Among television shows today, there are certainly a lot of thrillers that you can watch. Sure, a lot of them are crime tv shows, such as Law & Order: SVU and NCIS. However, there are also other thrillers that don’t necessarily work on solving crimes.
This is the case for Netflix’s Black Mirror, a unique sci-fi anthology series that explores the dark side of technology. The stories are all twisted, and the endings are often shocking. And perhaps, this is what attracted a lot of actors to appear on the show. Here’s what they’ve said about working on Black Mirror.
10 Miley Cyrus Thought No One Else Can Play Ashley O But Her
Cyrus may be more known for her hit songs today than her acting chops even if she once had a Disney tv show. And so, when Black Mirror was casting for the episode “Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too,” the show’s creator, Charlie Booker, immediately contacted Cyrus for the part of Ashley O.
Once Cyrus got hold of the script, she thought she was the only one who could do it. She told Elle, “I read it and was like, ‘It’s not even if I’m interested or not. It’s just that no one else can play this because this is my life….’”
9 Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Loved His Character’s Vulnerability In Striking Vipers
The VR episode “Striking Vipers” explores a more intimate side of a bromance with Abdul-Mateen’s Karl striking up an online relationship with a buddy played by actor Anthony Mackie.
Abdul-Mateen was particularly attracted to Karl’s vulnerability. “I knew that in Karl I could share a lot of vulnerability to play someone who had a deep, unmet need,” Abdul-Mateen told The Hollywood Reporter. “It was really fun to step into that and see what it was like to wear a mask and see what happens when that mask comes off.”
8 Anthony Mackie Enjoyed Working With Real-Life Friend Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Abdul-Mateen and Mackie have been friends long before working on the episode and that helped a lot when acting opposite each other for "Striking Vipers.
“So there was never a time where we had to sit back and bro-up and be like, ‘Hey, man. We're just guys acting,’” Mackie told The Hollywood Reporter. “We used our friendship to infuse that relationship between those two guys.”
7 Bryce Dallas Howard Agreed To Do Nosedive Before She Even Saw A Script
Perhaps, because of the unique nature of the show, a lot of highly experienced actors are thrilled at the prospect of appearing in an episode of Black Mirror. Howard is among those who were more than happy to work on the show even when she had no idea what she would be doing yet in the episode “Nosedive.”
Howard told The Hollywood Reporter, “Joe called me in December and just asked me if I’d like to do it and I said yes on the spot, before there was a script or anything.”
6 For Alice Eve, Filming Her Episode Felt Like ‘Theater’
Eve also appeared in the episode “Nosedive” alongside Howard. On the show, the actress portrayed Naomi Jayne Mathesen, a woman who is particularly conscious about surrounding herself with only highly ranked people in their social system.
For Eve, portraying the character and working on the show felt like “theater” because of the camaraderie among the cast. “All the supporting artists were acting as if it were like a play, so they'd cheer at the end of every take,” Eve told Pop Sugar. “They were clapping and yelling out, ‘Yes, one more!’ It felt like we were in the theater.”
5 Hannah John-Kamen Felt ‘Very, Very Suited’ To Play Sonja
John-Kamen famously starred in Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp as the villain Ava, a.k.a. Ghost. At the same time, the British actress has also appeared in the Black Mirror universe twice over the years. In 2016, she portrayed the character Sonja in the episode “Playtest,” a role that she thought was perfect for her.
Moreover, John-Kamen also believes that the show thought the same way. “I think they really thought I was very, very suited for the role of Sonja,” the actress told Interview. “I think they were just as happy as I was to bring me back.”
4 Domhnall Gleeson Believes Co-Star Hayley Atwell Did Most Of The Work On Their Episode
Gleeson starred in the 2013 Black Mirror episode “Be Right Back” alongside Marvel star Hayley Atwell. And for Gleeson, he believes that he did much less work compared to his co-star. “Hayley carried the show,” Gleeson explained while speaking with Channel 4.
“I was kind of hopping in and out. God, she was working so hard, she had so much to do, and so much intense stuff.” In addition, Gleeson also remarked that Atwell was “fantastic” to work with. “I really, really enjoyed working with her.”
3 Initially, Hayley Atwell Asked The Show To Consider Her If There Was A Second Season
Atwell may have been busy working on several television shows and films for Marvel over the years. But that doesn’t mean that the veteran actress didn’t have time for other projects. I
n fact, she has been wanting to work on Black Mirror ever since she watched the show’s first season. “I actually tried to make them say yes,” Atwell told Channel 4. “Once I'd seen it, I called up my agent and said ‘Please tell them, if they're making a second series, to please consider me. I'd love to be involved.’”
2 For Letitia Wright, Playing Her Character On The Show Felt ‘Very Weird’
As you may have noticed, a lot of Marvel actors have gone on to star in an episode of Black Mirror. That includes Black Panther star Wright who appeared in the 2017 episode “Black Museum.”
For the British-Guyanese actress, there was some weirdness that came with portraying Nish. “The weirdest thing for myself was believing the lie that I wasn’t who I was pretending to be - a British girl - then to have an American accent but really I’m actually from London,” Wright told Elle. “That was very weird.”
1 Cristin Millioti Didn’t Have Much Time To Figure Out Nanette’s Power Pose In USS Callister
That’s because Millioti was only given a limited number of takes to figure out how to deliver that power pose. “I think I was given three takes for that,” the actress revealed while speaking with Vulture. “I remember being very nervous that it wasn’t a lot.”
Nonetheless, the How I Met Your Mother star was particularly thrilled about working on the scene. “I can’t tell you how much fun it is to sit in the captain’s chair of a spaceship,” the actress further remarked. “It’s the most fun thing you could do.”