In this spellbinding episode of Horror Heals, Corey and Kendall dive into the transformative journey of actor, Nate Gaik, who found empowerment and healing through the magic of horror. From a challenging childhood to embodying an 18th-century witch in the indie film "Hunting for the Hag," this episode is all about defying the gravity of trauma and finding strength in the most unexpected places.

Son of a Witch Is Defying Gravity

Hear how Margaret Hamilton’s Wicked Witch of the West sparked a lifelong fascination with witches, providing inspiration and escape during dark times. Learn how playing a witch on-screen became a powerful moment of reclaiming control and self-expression. Plus, explore how the horror genre fosters community, creativity, and connection for even the most introverted among us.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Growing up with challenges and finding refuge in movies.
• The influence of "The Wizard of Oz" and the Wicked Witch’s enduring legacy.
• Behind-the-scenes stories from Hunting for the Hag, including prosthetic adventures and cornfield chaos.
• The therapeutic power of horror to foster connection and self-discovery.
• Favorite horror icons, from Jamie Lee Curtis to Lauren LaVera and beyond.

Watch Now:

Stream Hunting for the Hag on Tubi.

Connect with Us:

Follow the guest on Instagram: @tallactorboy

Share your favorite final person in horror with us on social media!

Closing Message:

If you’ve ever felt trapped or misunderstood, this episode is your reminder that defying gravity is possible—and sometimes, it starts with a little bit of witchcraft and horror.

C&K: All right, Nate, welcome to the Horror Heals podcast.

Nate: thank you for having me

Nate: we're very interested to hear in your own words, your story about growing up and not being in a very great situation with your mom.

Nate: very introverted kind of person I think part of that stems from, Not having a great childhood. my biological mother, was emotionally abusive, sometimes physically abusive. we no longer speak , um, because of these reasons, although it didn't happen until maybe, six years ago.

Nate: When I, you know, came to the conclusion that it just wasn't gonna be good for my well being, but, when I was living with my mother, actually, I was, I was, my brother and I were raised by our grandparents, basically, and they kind of became, like Our mom and dad. so I was very close with my grandparents.

Nate: when I was in the 5th grade, we went to live with my mother. that was a rough transition. there was a lot of yelling going on, a lot of fights. I very often, would, retreat to my, my bedroom, where I had a TV. movies became, a big escape for me.

Nate: not just horror movies, but all kinds of movies. I was trying to, remember, when I first started, uh, And I was just in this love. Loving horror, like, what was the earliest memory of that? it's not a horror movie by any means, but, Margaret Hamilton, as the widow, which, and the wizard.

Nate: of Oz. I was just. So fascinated by her, when I was little, I mean, of course she was scary because it was a great performance, but, I just thought she was cool as hell. from that point on, I think I became obsessed with, witches and anything witchcraft related. It's like, who wouldn't want to go fly on a broomstick?

Nate: she has these flying monkeys, and this girl took her shoes and she just wants them back. I guess I, I felt for her a little bit too, which is maybe a

C&K: Hey, you have to have empathy for everyone. I would argue that the wizard of Oz. Is a little bit of a horror movie. I mean, it's certainly one of the first things that kids are exposed to that could fall into that category. And it's definitely one that me and my siblings watched with our grandparents that we adored.

C&K: And yeah, the witch was scary on those flying monkeys, you know, were scary, but like you, you hit the nail on the head. I mean that Margaret Hamilton and that performance. She's on screen for such a little bit of time and the impact she makes and how that has gone on to inspire generations of witches.

C&K: it's amazing. I was a journalist a million years ago and there's this, movie theater in the suburbs of Chicago. And the name escapes me, but they do theme theaters and they have a Wizard of Oz theme one. And the owner, has one of the pairs of the original slippers.

C&K: I think there's four left in existence and he got called away. I was left alone in a room with the pair of Ruby slippers. I could be in jail right now

C&K: for snatching those Judy Garland slippers.

C&K: But

C&K: the Wicked Witch of the West. It was kind of your inspiration too.

C&K: And love of witches.

Nate: Yeah. I talked to my husband about this several times. There's that 1 scene where, the wick of which leaves Dorothy in, locks her basically in her chamber, and it's very emotional. I feel like I can relate to that so much because it reminds me of my, childhood, even though most of the time, I chose to go to my room, I felt trapped at the time.

Nate: it just really hits home for me every time, I said to my husband, maybe that's why, I'm so fascinated with witches because I want to be the witch and have that control instead of, being, the quote unquote victim, if you will.

Nate: if that makes sense.

C&K: It totally does. I'm not in any way trying to be your therapist here, but that scene you're talking about, I mean, if the witch did anything cruel in that movie, it would be that scene because all of a sudden you see On them, in the crystal ball and then all of a sudden and it turns it's the witch playing a trick on Dorothy and it's like, here's a glimpse of hope and I'm snatching it away.

Nate: absolutely.

Nate: getting back to the whole, Whore Heels aspect, what I think, is really great about, Whore is how It really seems to have this power to bring people together. I know you've talked a lot about, going to horror conventions and things like that.

Nate: I am a horror convention virgin. I want so badly to go to one and, we plan to once we kind of afford it. But, but, I, you know, it, it, it's hard for me to talk to people a lot of the time. I think a lot of that stems from, trauma with my mother but, I don't open up to people easily.

Nate: when I talk to someone who loves horror movies, for example, I was in this, independent horror movie, called hunting for the hag, which we've talked about, streaming now on Tubi,

Nate: we had, an amazing, makeup artist for that. her name is Aaliyah Craft.

Nate: if you want to check her out on Instagram, she has some really amazing pictures. She does, all kinds of body art, and it's just phenomenal what she can do. it's craft with a K, like the cheese. So, it's Aaliyah Craft Artistry, on Instagram. She was just a lovely person.

Nate: she made me feel, totally at ease when I came in, To do my makeup, which took about, we did prosthetics, which I had never done before. she made me really comfortable. and, when. we got done and I looked at myself in the mirror. I didn't recognize myself, which is the point, but I, it's like, I'd never done it before.

Nate: So I wasn't prepared in fact, I almost passed out from the prosthetics

Nate: when we first did it, just to give you a little behind the scenes, we talked for, hours me and Wendy Wallace, who designed my, my costume for the film. and she's amazing too. but it was just, you know, we talked about horror movies all night and were there, till the early hours of the morning because we had to shoot at night because that's what the, the film required.

Nate: and, yeah, it's just, I think it's really cool how it brings people together and, can bring people out of their shell who are maybe not so social, like myself

C&K: it's a beautiful full circle moment because, your mother said, no, only little girls can be, which is not little boys.

Nate: she said, boys cannot be witches and I was like, what?

Nate: It made me really sad. In fact, I, um, I don't know why I waited so long, but like on my, on my 40th birthday, I'm now 43, but on my 40th birthday, I decided I was gonna dress up as a damn witch for Halloween. I said, you know, I'm finally going to do this. it was a really special thing, even though I didn't really go anywhere.

Nate: I dressed up, it was me and my husband, partying at home on our own as we often do, but, it was so much fun I've worn it several times since then.

C&K: Good. You don't have to just save it for Halloween. whenever you feel like being a witch, be a witch.

Nate: that's right. it was really special.

C&K: Well, then you get to play a witch on screen. I mean, like completely full circle, like, and, you know, I know you said you're not in communication with your mother right now, but any idea if she even knows that you played the role of the hag?

Nate: Oh, I have no idea, but I did it. it meant a lot. The project kind of fell into my lap. I've done, mostly theater. I, studied acting at Illinois state and, I've done a lot of, stage work. me and my husband, worked, at a dinner theater. I worked there for about 10 years.

Nate: It's one of the last dinner theaters in Illinois. it's been there for about 50 years now. the, woman who, founded the dinner theater, her name is Mary Simon, recently passed away, but, she was just brilliant. she taught me so many things about, comedy. they did a lot of, sex farces there.

Nate: So that kind of thing, you know, getting your pants pulled down she was like, I don't know. I call her the Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett of Central Illinois. I honestly just idolized her and she taught me so much. anyway, getting back to the hag, I, had a friend, Steve Christopher, who plays Clint in the, one of the, Well, I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

Nate: He plays another character in the film.

Nate: we had done an acting class back in the day and, he had messaged me and said, hey, I'm doing this movie called hunting for the hag. and we need a hag. he didn't tell me a whole lot about the character. I thought, hag sounds like a witch. . And, and then I, you know, I met the director and said, yes, we want you to play this, this female witch.

Nate: just to give everybody the premise of the story. It's about, three, friends, Tara, Beth and Candy. And, they are going, parachuting a documentary. And, she's going in search of a local legend, called the Hawthorne Hag. which would be me. And, she's a, 18th Century witch, who was hung, back in the day for, killing, allegedly maybe, who knows?

Nate: killing a child. they say her spirit still, lingers in the Hawthorne woods. they've gone. to find the hag, hence the title there are some twists and turns along the way. if you, want to see it, like I said, it's, it's available on to be, I say, I think I use that in like, regular conversations now, like, how is your day?

Nate: Do, you know, I'm in hunting for the hang now available to me.

C&K: I'm very proud of it. I've mostly done theater and, I've never been in anything that was streamed on major platforms like that. I turn on my TV and I'm not gonna lie. I think it's pretty cool. It's awesome. Yeah. to be is such a great, streaming channel to find indie horror. they've really embraced it. you can find some great stuff on to be,

Nate: They have a ton of 80s horror too, which I love. I am a child of 80s horror.

C&K: We're too.We love it.

Nate: I remember, when I was, I don't even know how young, maybe like 10, giving the Freddy Krueger glove when they sold it in stores.

Nate: Freddy gave me nightmares back in the day. it's kind of funny looking at it now.

Nate: not that he's not brilliant cause he is Robert Englund, absolutely. but it's not as scary as it was then.

Nate: probably one of my favorites, which I know a lot of people hate is, um, Freddy's revenge.

C&K: Well, we love it, but it's the gayest horror movie ever. .

Nate: Yeah, it's true. I just love Mark Patton. I thought he was great. I enjoy following him. He seems like a really nice guy. I'm sorry he's having some health issues right

C&K: Yes. Um, met him several years ago. Total sweetheart. he's great. We would love to have him, on the podcast 'cause

C&K: he's, you know, just, he's, he's definitely an icon. I'm sure you've seen the documentary screen Queen.

Nate: Yes, that

C&K: Yeah, I

C&K:

C&K: yeah, that movie is well worth revisiting.

C&K: it's such a departure from the first Nightmare on Elm Street, so I think that's why some of the backlash exists, but I think people that when they go back to it now, it's like, this is a really good movie and it's got some really interesting themes and stuff, even though they Sort of like go away from the mythology a little bit because Freddy's all of a sudden like in the real world

Nate: Yeah.

C&K: I love all of them for different reasons,

Nate: Halloween is probably my favorite franchise, it's funny 'cause I didn't really discover Halloween until later in life and I don't really have a reason for that . But, I've always loved, villains in horror movies, who don't speak.

Nate: I think sometimes I even find them, more intriguing than the ones who do speak. just the way Nick Castle moved, in Halloween as Michael Myers. it's almost like, A choreographed dance, the way he moves. And I've always been really fascinated with that. also, I don't know if you watch the conjuring movies, but, Bonnie Aaron's as the nun, I just find her so she's well, first of all, she's so creepy and just the way she, she moves without, you know, having, say anything.

Nate: And, I think I told you too. I'm obsessed with, David Howard Thornton, who plays, Art, the Clown and the Terrifier franchise.

Nate: And, you know, it's, Really a throwback to silent films. I think I've read, that he was inspired by Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.

Nate: it really shows because, it can be so funny and so terrifying at the same time. I'm usually not a big fan of like.Um, but it's his performance that really brings me into it. I think it's probably that way for a lot of people. I just think he's great.

C&K: absolutely. if it could get kids, or, millennials to go and like, watch some Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin stuff, because yeah, you're right. I think the reason why those movies are so successful and why people love them so much are that combination of.

C&K: David's performances, art, and then the practical effects that Damien does, you bring those two together and it's like, yeah, it could just be like a slasher movie. It's, but it rises above because of like, how did they do that? How did they do that without CGI? And then like, and then David's like, you know, just seeing art silently laugh is like hilarious and disturbing.

Nate: I think I've become even more horror obsessed since I did hunting for the hag, just because, when you're involved in the process, it's just so fascinating to me, we had a really great crew, Paul Brooks, our director, he's phenomenal, You could tell how much he cared about the project.

Nate: He also wrote it along with Sierra Renfro, who plays Candy in the movie. I also love that it's so, female driven, which is something you don't always see in the horror community. there are three strong female characters in it. the girls as I like to call them, were, really amazing.

Nate: I would have thought they were best friends, looking at their chemistry. They've never met before this movie. it's kind of mind blowing. but yeah, I love being part of the process. I do have another funny hag story, if it's okay.

C&K: Yeah.

Nate: there is a scene, in the dark in a cornfield in the movie.

Nate: I just remember several guys on the crew following us around to help us out I had these big, sharp fingernails, as the hag and, I remember them, like, all falling off at one point because we're going through the dark in the cornfield and I didn't have my glasses and I, I don't wear contacts because.

Nate: I can't handle having things in my eyes.

Nate: so I was just kind of, you know, they were guiding me and there's like once my nails fall off There's like four or five men on the ground looking around for my fingernails at one point I fell backwards into the cornfield and they had to pick me up and there's like these spiders, these bugs all over the back of my costume.

Nate: They're like picking them off. it was good times. And then there was, the time where, our producer Seth, a super nice guy. we filmed in a pretty small town. We filmed in Pontiac, Illinois. he went to the local Walmart, to buy me a bra because, they wanted the hag to be voluptuous.

Nate: And, the lady, he went, he didn't, You know, he's he's he's a straight guy. Come on. And he was just like, I need a bra for he was kind of kind of driving to my, my, my shape or whatever. And she was just, it was very awkward. I'm 6 foot 8 too, for those who don't

Nate: know.

C&K: Okay.

Nate: and that's another thing.

Nate: it's not always easy to be cast, as a 6 foot 8 man, sometimes it works in your favor and sometimes it doesn't, doing this kind of made me, feel like I had a new home in a way. I really hope I can do, more horror films and things like that.

Nate: I'm always telling my husband I would love to play, the crazy guy in the small town who's warning everybody, like crazy Ralph and

Nate: Friday

Nate: the 13th.

Nate: You are, You are, you are doomed.

C&K: I mean, I would think that there are a lot of producers out there that are clamoring for a six foot eight gentleman to be in their horror movie. So, yeah.

Nate: would love

C&K: not even five foot eight.

Nate: absolutely love

C&K: Nate, there are some. Awesome horror conventions in the Midwest, in the Chicago area, in the St.

C&K: Louis area. if we can join you and your husband, and break your horror con cherry, we would be happy to do that with you

Nate: Well,

C&K: to cosplay as the hag for one of the days, because imagine the attention that you would get. you would be the hag. So like when people are coming up to you,

Nate: I begged them to let me keep the costume and they let me. So I have the costume and the wig.

Nate: I'm not sure I can do the makeup. However,

Nate: cool.

Nate: I did want to say, if it's okay to do a slight self promotion, you know, I'm just a small town struggling actor from Illinois, but, if you would like to follow me and you've watched hag and like it, I, would love to hear from you. I am on Instagram as tall actor boy or you can find me on Facebook.

Nate: It's just Nate Geik, G A I K if you would like to.

C&K: Absolutely. we'll be tagging you in the show notes and the posts that we do for social.

Nate: Oh, cool.

C&K: But yeah, happy to do that. as a listener to the podcast, I'm sure you know what our last question is,

Nate: I do.

Nate: I have been thinking about it endlessly.

C&K: Nate, who is your favorite final person in a horror movie?

Nate: first, I know almost everyone says Jamie Lee Curtis, and I have to give her credit because It's just a legacy she has created and she is the final girl, in my opinion. I do want to mention, someone more recent, who has caught my attention, which is Lauren Lavera, who plays, Sienna Shaw in, the terror fire.

Nate: 2 and 3 soon to be 4. She reminds me of a lot of Lori Strode vibes, she's very independent and knows who she is. She's Really traumatized even before art shows up, just from her father passing away

Nate: She's like, dress like this warrior. Like, when she, she's in this crazy warrior costume when she's, kicking art thatshe's brave without knowing how brave she is, she fights so fiercely for people she cares about, even though several of them die, but she tried.

C&K: That's right.

Nate: I just think she's a really great actress, and I enjoy her very much. I hope I can meet her one day.

C&K: She's awesome. And thank you for naming her because you're the first and probably not the last. the fandom continues to grow. Terrifier is about to become a hundred million dollar grossing. Independent, non rated, movie. it's kind of mind blowing

C&K: this little indie thing has become, you know.

C&K: I remember seeing Damien on a panel after the first Terrifier came out with other indie folks that were, releasing their stuff themselves. he was so humble, but inspirational. And to see what has happened in just a matter of a few years with that franchise.

C&K: Mind blowing.

Nate: Yeah. I also love, she's not a final girl, but she was almost a final girl, sort of. I love Annie from Halloween.

Nate: She is one of my favorite characters. I think I read, Nancy Loomis, who played her, is, kind of coming back to acting recently. which is really cool, I think. watching interviews with her is kind of crazy because she seems so reserved, which I can relate to.

Nate: and, you know, Annie so, you know, sassy and back talky and all that,

Nate: and um, I love her character. I love when she yells about the dog, Lester.

C&K: Nancy is fantastic. And you're right. I met her years ago. Very sweet, but very reserved. I like to think that maybe Annie lived and she's gone under hiding and she's the same character in Halloween 3 and The Fog. She's just jumping around to make sure

Nate: And I love Linda too, but I liked Annie better. but I love Linda, PJ Souls is so funny, and she seems so nice too.

C&K:

C&K: movie wouldn't be what it is without those great performances, right? even just you touching on Nick Castle as The Shape, everybody brought their A game to this little indie film, and it's just It holds up so strongly and, just love to see what a force of nature that Jamie Lee Curtis has become, not just for horror films, but for advocacy and speaking out.

C&K: she doesn't have an F left to give and it's great. I just love seeing her put it all out there. she is like the dream guest

Nate: I about died when she won the Oscar I was just so happy for her. did you guys see everything everywhere all at once?

Nate: Yeah. Oh my God. it's amazing. I loved it.

C&K: Yeah. She's absolutely incredible. I think she's in the lead right now, which not surprising that she's in the lead of our final people,

C&K: who is your favorite final person, but it's so interesting to hear. The why, yeah, people would, you know, the chosen. So that's, you know, I'm glad we thought of this question to ask.

Nate: Yeah. mark Patton's up there for me too. a.

C&K: Yeah.

Nate: Final guide.

C&K: That's why we say final person, because we are all inclusive here at horror heels. I don't want to spoil Kendall's. Christmas gift, but it's final person inspired.

C&K: Let's just put it that way Oh, you just made me what think about what I hope it is He has no idea what it is, but it's final person inspired. Let's just put it that way. I have an idea now Awesome. Well, Nate, this has been fantastic. We've been really looking forward to speaking with you and would love to connect, when we're traveling that way.

Nate: I would love that. Absolutely.

C&K: Very cool. thank you so much for listening. we loved the hag as soon as we found out about that and you were going to be on the show, we watched it that night.