In the short span of her young career, Katherine Langford has already been part of several high-profile projects. But she’s never done anything like Netflix’s “Damn”, at least not on the surface.
“I was looking for something that felt different and challenging,” Langford said. At the time, she had finished two seasons as the star of Netflix’s teen drama “13 Reasons Why” and followed with Greg Berlanti’s gay romance “Love, Simon,” which worked to establish her as one of the Hollywood movies. young stars. (She would later appear in Rian Johnson’s novelty “Knives Out” and film a small part of “Avengers: Endgame” that was cut from the final version of the film.)
“I wasn’t necessarily looking to do anything on television, but they sent me the manuscript for the book, and when I read the story, I couldn’t put it down,” he said.
Also read: Netflix’s ‘Cursed’ trailer: to save the magic from extinction, One Girl handles Excalibur (Video)
Netflix
Released in 2019, “Cursed” is an account of the classic Arthurian legend from the perspective of Nimue, also known as the Lady of the Lake, by Thomas Wheeler and veteran comic writer Frank Miller. The Netflix series, which the duo adapted, features Nimue as the heroine of the myth. She is the one who wields the sword and uses her power to guide her people. Familiar characters we are used to seeing as heroes, including an Arther who is not yet a king and a powerful wizard named Merlin, appear throughout the first 10 episodes, but often in new or remixed forms, and always in Nimue story support.
“It was an opportunity to tell the story of a heroine,” said Langford. “Really recognize the obstacles that are really specific to a woman on that journey. And for a chance to tell a story like that, those roles are really few and far between. So it was something that I found really exciting, new and different. ”
The series’ early promotion played out this new feminist twist to the Arthurian legend, with a key art showing Langford holding the Excalibur sword while wearing a battle-ready expression. A trailer showed a series of shots of men fighting for a sword, which we are informed belongs to the “true king”, before Nimue comes out of a lake with him in his hands, as Langford says out loud: “But what is it? yes does the sword choose a queen?
“If a role resonates with me, I can imagine it. Often when I read scripts, if they send me something and I’m not suitable for the role, sometimes I see other people on the paper while I read it in my head, “said Langford. With Nimue, it was not another actor that he saw, but neither was that photo of Nimue as a warrior.
“What really caught my attention was the image we have of Nimue at the beginning of the season,” he said. “I think when people watch the show’s trailers, they will see Nimue as a warrior, and they will see her as this brave symbol that she becomes, but for me, above all, we see her as this restless young woman. She is not very sure where she belongs to, and she has something she doesn’t understand and that other people don’t understand, which makes people scared of her. ”
Also read: All newly released Netflix viewership numbers from ‘Space Force’ to ‘Da 5 Bloods’
Netflix
“Damn” informs us from the beginning that Nimue is an outcast. Her mother is the high priestess of her Fey clan, like a fairy, but Nimue is not interested in following those steps. A childish encounter with a demon has left her feared, excluded and fatherless. She dreams of stealing on a commercial ship and leaving everything without saying goodbye.
“That feeling of unease and the feeling that it doesn’t fit is something that we all have at any time in our lives, no matter who you are. We feel like we have something inside of us that doesn’t make us very sure where we belong or what we’re supposed to do, ”Langford said.
At least at that level, Nimue is not that different from Hannah Baker, the “13 Reasons Why” character who launched Langford’s career. Hannah is, of course, human and without a magic sword, and her story has a much more tragic ending, but that feeling of being trapped and misplaced simultaneously is something Langford knows how to play.
“For me, superheroes are not black and white,” he said. “They are not good or bad, they are not necessarily people with extraordinary powers, but someone who can overcome their situation in an incredible way. And that’s really what Nimue is. She has forged all of this confusion and uses everything inside her to help others. “
Netflix
“Damn” is available to stream on Netflix.
Emmy Underdogs to Remember, from Elle Fanning to Zoë Kravitz and Zoey’s ‘Extraordinary Playlist’ (Photos)
With voters undoubtedly overwhelmed by the plethora of shows competing for the Emmys this year, TheWrap staff highlights some of our favorites.
ELLE FANNING, “THE GREAT” (Hulu) – The true Catherine the Great was said to be disliked by her husband, Peter III, in part because of her pale complexion, so she might take it as an elaborate prank that Tony McNamara threw at Elle Fanning as Catherine in the ironic and twisted series . “The great.” If so, Fanning, all steel and wile underneath that alabaster façade, delivers a sharp, sharp thump. – Steve Pond
Hulu
RHEA SEEHORN, “BEST CALL SAUL” (AMC) – Bob Odenkirk (rightly) receives all the Emmy’s love for his portrayal of Jimmy McGill’s demotion to Saul Goodman. But Rhea Seehorn is often overlooked as Kim Wexler, and given the way she ended last season, we argue that she’s the most interesting character. We know where Jimmy / Saul ends, but after Kim’s radical change this season, his future is more in the air than ever. – Tim baysinger
AMC
“AVENUE 5” (Hulu) – I wasn’t planning to see “Avenue 5”, and then I found myself in the hospital’s newborn unit, unable to leave the room, remove my mask, or, of course, sleep. In needing something short and lighthearted that I could access on my laptop, I gave space comedy Armando Iannucci a try, and I’m glad I did. Welcome to the world, Emily Grace Maglio, and a much-deserved welcome back to the Emmy career at Hugh Laurie. – Tony Maglio
HBO
JOSH O’CONNOR & ERIN DOHERTY, “LA CORONA” (Netflix) – Season 3 of “The Crown” was filled with new faces, including Olivia Colman, Helena Bonham Carter, and Tobias Menzies. Those three legends are already getting a lot of well-deserved rumors, but voters shouldn’t be sleeping with the other new kids on the block, Erin Doherty and Josh O’Connor, who play youth versions of Princess Anne and Prince Charles, respectively. . The pair are played like real brothers and their character-focused episodes are some of the best the season has to offer. – Jennifer Maas
Netflix
JERRIKA HINTON, “HUNTERS” (Amazon Prime) – The gang of Nazi hunters in David Weil’s Amazon series in the 1970s is primarily made up of Jews trying to avoid the Fourth Reich and avenge millions of deaths in the Holocaust, but have a suspected ally who becomes a persecuted FBI enemy . agent Millie Morris. Actress Jerrika Hinton gives Millie a true depth below what appears to be an inability to perceive the moral ambiguity of this particular world. – SP
HBO
KIRSTEN DUNST, “TO BECOME GOD IN CENTRAL FLORIDA” (Showtime) – When the Television Academy reclassified this Showtime series as a drama rather than a comedy, they may have removed the chances of a Dunst nomination. If so, that’s a shame, because whatever label you put on the show, its lead actress (and executive producer) is an unstoppable black force of nature as a Florida water park employee with big dreams of become a pyramid scheme tycoon. . – SP
Show time
MISHEL PRADA, “LIFE” (Starz) – Mishel Prada deserves recognition for her complex and nuanced performance in Starz’s “Life”, the first show to feature an exclusively Latino writers’ room. It so beautifully tells intersectional stories about the LGBTQ and Latinx communities that we rarely see it on screen. – Sippell Margeaux
Starz
“DAVE” (FXX) – I like comedy. I like rap.But outside of Eminem’s keywords or Weird Al’s occasional offering, comedy rap doesn’t really do it for me. Dave Burd is such an original human being, however, that his star YouTube version is not only translated into television, I daresay it works even better there. A thank you to Andrew Santino, who will not receive Emmy’s love as a supporting actor, but secretly hijacks scenes from great personalities. – TM
FXX
ZOE KRAVITZ, “HIGH FIDELITY” (Hulu) – After seeing her depressed throughout the second season of “Big Little Lies”, it was a joy to see Zoë Kravitz having fun again on Hulu’s “High Fidelity”. Their performance should easily be on anyone’s top 10 list. – Daniel Goldblatt
Hulu
VICTORIA PEDRETTI, “YOU” (Netflix) – Season 2 of Netflix’s “You” takes all the items that were so horribly attractive about the first season, opens them up, and uses them as a mask. But underneath, it is Victoria Pedretti’s silent and devastating performance as Love Quinn that finally steals the show and leaves viewers with their jaws on the ground. – Reid Nakamura
Netflix
KUMAIL NANJIANI, “SILICON VALLEY” (HBO) – Come on, the guy is a movie star now. If television wants to hold onto him, Emmy voters may want to remind him that they like him on television too, especially since his character saved the world in the series finale. –SP
HBO
“BOJACK’S KNIGHT” (Netflix) – “Bojack Horseman” had the impossible task in his last season of calculating the sins of his main character and whether he could be redeemed. Rather than taking the easy way out by killing him in the show’s bizarre and bizarre penultimate episode, the show used its discreet ending to come up with something more honest about life than many shows that never have talking animals. –Brian Welk
Netflix
ZENDAYA, “EUPHORIA” (HBO) –
Sam Levinson’s dark drama is one of the hardest and most harrowing high school stories he’s ever seen, and it can be hard to watch, but he can’t take his eyes off Zendaya’s crude and devastated core performance as a teenage addict, even if you want – SP
HBO
“ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST” (NBC) – Because even though I didn’t know it, I’ve always wanted to hear Mary Steenburgen sing “A Little Less Conversation” by Elvis. – SP
NBC
TheWrap Emmy Magazine: When Emmy voting begins, TheWrap staff suggests that members of the TV Academy watch these people and shows that deserve a place on the nomination ballot
With voters undoubtedly overwhelmed by the plethora of shows competing for the Emmys this year, TheWrap staff highlights some of our favorites.
