Essie Davis

OF ‘GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES’ ON NETFLIX

Q: How was it approaching a traumatized character such as ornithologist Nancy Bradley in “The Murmuring” episode of “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities”?

A: Well, Jen(nifer Kent, the director) has a really beautiful way of rehearsing, although Andrew (Lincoln, her co-star) and I flew in – he flew in from England and I flew in from Australia into Canada. We had a couple of weeks in quarantine in our various hotel rooms and we rehearsed on Zoom. But we had three days physically together before we started filming.

And Jen works in a way with us that created a very detailed history between the two of us. And in a way, I guess it’s an improvisation that we went through all of the major parts of our relationship over three days. We improvised them (laughs) and so we had a very intensive history built up between us that we both knew. And it meant that whatever I needed in any scene that I was in with Andy, I could just look in his eyes and I would get it (laughs). Because whatever I needed from our past to have in our minds at that moment, it was in a look.

Q: How is Andy as a scene partner?

A: He’s a wonderful actor and I think Jen’s process brought us together very quickly and in a very deep way. It was a great working relationship amongst the three of us. I feel like we built something with great love.

Q: Are you a bird watcher like Nancy?

A: I wouldn’t call myself a bird watcher though I do notice birds and I do love listening to them and I tend to be surrounded by them. And even I feel like there’s all of these auspicious things that happened while we were filming. While sitting on that lake, a bald eagle came and perched in a tree above me before I had to do that big, sad telephone call (laughs). So I really feel like there is a connection, I do feel quite spiritually connected to nature. And I think that we can learn a lot from watching it and being a part of it.