Emily Alyn Lind Reveals Why Her Character in 'Frozen Empire' Was Kept Secret - Insights into the Mystery Surrounding the Role

You have inquiries, and Emily Alyn Lind holds the answers.

In "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," when Phoebe Spengler (Mckenna Grace) found herself sidelined by the Ghostbusters' long-standing bureaucratic foe, Walter Peck (William Atherton), the young ghostbusting heroine embarked on an unexpected journey that quickly introduced her to Lind's surprise character, Melody.

Emily Alyn Lind attends the 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' premiere at the AMC Lincoln Square theater in New York, on March 14 YUKI IWAMURA/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Melody was conspicuously absent from the film's marketing, but her introduction opposite Phoebe during a park-based chess match revealed why director Gil Kenan and Sony kept her character under wraps. Melody is not just any ghost; she takes the form of a 16-year-old girl and interacts with Phoebe on a deeply human and relatable level.

In essence, she deviates significantly from the typical apparitions seen in the franchise, offering a fresh perspective on how Ghost Egon was utilized in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" (2021).

Naturally, Lind was initially puzzled by her secretive casting.

"I asked the same question. I was a little confused as well, but I think it’s because this is a very different kind of ghost for the Ghostbusters franchise," Lind tells The Morfeli. "She’s a ghost with a heart. She’s a ghost that has a full human relationship. So I think that there was a part of them that really wanted to catch people off guard in that sense."

There was also plenty of secrecy during pre-production, as Lind didn’t even discover that she was playing a ghost until shortly before cameras rolled.

"I met with [director] Gil [Kenan] a few times to delve into the character, and he never mentioned that I was playing a ghost. But he was like, ‘I think you’ll like it. There’s a few surprises there.’ And when I finally read that she’s ‘a ghost,’ I said, ‘What!?’" Lind recalls.

There was even a plan to present Melody in a more ghostly way by having her levitate in the air like most of the franchise’s ghosts, but Kenan and co. opted to do away with that idea in order to make Melody as humanly accessible as possible.

Upon their introduction, Melody and Phoebe quickly hit off, so much so that it raised the question among viewers as to whether the relationship was sparked in a platonic or romantic way. According to Lind, their relationship was never explicitly spelled out in either direction, opting to be open to interpretation.

“I like that we didn’t define it as one thing or another. Sometimes, when people do that, it ruins it. It’s too concrete and absolute, and they’re so not absolute as characters,” Lind says.

Interestingly, Lind has known Grace for many years, as she's friends with her younger sister, Alyvia Alyn Lind. (The latter is currently starring on Syfy and USA’s Chucky series.)

“[Alyvia] was like, ‘What the hell!? Why didn’t I do this one?’ But she came to the premiere, and they hung out, which was cute,” Lind says.

Melody accidentally burned herself and her family alive during a tenement fire many decades earlier, and so she’d been trapped in ghost limbo ever since. Her desperation to reunite with her family in the afterlife became so great that she even agreed to serve up Phoebe to Garraka, the movie’s big bad.

Melody (Emily Alyn Lind) in Columbia Pictures’ GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE. COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES

“Thank god she came back and fixed what she did wrong. Otherwise, I would have had so many fans hating me,” Lind says.

During a recent conversation with THR, Lind also discusses acting at the age of five in Gaspar Noé’s Enter the Void, which also revolves around a ghost story and family tragedy.

I hope you managed to find some Neosporin.

Yes, I did! Just before this interview, I was cutting an apple. When the call came in, I greeted them while dealing with the bleeding. (Laughs.)

Let's imagine that such bad omens fit perfectly into a Ghostbusters conversation. It's fascinating how both you and your mom are now connected to Rick Moranis-related franchises.

I agree! She's been mentioning that too. [Barbara Alyn Woods starred on Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show.]

Like many others, I was surprised when your character first appeared in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, as she wasn't part of the marketing. I remember thinking, 'Whoa, Snakebite Andi is here!?' Why do you think they kept your character and Melody under wraps? What was the reason for the secrecy?

I wondered the same thing. It was a bit puzzling, but I believe it's because my character represents a unique concept in the Ghostbusters franchise. She's a ghost with emotions, a ghost who has a deep human connection. I think they wanted to surprise the audience with this fresh approach.

Did you have to go through the audition process with fake scripts, code names, and other measures to keep the role secret?

I met with Gil [Kenan], Jason [Reitman], and the incredible casting director John Papsidera, but I didn’t know I was playing a ghost until right before filming. It wasn’t revealed to me during the audition process. Looking back at the audition sides, one line hinted at it: 'Oh, don’t worry. I get it. I’m like a hundred years old.

You got a name?' At the time, I thought it was just a sarcastic way of saying she's wise beyond her years, but now I understand she's actually a century old. They kept it a secret. I had several meetings with Gil to discuss the character, and he never mentioned she was a ghost. Instead, he hinted at surprises in store. When I finally read the script and discovered she was a ghost, I was shocked!

Did you have to wear a motion capture suit or any similar gear for your role?

No, surprisingly, I didn't have to do any of that. The practical effects were amazing in this film, with a lot of emphasis on them. However, personally, I never had to wear motion capture dots. There was a person in a green suit who followed me around a lot, but it wasn't for green screen purposes. I'm not sure how they achieved the ghostly effects on me.

We originally planned to use a device called a parallelogram, which holds you at the waist to make you appear slightly off the ground, but we didn't end up using it. Instead, Melody, unlike most ghosts, actually walks on the ground. We wanted her to feel more real and connected.

There seems to be a subtle implication about the relationship between Melody and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), although perhaps it's not so subtle considering Phoebe risked her life just to spend two minutes in Melody's dimensional plane. How were you both directed in portraying their dynamic?

Phoebe and Melody share similarities as outsiders and old souls, both figuratively and literally. The inability to physically touch could be quite frustrating for them at the start of their relationship. Phoebe simply wanted to be close to Melody. Your question about their relationship being romantic or friendly is one that many people are asking. However, the beauty of this movie lies in the connection of two souls. The fact that they can't physically touch serves as a metaphor for their deep, label-defying soul connection.

Their relationship does include elements that feel like romantic gestures, and while Mckenna is younger than me in real life, these characters are still kids in many ways. They're outsiders who feel different and unheard. Now, they're connecting on a grand level across different dimensional planes, trying to navigate this world together. I appreciate that we didn't define their relationship as one thing or another. Sometimes, defining it too concretely can ruin it, especially since their characters are not absolute.

I mentioned Snakebite Andi from Doctor Sleep earlier, as both you and Mckenna (from The Haunting of Hill House) have worked with Mike Flanagan. Did you use that as an icebreaker?

It's funny, Mckenna is actually really good friends with my little sister, Alyvia Alyn Lind, so I've known her for a long time. They were child actors at the same time, so they went out for all the same stuff. But yes, we did talk about Mike. He's a genius, and we both love him. So the ice was broken pretty fast with Miss Mckenna. She's a really cool chick.

Has your sister been giving you a hard time about all this?

Oh yeah! She's like, 'What the hell!? Why am I not there? Why didn't I do this one?' But she came to the premiere, and they hung out, which was cute.

Who's actually the better chess player between you and Mckenna?

Mckenna. Mckenna is better.

I sensed Melody’s betrayal coming because I've watched too many movies, but in hindsight, she dropped a clue when she joked, 'I’ll be 16 for the rest of eternity unless I complete my unfinished business.' Did you include any other hints about her true intentions that people can look for on their second viewing?

Yes, '16 for the rest of eternity' was a significant clue. When Phoebe talks about the matches being Melody's anchor to this world, it holds a lot of meaning for the entire film. These matches are a spiritually significant object that is the only thing keeping Melody attached to this world. She's trying to light these matches throughout the movie because it means she can finally leave this world and reunite with her family.

It's an interesting detail to look out for. There are other moments where you can see she's starting to feel guilty, but it was important for the surprise element to maintain her character's consistency. This made Melody’s betrayal even more impactful and heartbreaking. Thankfully, she comes back and corrects her mistake. Otherwise, I would have had a lot of fans hating me, just like they have in other films where my character messed up the story. (Laughs.)

Yeah, Melody ultimately has a change of heart and helps defeat the main ghost alongside the Ghostbusters from the past and present. Being in that firehouse with all those actors, did you have a moment of 'how did I get here?'

It was incredible! Honestly, I still get excited just thinking about it. The new Ghostbusters and the original Ghostbusters were all frozen, looking to my character for help, and I was like, 'Of course, I'll help!' I've been in this industry for a long time now, and this movie still gets me so excited. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why.

While it's expected because of the franchise's iconic status, the experience was incredibly fulfilling. I was like a kid in a candy store every day. Being in the same room as Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Annie Potts, and Ernie Hudson was just surreal.

So, Melody's family owned the Melody Diner, which they named after her. Is it because she accidentally started the fire that burned down their tenement that she's stuck in limbo?

Yes, Melody and her family died in a house fire many years ago, and we come to know that Melody feels responsible for it, or at least she believes she is. We don't delve into the details, but she's carried that guilt ever since. That's why she has unfinished business, and much of her personality is shaped by that burden. Since then, she's become a sort of urban wanderer, spending her time in the park and interacting with mortals.

I'm sure you've been asked this a few times, but do you consider your experience on Gaspar Noé's Enter the Void at age 5 or 6 to be your version of a paranormal experience?

(Laughs.) That's an interesting way to put it. I would say so, actually. It was such a unique and intense experience. People often say you don't remember much from being five or six years old, but I remember vividly because it was like living through a traumatic event. While it was fictional, it was a profound and tragic experience of being in a car crash where my character's entire family dies in front of her at age five. It was a wild experience with all the fake blood, and it's a significant reason why I pursued acting.

It's interesting how Enter the Void and Ghostbusters both approached ghost stories involving your character's family tragedy in different genres and tones.

Yeah, it's quite strange. I'll do something upbeat next time, and we can talk about that. I'll just play a carefree, happy girl with a beautiful family and a dog. I'll be like a Norman Rockwell painting. That's what I'm looking for next.

Your mom, Barbara Alyn Woods, is an actor, as are your two sisters, Natalie Alyn Lind and Alyvia Alyn Lind. Do all of you have pretty similar styles and techniques?

We're actually all very different. I've been in a lot of horror films and whatnot. I've perfected my scream way too well, and there's fake blood that's going to be on my scalp for the rest of my life. I just can never get away from it, but I love the horror genre. My older sister Natalie, who's always doing something wonderful, is also obsessed with the horror genre and is ready to explore it more.

Even my younger sister Alyvia is on Chucky, so maybe the horror genre keeps us connected. We all have very different styles and techniques, which is great. As Alyvia gets older and starts to look more like a real adult at 16, which is so scary, we're all starting to be in the same age range. Despite being sisters, you'd think we'd audition for the same roles, but we're all so different that our roles don't really overlap.

I've spoken with enough former child actors to understand that there's usually a point where they question if acting is really what they want to do, or if it's just something they fell into when they were too young to know better. Did you ever have thoughts like that?

I think I did, especially as a rebellious teenager. At one point, I told my mom, 'I'm going to do this,' and she responded, 'Well, if you do, then you're not going to act anymore. You can't go to auditions if you're going to do that.' And I was like, 'Damn, she got me.' I was so passionate about acting, and I always put it first. But I was rebellious. I had my wild moments. I would sneak out to go to poetry slams in the valley. (Laughs.) So I thought I was wild, but I was definitely a middle child. Let's just say that. I remember my mom clearly saying, 'We will take this away from you. You have to shape up. But if you want to go back to regular school, that's totally fine.' And once again, I was like, 'Damn, she got me there.'

So there was definitely a phase where I wanted to be rebellious in some ways, but in the moments where I could have said, 'Yes, I want to be out of this,' I never did. People always ask, 'Did they push you into acting as a kid?' The answer was always no. As soon as I started acting, I knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I had no interest in anything else, and I just kept doing it because I never explored anything else.