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Billy Zane said the abuse scenes in Lifetime’s 2024 film Devil on Campus: The Larry Ray Story were difficult to perform. He singled out a scene involving Claudia and a plastic bag, a hammer scene, and scenes of interrogation and escalating abuse. Zane also described how cast members checked in and used humor after intense takes. His remarks are about making the film, not firsthand testimony about what the real victims experienced.
Which scenes did Billy Zane say were hardest to film?
In an interview about the production, Zane named the scene involving Claudia and a plastic bag, the hammer scene, and the abuse scenes more broadly as especially difficult. In a separate interview, he described the interrogation scenes and the shift from emotional abuse to physical abuse as “unnerving and disturbing to me.” All County Gazette’s republication of Zane’s Entertainment Weekly interview and Assignment X’s interview with Zane report those comments.
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Content note: The film’s subject and the scenes discussed involve abuse and violence. Lifetime labels the movie TV-14. Lifetime’s film page summarizes the story and lists its rating.
How did the cast handle intense scenes after “cut”?
Zane said the production made room after “cut” for cast members to laugh and check in with one another after particularly intense takes. He summed up the bodily and emotional demands he associated with performing the material with the line, “Actors should get emotional stunt pay.” That was his characterization of the experience, not a formal labor policy or an established industry standard. The interview republication recounts both his comment and his description of the cast’s routine.
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What film was Zane discussing?
Devil on Campus: The Larry Ray Story is a 2024 Lifetime TV movie starring Zane as Larry Ray. Lifetime’s synopsis says Ray moves into his daughter’s dorm, gains influence over students, and uses emotional, financial, and sexual abuse and mental manipulation. The synopsis is the network’s description of the dramatized story; it should not be treated as a complete account of the criminal case or as documentary evidence of individual events. Lifetime’s official page identifies the film, Zane’s role, and the TV-14 rating.
What did Zane and director Elisabeth Röhm say about the film’s approach?
Zane said he appreciated what he saw as restraint in the network’s handling of graphic sexual content and violence, because he felt that left room for character and motivation. Director Elisabeth Röhm said the production felt a responsibility to victims and hoped the story could serve as a warning. These are the filmmakers’ stated intentions, not independent findings about the film’s accuracy or its effect on viewers. TV Insider’s interview reports their comments and identifies Röhm as director and executive producer; it also reports that the film premiered June 23, 2024.
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How did Zane prepare to play Larry Ray?
Zane also discussed gaining weight and working with a vocal coach on Ray’s regional accent and speech mannerisms. Those details describe his preparation for the role; they do not verify the film’s portrayal of Ray or the people around him. The interview republication includes his comments on that preparation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where can readers find a firsthand perspective on the case?
For a perspective distinct from the movie and Zane’s account of filming, Daniel Barban Levin’s memoir Slonim Woods 9 is described by its publisher as a firsthand account by an original resident of the group. It is a related reading choice, not a companion book to the film or a source for Zane’s remarks. Penguin Random House’s catalog page provides the book’s description.
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