When 1976's Carrie starring Sissy Spacek premiered, the horror film was an instant hit. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Stephen King, the critically acclaimed film followed the abused, bullied teenager Carrie White (Spacek) as she exacts telekinetic revenge after a cruel high school prank.
There have been three sequels since the success of the first film—The Rage: Carrie 2 in 1999, followed by a 2002 TV movie, and a 2013 big-screen remake starring Chloë Grace Moretz—but before other stars were cast, Spacek's daughter was approached to keep the role in the family. Schuyler Fisk told Yahoo! Entertainment while promoting her upcoming film Sam & Kate, which also stars Spacek:
"They did approach me. I don't remember which incarnation it was—I just knew it would be me reprising her role."
The eldest of Sissy Spacek's two daughters, Fisk is a talented actress and singer in her own right, but said she turned down the role of Carrie because it felt like Spacek had done an impeccable job the first time around.
"It just didn't feel like the right thing for so many reasons, so it was never gonna happen. I feel like Carrie is such an epic film as it is, so the idea of trying to do anything else to recreate it just didn't feel necessary. It was sweet that they thought of me. But it just wasn't the right thing."
Fisk Says She Was Never Worried About Being Compared to Mom Spacek: 'We're Both Doing Our Own Thing'
Fisk's decision to turn down the leading role in another iteration of Carrie is part of why the Babysitters' Club actress was never concerned about being compared to her famous mom. In fact, Fisk says it didn't cross her mind until others started asking if it worried her.
"I never really thought about the negatives until I started doing projects. Obviously people are interested about what you're going to be like based on your parents, so they were like: 'Aren't you worried about being compared to your mom?' And I thought, 'Maybe I am now, because everyone else is!' But other than that, I just never thought about it. It's not a competition—we're both doing our own thing, and being our own people."
Ultimately, Fisk says that while she's inspired by Spacek and her illustrious career, she's not trying to be a carbon copy of her mother.
"I'm not trying to be my mom, but I definitely have learned a lot from her and respect her career tremendously."
Written and directed by Darren Le Gallo, Sam & Kate will be available on demand and streaming November 18.