It’s been thirty years since cult classic The Craft hit theaters, and lead witch Nancy Downs remains one of the coolest Halloween icons of all time. So for the final episode of Good Spirits, the BACARDÍ and UPROXX series pairing horror icons with a cocktail and a few good stories, we caught up with the woman who brought her to life: Fairuza Balk.
Balk walked us through how Nancy would roll up to a party, “Nancy walks into a Halloween party, she just owns it because she is that ferocious, and she knows she’s unstoppable, which makes her very dangerous,” she says.
And the appeal of Nancy Downs isn’t limited to one generation, she’s truly cross-generational. Balk explains “I once saw a grandmother, a mother, a daughter, and a baby all dressed like Nancy Downs… all of them wearing exactly the same thing… She inspired people to embody that ferocity.”
Throughout the episode, Balk runs us through how she started researching for The Craft, digs into the spiritual side of Halloween, and describes her perfect Halloween party, where everyone’s “dressed to the nines.” She reveals her favorite party drink (spoiler: it’s a BACARDÍ and cola), the ingredients she considers mandatory, and the playlist she’d queue up for the night.
Balk brings a playful, menacing quality to the whole episode that makes her a joy to watch. Check out her episode of Good Spirits above, then pour yourself a BACARDÍ and cola and get started on your Nancy Downs costume.
