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Devon Sawa says he once resented being asked about Casper but now embraces it

Actor Devon Sawa, 48, told People he once refused to talk about the 1995 film Casper but has come to embrace it. The Independent and Daily Mail both covered the remarks.

2 outlets · 1L · 0C · 1R First reported Account updated
Image: The Independent
Image: Daily Mail

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The story, neutrally told

Mixed · 2Devon Sawa told People that there was a time he did not want to talk about Casper, the 1995 film in which he played the human form of the ghost. Mixed · 2He said he has since come to accept the association, describing Casper as "why I'm here" and "what got me here". Mixed · 2Sawa said that whatever project he does, he will always have to say his famous line "Can I keep you?" to someone, adding that "there will always be Casper stuff".

Mixed · 2Casper stars Christina Ricci as Kat Harvey and Bill Pullman as her father, who move into a haunted mansion; it was directed by Brad Silberling, and Sawa appears as Casper in human form near the end. Mixed · 2The outlets give different worldwide box-office figures: the Independent says about $288m from its original run, plus $1.84m from a 30th-anniversary re-release in about 1,100 US cinemas in October 2025, while the Daily Mail says about $291m. Left · 1The Independent recalled that in 2022 Sawa told it he took roles such as smoking pot in films and appearing in a hip-hop video to get away from the "Can I keep you?" line, which he said "drove me nuts".

Mixed · 2Sawa's other work includes Now and Then (1995), SLC Punk! (1998), Idle Hands (1999), Final Destination (2000) and the lead role of the obsessive fan in Eminem's "Stan" video (2000). Left · 1The Independent says he is enjoying a career resurgence, with roles in HBO's Hacks, the series Chucky (2021 to 2024) and Disney's Coven Academy, in which he plays warlock professor Mr Cole; he said he hopes people will say "Oh, Mr Cole" in 20 years. Right · 1The Daily Mail adds that Sawa recently promoted his next film, The Girl in the River, at a SAG-AFTRA event, and that he has been married to producer Dawni Sahanovitch since 2013 and has two children.

Right · 1The Daily Mail also recounts earlier interviews in which Sawa said Macaulay Culkin was first approached for the Stan role and that Dr Dre suggested Sawa after admiring Final Destination.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left1 outlet

Framing
The Independent presents a career-retrospective entertainment piece centred on Sawa's quotes about Casper, with his 2022 interview and his current Disney+ role as context.
Emphasis
Sawa's changing attitude to Casper, his post-Casper career and his resurgence in Hacks, Chucky and Coven Academy.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention his appearance, family or upcoming film The Girl in the River.
Charged language
“career resurgence”
For example
“Sawa is lately enjoying a career resurgence.” — The Independent
““I had to smoke pot in movies and I had to be in a hip-hop video.” — The Independent

Centre0 outlets

No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Right1 outlet

Framing
The Daily Mail leads with Sawa's appearance ("looks unrecognizable at 48") alongside his comments, and adds Eminem/Stan anecdotes and personal details.
Emphasis
Sawa's looks, his link to Eminem, and his family life, with the Casper quotes forming the core of the piece.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention his recent TV work such as Coven Academy, Hacks or Chucky, or his 2022 remarks about escaping the Casper role.
Charged language
“looks unrecognizable”“heartthrob”
For example
“Casper star Devon Sawa looks unrecognizable at 48 as he reveals he hated talking about hit 90s film that made him a heartthrob” — Daily Mail

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