Devon Sawa Reveals How He Really Feels About Not Being Paid for “Final Destination 5” Cameo (Exclusive)

Devon Sawa is clarifying his previous claim that he "never got paid a cent" for his appearance in 2011's Final Destination 5.

In an interview with PEOPLE about his new film Heart Eyes, the actor says the since-deleted posts he made on social media about the situation in July 2023 were "blown out of proportion."

"I think I mentioned it, and it gained some traction and they went with it," says Sawa, 46, adding that he was "very surprised" to see his character Alex Browning in the 2011 sequel.

"I didn't know I was going to be in it, because they wanted to keep it quiet," he says. "So they invited me to the premiere, and I learned that I was in it as I was watching it."

Sawa first played Alex in the original 2000 film Final Destination, which marked his only appearance in the horror franchise to date until he saw himself briefly in Final Destination 5.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Related: Devon Sawa Shares Freaky Coincidence on the 19th Anniversary of 'Final Destination'

In his 2023 tweet, captured by ComicBook.com before its deletion, Sawa wrote, "They didn't even tell me I was in it when they invited me to the premiere."

"In the first contract for part one there was a section the stated they owned the footage and could use it in the future. I assumed for press. I was wrong," the star continued at the time, adding, "This has nothing to do with the filmmakers by the way."

Now, he confirms to PEOPLE that he was never compensated but clarifies, "I think it was just archive footage they used. So it was something that was in the original contract — that if they used archive footage, they could use it [without paying me]."

There's no bad blood for the actor, though. As Sawa says, "I'm not really that mad about it. It got blown out of proportion. It's a good film."

Almost 25 years after the first Final Destination hit theaters, a sixth film, Final Destination Bloodlines, is set to showcase more death-defying storylines when it hits theaters this May.

Related: Devon Sawa Would 'Love' to Star in a Traditional Rom-Com After Recent Horror Roles: 'So Much Fun' (Exclusive)

A synopsis for Bloodlines says this entry "takes audiences back to the very beginning of Death’s twisted sense of justice."

"Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break thde cycle and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all," the logline teases.

Sawa says even though he hasn't starred in a Final Destination movie since the first, "I love that series. I've seen all the movies in the theaters."

"I love that they keep bringing in a new cast and rebooting it," he says, adding of Bloodlines, "And I heard No. 6 is phenomenal."

Heart Eyes is in theaters Feb. 7.

Read the original article on People