Horror icon Patty McCormack has opened up about playing one of the most terrifying child characters of all time in The Bad Seed, and why she’s stopping trying to distance herself from psycopathic Rhoda Penmark
In the autumn of 1956, cinema goers settled in to see one of the creepiest child performances of all time. And in the years since, the former pint-sized star has done everything possible to “separate” herself from the eerie portrayal, which made her a household name.
Said to rank among master of horror Stephen King’s favourite scary films, The Bad Seed is a psychological nail-biter which follows the story of a frantic mother who begins to suspect her eight-year-old daughter could be a psychopathic serial killer. Patty McCormack, then just 11 years old, played pigtailed murderess Rhoda Penmark, with a stand-out performance that sent shivers down the spines of parents in the audience.
Patty, now 80 years old, enjoyed widespread acclaim for her portrayal of angelic-looking monster Rhoda, a character first dreamt up by writer William March in his novel of the same name. She became the youngest ever actress to be nominated for an Academy Award, as well as the youngest to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Now, Patty has spoken out about the role that changed her life, and why, for a long time, she tried to put a firm distance between herself and Rhoda.
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In a recent episode of the It Happened in Hollywood podcast, Patty, originally from New York City, shared: “For a long time… it was something that didn’t get discussed because it was a past achievement. And in those days, there was that awful expression, ‘has-been.’ You know? You’re a ‘has-been’, or it’s ‘old news’ or whatever.”
As Patty explained, when she made the move to Hollywood, none of her classmates were particularly “thrilled” by her early success, as the majority of them had parents in the showbiz industry. She recalled: “I did my best to separate myself from that role and reputation. It’s not the same anymore – not with social media and people appreciating histories of people’s work. It’s such a different world now.”
In the 1960s, Patty continued to pursue acting work, mainly picking up “ingénue” roles in international low-budget films, but says “never did they connect my past with what I was doing in the present.” For a while, it was only film students with a deep knowledge of the genre who would quiz Patty about her iconic role.
As the years went by, however, The Bad Seed entered cult classic status, and Patty began to appreciate the impact she’d had on the world of cinema. She said, “People started to appreciate the history of people’s careers. Also, my character was kind of cool.”
According to Patty, a friend of hers even told her that some fans even identified with terrifying Rhoda as she “went against the grain of what was expected.” Patty reflected: “She’s a rebel in sheep’s clothing, because she dresses really nice and pretty.”
Nowadays, Patty embraces this part of her legacy and will even attend screenings of the movie where cinema goers dress up as Rhoda, complete with blonde braids. She even returned as a different character for the 2022 sequel, The Bad Seed Returns.
Still a stage actor, Patty is enjoying this later part of her career, revealing, “I have great freedom now. You have to be old enough where it doesn’t matter.”
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