The Secret Origin of Evil Dead’s Fake Shemps and Their Surprising Role

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As a die-hard fan and movie reviewer, let me share my thoughts on the Evil Dead franchise – a horror series brimming with hidden gems and amusing in-jokes. One such delight is the array of “Fake Shemp” actors listed in the end credits.

Back in 1981, the visionary Sam Raimi brought this franchise to life on a shoestring budget of less than $400,000, enlisting local college students as his crew and my old buddy Bruce Campbell as Ashley Williams, our hero. Robert Tapert, another close friend, served as the producer. It’s fascinating to think that such a small-scale project would eventually grow into the terror-filled saga we know today!

The movie was extremely popular due to word-of-mouth, endorsement by horror writer Stephen King, and its reputation as a small but impactful horror film made on a shoestring budget. This success led to a sequel that served as a more expensive remake, yet Raimi maximized the limited resources at his disposal. This meant using “Fake Shemps” to complete his production, which proved economical in the end.

The Origin Of The Evil Dead’s “Fake Shemps” Explained

Fake Shemp Refers To The Three Stooges

When Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell embarked on their second film production, they infused it with more humor, which significantly expanded the appeal of the franchise. Initially, the first movie was a pure horror production that earned its place among the controversial video nasties due to its graphic scenes that challenged moral norms. This aspect is one reason why horror enthusiasts hold The Evil Dead in such high regard. Notably, incorporating humor made the sequels equally, if not more, cherished by fans.

It’s hardly surprising that humor flowed effortlessly into Raimi’s horror films. Both Raimi and Campbell have acknowledged that comedic movies greatly influenced them, with The Three Stooges being their preferred picks. As Campbell shared, it was they who coined the term “splatstick,” a blend of splatter horror and comedy, which later became synonymous with many ’80s horror-comedies.

I’ve been part of the creative team that originated the term “Splatstick” from Evil Dead 2, a genre that blends horror and comedy in a delicate balance. Our foray into comedy within horror films was prompted by our desire to lighten up the intense scenes in the original Evil Dead, as it contained some pretty gruesome content. It’s an unrated movie, after all.

In one of Raimi’s early films, titled “It’s Murder,” he employed the concept known as a “Fake Shemp” before directing the first Evil Dead movie. Since the cast had to leave for school in the fall, production continued with stand-ins or doubles (the “Fake Shemps”) when the main actors were absent. This was a tactic Raimi used even before he began working on the classic horror franchise.

Bruce Campbell explained it in the Bill Warren book, The Evil Dead Companion:

That summer, we completed the majority of filming for “It’s Murder“. However, when fall arrived, everyone had to return to school. Therefore, Scott [Spiegel] and I resorted to capturing additional shots during weekends and sending them to Sam for editing. I often borrowed other people’s clothes for the shoot, and did quite a bit of Fake Shemping.

During the production of “The Evil Dead,” they had a limited budget and it wasn’t infinite. As the money began to dwindle, some members of the cast and crew chose to leave the project. In the words of Bruce Campbell, Scott Spiegel was a co-writer for “Evil Dead 2” and filled in as a stand-in, known as a Fake Shemp, for departed cast members in both films. This term refers to someone from the crew or another actor stepping in to portray a different character, or even a deadite, within the movie.

Shemp Howard is one of the original members of The Three Stooges, a comedic trio. While his brother Moe Howard was also an original member, Shemp departed the group before they gained significant success due to personal matters and pursued a film career independently. Later on, their brother Curly Howard took his place in the troupe for most of their early films. However, after Curly had a stroke and could no longer perform, Shemp rejoined the group in 1946 and stayed with them for another nine years.

After Curly and Shemp passed away in 1952 and 1955 respectively, The Three Stooges had four films left on their contract. These final movies mainly focused on Moe and Larry, with a substitute taking over Shemp’s role when needed. Since the audience couldn’t see his face, this stand-in came to be known as a ‘Fake Shemp’, a term coined by Sam Raimi, particularly in reference to The Evil Dead. Essentially, Fake Shemp is a method of using any actor for any role, as long as their face remains unseen. In the credits, instead of the replacement actor’s name, you would find ‘Fake Shemp’.

Where To Spot Some Of The Evil Dead’s Best “Fake Shemps”

Evil Dead Has Several Fake Shemp Moments

In the original Evil Dead film, numerous scenes featured stand-ins known as Fake Shemps due to budget constraints. This was because the cast had departed before the shooting wrapped up, having finished their work but not receiving sufficient payment from Sam Raimi beyond $30 a week. Consequently, Raimi found himself in a lone position with Bruce Campbell, Rob Tapert, Betsy Becker, and Scott Spiegel. As Betsy Becker shared in The Evil Dead Companion, this is how the situation unfolded.

‘What? We’re leaving tomorrow morning.’ And indeed, they departed the following day.

Due to the extended filming period, the remaining crew members stepped into stand-in roles known as Fake Shemps for the remainder of production. In one scene, you’ll notice that Shelley (played by Theresa Tilly) is filmed from behind, but it’s actually Rob Tapert wearing a wig in that shot. It’s worth mentioning that all the deadittes used prior to ‘Army of Darkness’ were consistently credited as Fake Shemps instead of their actual names.

Speaking as a dedicated fan, I must say that the original “Evil Dead” film boasted some remarkable instances of a technique known as Fake Shemp. For instance, when the vines ensnared Cheryl’s legs, it was actually Joanne Kruse under the layers of special effects. Similarly, during the scene where Shelly, transformed into a deaditte, attempted to choke Scott, it was none other than Rob Tapert’s sister, Dorothy Tapert, who took on the role. Lastly, when Ash buried Linda, Barbara Carey stepped in as a Fake Shemp for Linda. These substitutions allowed Sam Raimi to bring his vision to life, and the Fake Shemps have since become an iconic part of horror film history.

Sources: The Evil Dead Companion

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2025-06-03 20:51