There’s a giant video of Katherine Langford playing in the middle of Times Square, but there’s probably no chance she’ll ever see it. Put to promote Damned, Netflix’s new fantasy epic, Langford rises above the crossroads of the world, swinging a great medieval sword at all New Yorkers in face masks. Still trapped in quarantine somewhere in Sweden, Langford has to settle for posting someone else’s photo to his Instagram.
“It’s so amazing to see him up there!” she says NME via Zoom. “But this is all so surreal now. I would love to see him in person, but he was in Europe when it all started, so I’ve been stuck living with friends for months, waiting for everything like everyone else. “
Upcoming canceled auditions, suspended planned projects, the 24-year-old Australian actress has been trying to make the best of her since March, learning a new language and trying to play the guitar. “I’ve tried to stay productive,” he laughs. “I started by trying to check my wish list, but mostly I just bought plants. Now I am a proud father of a plant. I have a Venus Flytrap named Schnappers, and I have a Chinese lily named Chris, after the Australian comedian. [Chris Lilley]. I keep them alive, so I must be doing something right!
Gain leadership in Damned – a show that is somewhere between game of ThronesDisney fantasy Pernicious and thirsty for Gerard Butler’s 300 – and recently starred opposite Daniel Craig, Chris Evans and Jamie Lee Curtis in last year’s acclaimed novelty Knives outLangford has clearly been doing something right for a while now. Only four years ago, no one knew his name.
Growing up the daughter of doctors in the Perth suburbs, Langford was a pro-swimmer before dabbling in local acting workshops, finding her own agent, turning down a place on a one-of-a-kind course, and walking directly into one of the biggest and most difficult teen roles. in the planet.
The first season of 13 reasons why She debuted in 2017, with Langford taking on the lead role as Hannah Baker, a high school girl who commits suicide after suffering mental and physical harassment from almost everyone in her life, leaving behind a set of audio tapes for those responsible. With scenes of sexual assault, intimidation, and emotional violence in almost every episode (including a key suicide scene that Netflix later had to cut because it was too graphic), it’s hard to think of a more challenging first role for any young actor. in.
“I think I’m starting to give myself more credit for it,” she says, now two years after the series. “But at the time it was the first thing I had done, so I took it all at its superficial value, I think. That experience was my only experience on a film set. It is a role that I am very grateful to have played, and a story that I am grateful to have told. But yeah, when I look back now, I think that was probably the most difficult first role for several reasons. But for an overwhelming number of other reasons, it was also the best. I was lucky to be surrounded by great people and wonderful creatives in that job. It is a role that I will always have in my heart ”.
But it wasn’t just the role itself that Langford had to deal with at the time. Widely criticized for her unwavering portrait of suicide and self-harm, Langford suddenly found herself at the center of an ugly public relations storm involving healthcare professionals, Netflix and a lot of noise from social media.
“I’ve had a couple of years to separate myself from all of that now,” she says, choosing her words carefully. “When it comes to fans, or specifically on social media, I think it’s really difficult to understand. When I started acting, and even now, my number one priority is work. That is why I am here. I love what I do and I really wasn’t on that show for any reason other than acting and acting. My relationship with social media is something that I think has evolved since then, but when it comes to fans and touching on deeper issues, I actually find it an incredibly humble part of the job. Hearing that something you do affects another person in a positive way, or changes someone’s perspective at all … that’s incredible. “
Upon leaving the show after the second season, Langford took on a lighter role in the coming-of-age romantic comedy. Love simon before getting her big break as Tony Stark’s daughter in Avengers Endgame. The only problem? Her scenes did not make the final cut.
“It is a memory that I am so grateful to have, but it is only a memory now unfortunately!” she laughs, ignoring the fact that it was cut from the highest grossing movie of all time. “It was an incredible and surreal experience. Working with the Russo brothers, working with Robert Downey Jr. on the last day that Iron Man was, in her last scene? I am a huge Marvel fan, and there was a lot to take in. I was entering the set of the world’s largest franchise, so for me it was about trying to absorb as much of it as possible. . “
Fortunately, she had a chance to make up for it with Knives out, teaming up with another impressive ensemble (including her near-Avengers co-star Chris Evans) as she helped entangle the audience in director Rian Johnson’s lavish murder mystery. “I have a lot of good things to say about that movie and all that experience,” he says. “Everyone in that movie had so much talent and history, but Rian is such a humble and wonderful guy. I’ve heard rumors about a sequel and that excites me a lot … To be honest, I’d like to do literally anything Rian writes or directs!
However, before all that, it is to swing a sword in the middle of the fantasy genre, with Damned See Langford face Arthurian legends, ancient curses, and the giant hole left by game of Thrones. Adapted from a graphic novel written by Tom Wheeler and Frank Miller (Sin City, 300), Damned rewrites the story of Nimue, better known as the “lady of the lake” who finally gives King Arthur his magic sword, Excalibur.
“They sent me the book and I just couldn’t put it down,” she says. “I was looking for something that felt challenging and different, but I definitely wasn’t looking to do a great series. When I got off the plane in London to start pre-production, it had become this massive 11-month filming and this gigantic engagement. I don’t think anyone has seen it coming! It made me realize how much time, money, and effort it really takes to create these epic pieces, but this is so different in scope and magnitude from anything I’ve done before. “
She could have survived the emotional writhing of 13 reasons whyBut Langford still had a lot to learn before she was ready to take on the role of Nimue, a warrior queen who jumps horses through burning buildings, fights wolves, and rips their heads off in episode 2.
“I wasn’t intimidated by that side at all,” she says. “I am a former athlete, so I was really excited to use my body for a role, because I have never done it before. But I also didn’t understand the reality of what he was allowing me at all! Sometimes I do that. I direct with my guts and then I let myself be reached! ”
Training intensively for four weeks to learn riding, sword fighting, choreography, and stunt work, Langford’s first big challenge came from having to be outside in the English climate. “The first two days of filming were in the dead of winter, and I had to shoot this fight scene in the rain,” he laughs. “Every day I was drenched. Basically they just poured another bucket of cold water over my head before each shot. All day. All night. For 14 hours! A tough 11-month session followed, pushing Langford more than ever.
It was worth it? Now warm and dry in Sweden, happily watering Chris Lily and SchnappersThe filming already looks like it was a lifetime ago, and the actress is now waiting to see what fans of the series do as she waits for the lock to begin to relax. “Growing up as a fan of fantasy, you really don’t have many female role models to follow,” she says. “When they handed me different movie swords to try to figure out what Excalibur should be like, every sword they handed me belonged to one man: amazing actors from different amazing roles, but they were still all kings and warlords and male characters. We are putting a woman at the center of this legendary tale and it is something I am very proud of. Damned. I can’t wait for everyone to see it. ”
‘Damn’ is on Netflix now
