Karen Cliche and Her Fearless Return

Karen Cliche has never been afraid of stepping into dark territory on screen. Across projects including Saw VI, Thanksgiving, and now Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man, the Canadian actress has learned that horror demands complete commitment—the willingness to follow a heightened emotion all the way to its most unsettling edge. Yet the transformation defining this chapter of her career has taken place beyond any film set.

After stepping away from the spotlight to raise her daughter, Cliche found herself confronting the end of her marriage, an uncertain financial future, and the realization that she no longer recognized the woman she had become. Returning to acting in her mid-forties was not simply a professional decision. It became part of a much larger process of rebuilding her identity, independence, and belief in what her life could still hold.

Now approaching 50, Cliche is meeting the industry with greater vulnerability and courage than she possessed earlier in her career. In addition to facing the gleefully gruesome world of Ice Cream Man, she appears in MGM+’s The Westies and joins Vince Vaughn in S. Craig Zahler’s The Bookie and the Bruiser. Alongside acting, she has also built an unexpected career as a coach, asking other performers to be brave while continually reminding herself to do the same.

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Ice Cream Man has such a wild premise: an idyllic summer town slowly giving way to chaos. When you first read the script, what was your immediate reaction to the tone of it?

Having worked on a couple of Eli’s projects prior to this and getting to know him as a friend, I was not surprised by this at all. He is so creative, and dare I say, funny with his gore. Once the film gets going, it is pretty non-stop, and the kills are so witty and unique. And I personally have always thought ice cream trucks were creepy, so this really landed with me!

You play Alison, the wife of Eli Roth’s on-screen character. Without giving too much away, what did you want to bring to her beyond the horror of what is happening around her?

We wanted the parents to be professionals and somewhat strict, but also “cool”…as cool as parents can be to teens, that is. We have a big dinner scene early on in the film, and we definitely play up the cringe factor to our kids. That was a fun scene to shoot; we did tons of improv. Eli is so good at improv and really encourages it, so we got to play a lot with the lines and dynamic. Charlie and Sarah ( our kids) were so great at it too.

You’ve worked with Eli Roth before on Thanksgiving, and now you’re reuniting with him for Ice Cream Man. What feels distinct about the way he builds fear, humor, and spectacle on set?

He is the best at combining gore and humour. Thanksgiving had some brutal, unique kills, and one like mine seems so outrageous, but ended up being terrifying. Some people have told me it traumatized them! I think Eli would be very proud of that (laughs). He genuinely loves horror. His brain is constantly thinking of ideas, and he is like a kid in a candy store when we shoot the kill scenes. His eyes light up! So his audiences really feel that passion and expect it from his movies. They won’t be disappointed with Ice Cream Man, that’s for sure.

Horror can ask actors to go to very heightened emotional and physical places. Having done Saw VI, Thanksgiving, and now Ice Cream Man, what do you think the genre has taught you about performance?

I really enjoy horror, not as a fan, but as an actor. It challenges you to push yourself to the extreme, to very dark places. And the challenge as an actor is, if you don’t fully commit, you won’t do it justice. So the responsibility is huge. I like that.

Ice Cream Man takes something associated with childhood and nostalgia and turns it into something terrifying. As a mother yourself, did that idea land differently for you?

For me, it was more that as a kid and even now, I have always felt something creepy about ice cream trucks. So when Eli put my intrusive thoughts on paper, I didn’t feel so alone haha. If my daughter were the age of the children in the film, I would definitely look at the men in ice cream trucks a little more suspiciously. I actually feel bad for the real guys who will drive those trucks after the film comes out!

A lot of people know you from earlier roles in Adventure Inc., Mutant X, Vampire High, and Flash Gordon, but this chapter of your career feels especially intentional. Does it feel like you are meeting the industry again as a different woman?

I actually feel like a way better actress now. More vulnerable, open, brave. Becoming a mother 17 years ago and then some challenges of the last few years really broke me open and allowed all the emotions to come to the surface. I am excited about this chapter, and what kind of different roles women my age get to play.

You stepped away from the spotlight for a long period while raising your daughter, and you’ve spoken before about finding your way back to acting after years of putting motherhood first. What was the moment when you realized, “I need to come back to this part of myself”?

I started feeling the calling around the same time my marriage was coming to an end. I have been seeing a lot of women in their mid-40s switch their lives up and choose happiness instead of the mundane, toxic, or soul-killing marriages. My daughter was older; we were in the middle of COVID, and I was missing who I used to be. I didn’t recognize myself anymore. So I took the leap and called up my previous management and asked: “Hey… does anyone still want me? Lol.” And I slowly started to grow as a divorced woman and an actress at the same time. It has been deeply challenging, and so magical and freeing all at the same time.

After divorce and a major personal reset, continuing to chase a creative dream can require a very specific kind of courage. What did rebuilding yourself look like when no one else was watching?

It looked like starting from zero - financially, from very little after not being compensated for being a stay-at-home parent - but I invested in myself and pushed through. I started working out a ton, getting my mind and body strong. Went through perimenopause, sold my house, leaned on amazing friends for laughs and deep talks, dated, and fell in love with an amazing man. It’s been quite the journey, and I am so excited for what’s to come next.

You’ve also been vocal about supporting women leaving abusive or toxic situations. Has your own process of rebuilding made you more protective of women who are trying to imagine a life on the other side of survival?

My childhood inspired me to support vulnerable women in abusive relationships. My mom left an abusive marriage and raised 2 teen girls alone, working night shifts and rebuilding her identity and finances. My sister and I always worked since we were 14 years old, and as soon as I made money, I sponsored a few girls in both Thailand and the Philippines because of the sex tourism industry, which is detrimental to young girls and boys. I then volunteered at different women’s shelters doing anything from food bank to cleaning the apartments. I get my strength from my mom, who showed me resilience to not give up. We don’t come from money, so I can relate to women who think they can’t leave for that reason. But I do believe the universe supports bravery, and with determination, you can do anything you put your mind to!

You’ve said that teaching and acting coaching helped reconnect you to your craft. Did helping other actors find their confidence help you rediscover your own?

I started teaching acting 5 years ago, and it has grown into a fulfilling career I never expected. I am able to do that while pursuing my acting career and rebuilding my life independently. I am so grateful to be a part of so many actors’ journeys ( from teens to mid-60s) and love seeing them get better and be so proud of themselves. I ask them to be brave and believe in themselves, so it inspires me to do the same.

You also appear in MGM+’s The Westies, a very different world from Ice Cream Man. What excited you about stepping into that crime-drama space, especially with a series from Chris Brancato and a cast led by J.K. Simmons and Titus Welliver?

I am in one scene in episode 2, but it’s a good one. This French Canadian girl played a New York City Italian, so that was fun! I grew up in Montreal and spent every weekend in an Italian neighbourhood playing pool, waitressed at a mafia-owned restaurant, and even dated an Italian guy for 2 years, so I feel I had some good background to draw from! I was so excited to be directed by Alan Taylor too- he has directed most of my favourite shows. To be cast alongside all the incredible actors, even for just a short time, was so special.

Up next, you’re also part of The Bookie and the Bruiser, from S. Craig Zahler. At this stage in your career, what are you looking for in collaborators and roles?

This was one of my favourite experiences. I absolutely loved working with Zahler - his process is so personal; he sits beside the camera, in the scene WITH you. I could feel his eyes and expressions when I was acting and really felt like he was right there with me in my experience. He gave Vince and me the freedom to play, to take as much time as we needed to make the dialogue come to life. I cannot wait for you all to see it.

Looking at this new chapter, what would you tell the version of yourself who wondered whether there was still room for her dream after marriage, motherhood, and starting over?

I love this question. I am about to turn 50. It sounds so old! But I feel so good, so proud of myself for taking a risk and leaving an unhappy situation with no safety net. For getting back into the business in my mid-40s. For giving myself permission to think about my needs and wants and not compromising. It’s a very empowering time, and I know it will only get better. So I would tell that earlier version to listen to that little voice that gets a lot louder as we age - our souls don’t allow us to lie to ourselves anymore.