I also played two other characters at times that were notorious for being just as, if not more, insane. I would play a dentist who grabbed guests and begged to pull their teeth out of their mouths. On other occasions, I played the exterminator who was bound and determined to get the “rats” out of her factory. Each character had their own personality, and I loved every second of it.

I arrived at work around 6 P.M. and checked in with my manager to see who was playing which character. By 6:20, we began getting into our costumes in the dressing rooms. After that was makeup, and then heading to our spots. We had to be in our spots at 6:45 so that customers would see us before they entered the park. Most nights, we were closed at 10:20 P.M. But on special nights like Saturdays, the park didn’t close until 1:30 A.M.

One of my favorite scares I had was this group of teenage boys. They didn’t see me when they entered the park, and I snuck around so their backs were to me. I then let out a loud clown laugh, and watched all of them scream and run from me. 

I loved being a scare actor; it is probably an experience most people will never get to have. It is chaotic, but fun and I created a family with my coworkers. This year may be over, but I am going to prepare to be just as scary for next year.