When I took a seat with Langford back in 2019 on the London set of Cursed, her silent confidence and also passion for her personality, Nimue, made it easy to see why she was chosen for the function.
Creators Tom Wheeler (Puss In Boots and Empire) as well as Frank Miller (Sin City) clarified that she joined very early, as well as although they knew she had «great acting chops,» they really did not understand she was such a badass up until she stepped totally right into Nimue’s boots. «Every time we see her she’s covered in blood,» Wheeler informed POPSUGAR.
«Throw her in the mud for 3 days in this insect and also leech-plagued swamp to eliminate all the crooks as well as she’s still so courteous. It’s simply terrific to feel, also beforehand, that she marries perfectly to Frank’s world— she suits well with this collection of characters as an effective ladies.»
If you’re a fan of 13 Reasons Why, Knives Out, or teen rom-coms like Love, Simon, after that you’re most likely acquainted with the name Katherine Langford. When she debuted as the Hannah Baker in the 2017 best of Netflix’s outbreak drama 13 Reasons Why, Langford immediately sealed her location in the entertainment industry, as well as she hasn’t slowed down because.
Now, she’s tipping outside the Hannah Baker-shaped box as well as handling a new challenge— in Netflix’s most current YA fantasy series, Cursed. Based upon Arthurian tale, Langford plays Nimue, a teenager with a wonderful as well as strange present and that’s predestined to end up being the Lady of the Lake. The series picks up when the Red Paladins invade her town, eliminating every person she’s ever known, including her mom. Yet prior to her mommy passes away, she jobs Nimue with supplying an ancient sword to Merlin and along the way, she meets a young mercenary, Arthur (Devon Terrell). Obviously, this is just the beginning of a rather stunning (and brave) experience.
POPSUGAR: What you can inform us about Nimue and exactly how she suits the tale of Cursed!.
Katherine Langford: Nimue has a really impressive trip. On one hand, she’s experiencing this trip of excellent individual loss, of personal growth, and after that likewise the better obstacle of overcoming difficulty. One of the best things I became aware through Nimue is, for me, in this series and also the story, she stands for guts. She’s a truly confident sign as well as likewise an intriguing heroine, both in this world of Arthurian legend yet likewise, presently it’s fascinating as well as quite timely to see a heroine’s trip in contrast to seeing a hero’s trip— and how that varies, and exactly how it’s similar, together with the obstacles she encounters.
PS: How familiar were you with Nimue in advance and also when you first got the script?
KL: It’s funny, I’ve constantly been a kind of secret lover of dream, and sci-fi, as well as also Frank Miller. So when I review the manuscript initially from Tom Wheeler, it was something that I was attracted towards equally as a viewers— it was really one-of-a-kind. Unique in the method it was composed and also from the eyes where this tale is being informed due to the fact that you’ve listened to the story 100 times, these Arthurian tales with various components of the story each time The female personalities and also functions within those Arthurian legends are commonly polished over, or not really talked about. When I went to look up Nimue, I ‘d heard of the Lady of the Lake and also I would certainly seen gorgeous artwork of the Lady of the personality however the lake herself, I knew really little regarding. There had not been a terrible lot of details out there about her.
PS: How do you think it improves the story to be told from the women viewpoint instead of the male viewpoint, which it has generally been distinguished?
As a lady, and also as a lady, you grow up never ever believing, or never ever even believing, that you can be in a placement of power. That you can be a king.
KL: That’s an actually good inquiry. I believe it was just one of the first conversations I had with the Zetna Fuentes that executive generates, as well as also routes the first two episodes (she’s previously routed episodes of Grey’s Anatomy as well as Pretty Little Liars). We had a discussion about Nimue as an individual, yet additionally in the role as a heroine. These hero tales are generally told from the male viewpoint— or from a man or a young boy’s viewpoint. What was intriguing was crafting that tale as well as looking at it as a woman who’s being portrayed as a heroine. What makes it suitable and modern-day to now, is that you’re reaching see the obstacles that she especially would deal with as a woman. As opposed to just inserting a woman right into a hero tale. We asked ourselves ‘What’s her very own individual trip?’ ‘What are the adversities that she faces?’ ‘What are things that obtain her down?’ and ‘What are the things that she can use?’
One of the important things that we have actually recently been firing is her concept that as a woman, and as a woman, you grow up never thinking, or never ever even believing, that you might be in a placement of power. You never ever believe you could be a king. So, when Nimue initially obtains the sword, it does not cross her mind. One intriguing thing— as well as I think it’s a credit to Tom Wheeler— is that within this series, all the men seek power, however commonly when they’re offered it, they destroy or abuse it. Whereas all the women in the series, they don’t look for power, yet they somehow are considered that power and that obligation. I believe it’s because they do not seek it, they come to power due to the fact that they’re natural leaders, and also have pure purposes.
PS: We’ve seen photos of you standing up the sword as Nimue. Exactly how was it to depict this character in a brand-new light, and after that ultimately seeing her hold the sword?
KL: It really felt actually great. I’m thankful you asked, due to the fact that it was interesting. I matured viewing people like Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider, Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games, and those type of good example and also personalities were so motivating to me. To be able to see this genre (as well as this specific story) told with the eyes of someone that I can connect to, or various other women or girls can relate to, is really special.
I got here 3 weeks prior to we started recording to discover how to ride equines and sword battle. And as we were picking the sword, they were passing me different swords to see how they would certainly fit. They would certainly state ‘this is Russell Crowe’s from Gladiator,’ ‘this is Timothée Chalamet’s from The King,’ ‘this is Chris Pine’s from Outlaw King,’ so after that to be able to be and also have a sword like, ‘this’s Katherine Langford’s’— it’s like, right here are all these remarkable stars that played these incredibly powerful roles, as well as to be able to hold a sword and also know that there’s currently a female who’s in this same world, that now there’s a female visibility within this world that individuals are mosting likely to be able to watch, it’s really inspiring, it suggests a lot to me.
PS: We thought from talking with Frank as well as Tom that you’re covered in blood or mud for a lot of the collection. You’re in swamps, covered in vines, and wielding a sword to boot. It seems like the process of shooting Nimue is fairly physical as well as psychological.
KL: This is the first time I have actually ever shot something set in a period, or between Ages. It’s also the very first role I’ve ever had actually that’s called for physical components: stunts, horse riding, sword combating, running through things as they’re being established on fire. It’s been actually difficult, however also really exciting. That was something I talked about with Frank and also Tom before the collection started. We have an extraordinary stunt team with Steve Dent— they simply do incredible job— but I truly wished to see to it that, to the most effective of my capacity, I was able to do everything Nimue was being asked to do.
PS: Is there any kind of component of Nimue that you could connect to directly, or you assume that other girls will relate to?
KL: Short answer: yes. I assume the unbelievable aspect of Nimue is that you talk about superheroes, role models, as well as heroines, and people at work films— yet at the end of the day, for me, one of the most amazing point concerning her is that fact that she simply really human. I’m stating that without attempting to be saying, yet Nimue conquers a lot misfortune while still having heart as well as without being a superhuman. She’s similar to any kind of among us needing to deal with a lot personal loss at the beginning of the collection but after that essentially lugging the weight of the globe on her shoulders towards the end of it.
At the beginning, what you see is a girl that feels uneasy. I relate to that. She also doesn’t understand fairly where she belongs.
At the start, what you see is a girl that feels agitated. I understand that. I relocated 39 times in 2014, and also I’ve been kind of surviving the roadway for 3 years. She also does not recognize fairly where she belongs. It’s seeming like there is something within her that she hasn’t found yet— however she understands exists, she’s seeking it. Essentially, the series is certainly a journey that I assume a lot of us can empathise with, as well as I would love to state that I’m as endure as her, but I assume playing her has made me a little bit more brave and assertive.
PS: We’ve been told that a great deal of themes in Cursed pertain to 2020, whether that’s the political system, or environment concerns. Can you speak about a few of the messages that run through Cursed and also just how you have translated the real world differently as a result of that.
KL: The awesome feature of Cursed is that you have that mix of fantasy, as well as it has elements of the ethereal, yet after that it’s additionally based in humanity, which is what makes it relevant and also relatable to target markets currently.
A great deal of the issues and difficulties the characters go through in this series, like, spiritual fascism, injustice of minorities, wreaking havoc on the setting, they are all things that we can relate to. Having the ability to watch that via Cursed you kind of realise that they’re handling very comparable points to what we are now. I think that’s probably what’s mosting likely to resonate with audiences. Yes, this is an old story, yes it might be dream, however it’s also so based in humankind that it still really feels human, and present, as well as appropriate.