On January 19, 1990, “Tremors” made its theatrical debut, featuring star Kevin Bacon battling ginormous subterranean worms who invade a remote desert town.
On the 30th anniversary of the cult-hit creature feature, Esquire sat down with one of the stars of the original: country music icon Reba McEntire, who made her acting debut in “Tremors”.
As McEntire tells the magazine, shooting the film was especially challenging because she was filming during the week and then touring on the weekends — and had her wedding in the midst of filming.
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“I even got married in Lake Tahoe during the filming ’cause I had shows at Caesars in Lake Tahoe,” she explained. “So I finished the week, got married, did two or three shows, then went back to filming.”
According to McEntire, she landed the role when producer Gale Ann Hurd watched her appear on Pat Sajak’s short-lived talk show and thought she’d be perfect for the role of Heather.
“So they called and asked if I’d be interested, and I said, ‘Absolutely!’ I went and auditioned twice,” said McEntire. “They kept telling me, “’You’re not going to be able to wear makeup,’ and I said, ‘Oh yeah, that’s fine.’ Then they said, ‘Your hair’s going to be up in a ponytail,’ and I said, ‘That’s fine.’ Then they said, ‘It’s gonna be dirty and dusty,’ and I said, ‘I’m all for that. I’m an old cowgirl. It’s fine.’ So I auditioned twice and they hired me.”
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McEntire pointed out that because the film is so beloved, people will often recognize her without realizing she’s also a famous singer. “So many times, people wouldn’t even know I sang. They would just be like, “I love ‘Tremors’… It’s a cult film. People are into it.”
Asked if she’d be willing to participate in a reboot or sequel, McEntire did not have to hesitate.
“You bet,” she declared. “How fun would that be?”
