Shannyn Sossamon Confronts Evil In One Missed Call

Fresh from winning rave notices for her memorable performances in “The Holiday” and “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang,” Shannyn Sossamon now headlines Warner Bros.’ new terrifying horror-thriller, “One Missed Call.”

Also starring Ed Burns, “One Missed Call” takes place over several terrifying days in the life of Beth Raymond (Sossamon), a psychology student whose friends fall victim to the frightening death calls. Detective Jack Andrews (Burns), who lost his sister in a mysterious hospital fire, finds a bizarre link between the death of his sister and the deaths of Beth’s friends. When Beth finally gets her call, she and Jack race against the clock to break the chain of terror and confront the evil.

Sossamon says of her character, “On the surface, Beth is very much in control. She’s a good student and a very good friend; she’s always there for the people she cares about. However, she’s hiding a major bag of pain, which unfolds as the evil spirit at the center of the story forces her to face her inner demons.”

“Shannyn was on the top of my list for the role of Beth,” director Eric Valette states. “I saw her in `Rules of Attraction’ and I thought she was perfect for the part. She is a great actress and understands the subtlety that I felt was essential for the character.”

Producer Scott Kroopf adds, “Shannyn is an incredibly talented actress. She also has a very down-to-earth quality, which fit the character well. Beth is a caring individual who is like a big sister to all of her friends. As the story progresses, we find out that her selflessness is a byproduct of repressed childhood memories. We felt strongly that Shannyn could pull off this multi-layered personality on screen.”

A number of factors attracted Sossamon to the project. “I thought the script was really well-developed. I liked the theme of disconnection, which is ironic because we’re all connected via our cell phone directories in this day and age,” says the actress. “Also, Eric’s enthusiasm is very contagious. I could tell from the first time we met that I would feel very comfortable with him. He is so real and so creative that you can’t help but be excited as well. And, he was very adamant about keeping situations in the film grounded and rooted in reality.”

At the beginning of the film, Beth lives in the idyllic setting of an American university as a graduate student. Constantly surrounded by friends and classmates, she is well-insulated from the outside world and from her dark past. “Everything’s fine in Beth’s life until her friends start receiving mysterious phone calls. When they check their voicemail, they hear a horrifying recording of themselves dying,” explains Sossamon. “Then, exactly three days from the original call, fate catches up with them and they die verbatim to their voicemail.”

In the days following each call, the victims experience disturbing hallucinations, and at the time of each death, a piece of red hard candy falls out of the mouths of each victim, suggesting that something otherworldly could be at play. “Try explaining a supernatural phenomenon to the local police, and they’ll have you committed,” laughs Sossamon. (Warner Bros. Pictures)