Image: Netflix
We no longer too long ago had the different to interview Ann Skelly about her role as Nuala of the Faerie in The Sandman season 2. She talks about her experiences on role, private connections to her personality, and extra.
Sensible one of the breakout stars of The Sandman season 2 is Ann Skelly, who plays Nuala. At the service of Queen Titania and King Auberon, Nuala and her brother Cluracan bound to The Dreaming in a tell to steal possession of the Key to Hell from Dream. Whereas Cluracan is brash and hedonistic, Nuala is light, caring, and trusty. She is one of basically the most fascinating characters in Quantity 1, striking a vital reference to Dream himself.
Check up on our interview with Ann Skelly below, the put we focus on all the pieces from Nuala herself to her connections with a vogue of characters. We also stumble on how Skelly delved deeper into her personality’s building when in contrast to how she used to be portrayed in the comics.
Nuala takes on a extra well-liked role when in contrast to her comic look. How did you formulation maturing and expanding on her personality?
Nuala in the comics shall be reasonably lost sight of in many ways, and I mediate Allan, our showrunner, did an splendid job in emphasising Nuala’s fable and digging out extra of what we already appreciate about that personality. She’s purchased a aloof duty to her, she’s trusty, she has an very perfect sense of upright and defective. I’ve gotten to play a lightweight, brave force of nature discovering herself. Somebody who has been residing in a suppressive setting all her life, and desires of one thing extra. It’s actually stress-free as an actor to play somebody who has to suppress so worthy of who they’re and tries to wriggle their method thru with dignity.
What roughly analysis did you discontinue to prepare for taking half in a fairy? Had been there any books, myths, or films that impressed your portrayal of Nuala?
I’m Irish so I grew up with Irish mythology; Tír Na nÓg, a very melancholic fable, the Tuatha Dé Danann, I used to be also deathly anxious of by chance stepping on fairy rings. There’s all kinds of superstitions and fears spherical fairies once I used to be rising up. So I felt very acquainted already with the area Nuala grew up in – the vein, jealous creatures that are residing underground, that steal children and mess with humans. I also read some Yeats poems spherical fairies, there’s a line that I took with me into Nuala “The boughs fill withered on fable of I actually fill told them my desires.” I cherished the disappointment of it, there’s a depth in her that reflects the energy she wants to envision out overcome forces worthy greater than herself.
With out giving too worthy away, how does Nuala’s fable evolve on this season? Had been there any elegant moments for you as an actor?
We paddle a lot deeper into Nuala and her world, what she actually feels. We to find to search a personality who is forced into these passive roles (as a ‘reward’ to Dream let’s yelp) accumulate ways to impression choices for herself, which no doubt price her in a myriad of how. It actually took me aback how stupid it’s to be Nuala!
Whenever you occur to play a personality who has been so suppressed and below such responsibility her whole life it’s stupid as a result of all the pieces swirling spherical internal her that doesn’t to find an outlet. So that that it’s likely you’ll perhaps well be sitting on all these emotions and suggestions whereas it be a must to present duty on the the same time. My favorite moments in the show are the moments she will be able to get to talk out, and her exclaim proves to be extremely efficient.
How would you describe Nuala’s relationship with Dream? What dynamic discontinue they half, and how does that evolve over Season 2?
There’s an irregular tenderness to it. There’s a roughly longing, a frustration. There’s an impression imbalance in that he’s a king and she or he’s in an indentured servitude of kinds which sits over every interaction they fill for basically the most half. Nuala admires him hugely, I mediate she sees basically the most fascinating in him when he’s confronting the worst of himself, and that’s one thing that has an impression on Dream. In flip, he truly sees her for who she is which is only about all she wants to beginning off a bound of self discovery. As Lady Gaga once mentioned, “There would possibly perhaps perhaps perhaps furthermore be 100 americans in the room and Ninety nine don’t mediate in you nonetheless all it takes is one…”
The Sandman. Tom Sturridge as Dream in episode 203 of The Sandman. Cr. Courtesy Of Netflix © 2025
Nuala starts with a flowery accent nonetheless switches to Irish when Dream asks her to lose her glamour. I cherished that addition — how did that concept reach about all the method in which thru the show’s building?
That came from a conversation with Allan and Jamie early on about Nuala’s fairy glamour vs her appropriate self. We belief it added a huge extra layer to what the magical ‘glamour’ charges Nuala to put on; she’s robbed of her dangle exclaim, which in some ways is a a part of your soul. I belief it hinted at a theme of privilage, colonialism, Irish history a little bit of too. That felt vital to me and I cherished that Allan and Jamie belief like that.
Nuala and Cluracan half an superior sibling bond. How would you describe their relationship?
Oh, Nuala & Cluracan are from a vogue of planets. He’s this chaotic hedonist, will get away with slay, the categorical fairy. Nuala is this dutiful, correct and relate creature who would no longer match into the area of the Fae in anyway. They discontinue fill a terribly special bond, nonetheless are continuously at every other. Douglas Sales area is the categorical Cluracan; continuously winding her up and stressing her out, or she’s attempting to control him and orderly up after his messes nonetheless she deeply cares for him. And I mediate he does too? In his dangle method? Brothers! Exasperating!
In episode 2, Dream hosts a cocktail birthday celebration for visiting deities. gods and fairies. It actually is a show-stopping tournament! How worthy stress-free used to be it to film that? Became once it as chaotic as it’s on camouflage?
The dinner birthday celebration in episode 2 is HUGE. We to find to search all these creatures, and realms and characters that on no account to find to engage in the one plan. I don’t mediate I’ve ever had a greater day on any role. I don’t actually fill anything else to examine it to. Nonetheless as partial to Sandman, I used to be actually pinching myself, it used to be a trusty 2nd. I suggest the sheer logistics of it all, the choreography of it, all wanted to be rehearsed on a separate day, which is uncommon in TV, so that helped.
It used to be a little bit of dizzying getting collected at 2:30am some days and home by 9pm, those were some caffeine-fuelled weeks. Nonetheless it’s no longer day by day you paddle to work, toddle down the hall, and search a load of clowns and demons (truly, I’m race there are americans that expose to that in a less literal sense, pardon me…).
The Sandman. (L to R) Clive Russell as Odin, Freddie Fox as Loki in episode 202 of The Sandman. Cr. Courtesy Of Netflix © 2025
Are you able to half any memorable moments or favorite scenes from filming Season 2?
There’s honestly a lot of favorite and memorable moments – I actually am partial to the show so it used to be a dream to be apart of the area. Particularly as Nuala. I perfect wholeheartedly cherished taking half in her corpulent discontinuance. I cherished working on Sandman; there are all these huge role devices, out of the ordinary special results (and I had scenes with Stephen Fry, who I am a huge fan of), nonetheless there are the aloof moments too that are inner and intimate.
There’s a terribly minute scene that happens in the later episodes. I’m succesful of’t steal into fable which. Nonetheless it’s a 2nd the put Nuala will get to expose up as truly, wholly herself and it used to be a 2nd I felt an splendid crossover with actor and personality. I dont know if that is good, namely as it would possibly perhaps perhaps most likely most likely perhaps perhaps give away spoilers. Nonetheless it used to be like we went thru a huge bound together the put I now completely understood her as she understood herself.
We thank Ann Skelly for her time. The Sandman season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
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