Why Filming One Of Snowpiercer's Grossest Scenes Wasn't All That Easy, Says Star Alison Wright

Ruth Alison Wright Snowpiercer TNT

As TNT's Snowpiercer has shown so far, surviving in a post-apocalyptic world is not for the faint of heart. The rules can be unfair, life can change in an instant, and one never know when their revolutionary efforts can result in an arm getting frozen and smashed to pieces. Of course, some of what viewers see is merely television magic (i.e. post-production effects) and isn't actually happening on set. That said, Ruth actress Alison Wright recently confirmed that one of Snowpiercer's grossest scenes so far was very real.

I spoke to Alison Wright about Season 1 of Snowpiercer, and when the conversation turned to scenes that grossed her out during filming, the actress revealed something somewhat surprising. Remember the "message" that the Third Class sent to First on a silver serving plate in that early "Justice Never Boarded" scene? If not, here's Wright talking about bugging out over her "fellow cast mates" that I had assumed were CGI, but were actually alive and well for that chaotic scene in the train car.

There was a scene in First Class Dining Car when rather large cockroaches are delivered under a silver platter. They were all very real but quite still – too still for camera – so the animal trainers had to liven them up a bit to get them moving. That was a bit foul, expecting them to dart anywhere. I prefer my roaches sedentary.

I think we can all relate to Alison Wright on that last statement, except for maybe those animal trainers, but still cockroaches wouldn't have had quite the same skin-crawling effect as the active ones inspired during that scene. The knowledge that those were actual roaches will likely give any viewer a new appreciation for the scene after rewatching it, especially when realizing that some of the actors in the train car were on edge with their reactions to the roaches and the random directions they could have scattered in.

Unfortunately for Alison Wright, the chances are better than not that Snowpiercer will feature cockroaches again in the future. As it was revealed in the movie (which is worth a watch for fans of the TV show who haven't had a chance to check it out yet), the cockroaches are the primary ingredient in the black protein bars that are currently fed to the Tailees. The car where the bars are made is probably where third class procured so many of the insects for that creepy aforementioned message.

The good news, for now anyway, is that Alison Wright's Ruth is firmly instilled in her role in First Class, so she likely won't be seeing roaches with much frequency. Of course, revolution is continually stirring on the train, and with that revolution could come some major changes. For Wright's sake, I'm hoping that wherever the chips may fall, they'll stack up high enough to serve as a blockade between her and the cockroaches going forward.

Snowpiercer airs on TNT Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more on the series, and for the latest news happening in the world of television and movies.

Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.