2 weeks ago
2
ARTICLE AD BOX
How do you feel about the sense of responsibility that comes with bringing a real character to life?
I feel that sense of responsibility with my work in general, because even if a character isn’t based on someone real, there’s probably someone out there who feels seen by that person. But there’s definitely an extra sense of responsibility when I know they really existed. To anyone who knew them, and to the families of these people, representing that is a huge thing. For anyone who didn’t know them, they might only know them through what I’ve shared, and that’s massive. I try not to get overwhelmed by it and treat it like the work, but it’s definitely an honour.
How was it getting into the mindset of someone who has such big dreams, but is also just trying to get by, while being constantly hit from different angles?
Honestly, I feel like that’s so many people’s stories, especially the general immigrant story. It’s my story. I didn’t get a thousand blows, but life has happened. I'm sitting here with you now, which isn’t aligned with my start in life, you know what I mean? There’s something about transcending your beginnings.
That’s what Hezekiah goes through, and what so many people experience – transcending class, transcending whatever defines you at birth, and going beyond that.
You called him a dreamer, but I actually think he’s a visionary. Not that there’s anything wrong with what you said, it’s just something I’ve been thinking about. When you call someone a dreamer, it can feel like they’re just wishing for something. But he actually goes for it. He’s able to envision something that doesn’t yet exist – like being a Jamaican lion tamer – and then leaving Jamaica to come to London to pursue it.
There’s a real freedom in him, especially when he speaks to Albert and says the quiet part out loud. Do you feel a responsibility not just to the character, but to history and the descendants of those colonial experiences?
Yeah, for sure. I say it lightly because we know Hezekiah Moscow really existed. We know he left Jamaica to become a lion tamer in London, and that he later became a boxer. We know certain things, but it’s not an entire history lesson. It’s based on real people, but not necessarily on real events. So I don’t feel the weight of having to tell the exact truth of what happened. We don’t know that all these characters met, but we know they existed in the same place – they could have met. That gives us room to have a bit more fun with it, without being restricted to historical accuracy. It’s rooted in reality; a version of this would have happened to real people.
If you were sent back in time to Victorian London, what’s one modern object you’d take with you that wouldn’t completely freak out the locals?
That’s a good question. My instinct was my phone, but I’d be calling nobody. I’d probably take my TV.
But it wouldn’t work – where would you plug it in?
Wow. When you put it like that, I couldn’t take anything technical. I’d take my trainers – shoes were really uncomfortable back then – and a onesie.
What about the smells and the food? What do you think you’d struggle with most?
You just reminded me, I’d also take some shower gel! Or some soap.
Did you experience those Victorian smells on set? The world feels so real on screen.
The set they built was incredible; the detail was amazing. The smell wasn’t really there, though. Sometimes when the horses turned up, you could smell it for sure, but I think it probably would have smelled a lot worse back in the day.
What are you most excited for people to see in season two?
For anyone who watched and enjoyed season one, I’m excited for them to see these characters in a very different light. You get to see very different sides of them, and they’re all going on very different journeys. I’m excited to share that afresh.
English (US) ·