British actress Naomi Scott has pleaded with fans to stop imitating her newly-released horror film Smile 2’s titular expression when meeting her in public.
Scott said she is “jumpy” and a “sensitive soul” as she implored fans to chat to her about anything but her new film’s creepy smile.
The sequel to 2022’s box office hit Smile sees Scott play a pop star attempting to revitalise her career after a fateful car crash before she encounters the infamous, and contagious, smile.
Director Parker Finn’s original film made 13 times its original $17 million budget following a viral marketing campaign that hid creepy smilers amongst coverage of US baseball playoffs.
Scott said she would talk to fans about “the weather, music, food, your grandma, but just don’t do the creepy smile at me, please".
Making light of her nerves, she mused to the Hollywood Reporter: "What if I get in defence mode and I punch someone in the face? That’s not good.”
Smile 2: Naomi Scott and Parker Finn at the film's premiere
GETTY
Scott’s performance in Smile 2 was praised by Finn as an “absolute powerhouse” and “tour-de-force", despite the actress admitting that filming for one scene presented her with “the hardest four days of my life.”
Finn suggested Scott be considered for accolades in the upcoming awards season.
If she were to claim a major award, she would be the first actress to do so in a horror film since Jodie Foster’s 1991 Oscar win for Silence of the Lambs.
Scott, from Hounslow in London, began her career early where she found success acting and singing in both British and US Disney productions.
Smile 2: Naomi Scott has starred in some of the world's most talked-about shows
PA
She rose to global fame as Princess Jasmine in Disney’s wildly successful 2019 film Alladin, directed by fellow Londoner Guy Ritchie.
Scott has also founded a production company, New Name Entertainment, with her footballer husband Jordan Spencer.
New Name Entertainment aims to reach talent who may be overlooked in conventional routes to success in the arts. Scott, who did not attend drama school, told the BBC her company was seeking out those from “lower socioeconomic situations or from maybe environments that aren't supportive.”
Smile 2 has been well received by critics, currently holding a strong 83 percent rating on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, with praise pouring in for Scott’s performance.
The film has also proved a hit with fans with one Rotten Tomatoes user describing Smile 2 as “arguably the most creepy and unsettling horror film I’ve seen in the last decade".
Another described the movie’s last 30 minutes as “peak cinema".
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Echoing Smile 2’s director, one user said: “Start engraving that Oscar with her (Scott’s) name on it.”
Enthusiasm among critics and fans is translating into success at the box office.
The horror sequel is currently outperforming its predecessor earning an estimated $46 million globally compared to the original Smile’s $37.3 million.
Smile 2 was released across UK cinemas on October 18 just in time for Halloween.
