Gayle King may not want to leave her day job anytime soon, based on her attempt to replicate a creepy look from a movie.
Earlier this week, Gayle joined CBS Morning co-anchors Vladimir Duthiers and Tony Dokoupil to interview actress Naomi Scott.
Scott stars in Smile 2, the sequel to the 2022 horror movie that premiered in theaters on Friday.
During the interview, Gayle praised Scott for her role as Princess Jasmine in the live-action remake of Aladdin and asked about her going “to the dark side” for her role in Smile 2.
Scott said she’s incredibly “proud” of the film and loves everyone who contributed to its creation.
“We put literal blood, sweat, and tears,” she said on CBS Mornings.
Gayle’s co-star remarked about her ‘cringing’ face
During the interview, Gayle King admitted that when she saw the movie, she had to watch a lot with her hands covering her eyes. She even confessed she had to turn off the sound at some points.
The psychological supernatural horror film involves individuals passing on a curse by witnessing the death of someone possessed by an evil entity. Throughout the film, characters see others staring at them creepily with evil-looking smiles.
While Smile 2 might offer some terrifying scenes in the movie, the CBS Mornings stars also had fun with Scott during her interview.
At one point, Tony mentioned the intense, creepy smile, which is the basis of the movie’s concept. He suggested that people might be using the recognizable smile from the film as part of their Halloween costumes.
“So, any tips for people trying to put that face on?” he asked Scott.
“It’s the stillness, guys. That’s what makes it freaky. You know what I mean? It’s like when someone’s still, and they’re staring at you, that’s what makes it scary,” she said.
Although Gayle asked Scott to show them, she said it’s unknown to those who have yet to see the movie if her main character, singer Skye Riley, ever does the smile in it. So, they avoided giving out spoilers.
From there, Vlad tried his best at the scary look and seemed to knock it out of the park. Scott praised Vlad for pulling off the look as well as he did.
Tony suggested his co-star try that at home tonight when he opens the door to greet someone.
After the crew chuckled at Vlad’s impressive spooky smile, Gayle attempted her best creepy smile.
“It’s the head-down thing,” Gayle said as she removed her glasses.
“Yes, Gayle, exactly. A little head down,” Scott said, instructing the anchor about how to do the look.
“She looks like she’s cringing at me,” Tony joked during Gayle’s attempt.
“Mine isn’t as good as Vlad’s,” she admitted during the interview.
In fairness, Vlad makes a cameo appearance in Smile 2. Gayle noted during the interview that her co-star appears about 20 minutes into the film. It’s unclear if the smile curse takes him over, but being part of the project may have helped him perfect that creepy look.
Before they ended the segment, Gayle told Scott she “nailed” the role, while Vlad called the film “amazing.”
According to Box Office Mojo, the film has already achieved $9.4 million since its opening.
Gayle is keeping her day job after signing new deal
Last month, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Gayle inked a new deal to remain an anchor with CBS Mornings.
Specifics of Gayle’s deal were not available from the outlet, but they shared that their report came from a source familiar with the matter.
Gayle has worked as an anchor with the program since 2012. When she began there, it was CBS This Morning, and she co-anchored with Charlie Rose and Erica Hill.
After less than a year, Hill left, and CBS replaced her with Norah O’Donnell. Rose got fired amid harassment claims in 2017.
While Vladimir appeared in the recent Smile 2 interview, Gayle normally co-anchors with Tony and Nate Burleson. As an anchor, she’s been part of many notable interviews, including her 2019 talk with controversial singer R Kelly.
There have been reports that CBS will add a third hour to its morning show, airing in specific local markets and streaming on the CBS News 24/7 platform.
In addition to anchoring on CBS Mornings, Gayle works with Sirius XM, where she hosts In the House with Gayle King. She interviews various individuals, including her recent episode featuring former Daily Show personality Roy Wood.
She also appeared among models in this past year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, showing she can serve up looks, just not necessarily for creepy horror films.