Sissy Spacek Can’t Get Over the ‘Sticky’ Prop Blood from Carrie 50 Years Later

Sissy Spacek had one particularly enduring memory from making Carrie: the fake blood.

Spacek, 75, opened up in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, published Nov. 3, about Carrie, the Stephen King adaptation that turns 50 in 2026. In the iconic film, Spacek — who stars in the new film Die, My Love — played the title character, a misfit high schooler. Carrie is bullied at school — a situation that famously comes to a head when she wins prom queen and is doused with pig’s blood. Carrie’s new telekinetic powers allow her to take revenge on those who mocked her.

When asked if she can believe the movie is almost 50, Spacek said, “Oh my god! No!”

Her biggest memory from making the movie? “How sticky movie blood is,” she said. “It was terrible, terrible, terrible.”

But making the iconic film was worth it. “It’s so wonderful to get to work with people who are really into what they are doing,” she said. She named director Brian De Palma as particularly great. The movie also starred Amy Irving, John Travolta, William Katt, Nancy Allen, Betty Buckley and Piper Laurie.

Spacek also reflected on why the movie still resonates today. “That time middle school to high school, you’re going through so many changes and we all have, no matter what, we’ve got Carrie inside of us,” she said. “We’ve got a wounded teenager. It’s a hard, hard time.” 

She continued, “Growing up is hard. And it’s kind of heartbreaking. It really hit a nerve, that film.”

The actress added, “God bless all you teenagers out there. It’s not easy, and it hasn’t changed in all this time. If you’re a bully, we’re gonna get you.” Then she joked, “Was that bullying?”

Spacek also addressed the upcoming Carrie miniseries, which is set to air on Prime Video. She said she would be “first in line to see” it and is glad that King’s story “has found its audience with teenagers.”

Carrie made over $30 million at the box office. The book Carrie, released in 1974, was also King’s debut novel and helped establish him as a major voice in horror. Adaptations of King’s novels have continued in every decade since. 

Back in 1977, Spacek, who was Oscar-nominated for her performance, talked about Carrie and its impact on her career in a PEOPLE cover story. “It ain’t easy these days to find a good project,” she said, explaining that she had turned down projects that wouldn’t be “stretches” for her. 

“I don’t want to live my life to be a movie star. That’s a trap. Movie star is not a position in life,” she said. “I keep telling myself, ‘Sissy, life is not staying king of the mountain. You’ve just got to continue to grow and live your life purely.’ ”