The Sandman star Gwendoline Christie has spilled the beans on what drew her to the role of Lucifer. The ruler of hell plays an important role throughout the graphic novels by writer Neil Gaiman by playing a twisted game of chess with Dream of the Endless. The actress was immediately drawn to playing such a devilish role.
In an interview with Den of Geek, the star explained what it was like to get the offer and described what makes Lucifer so intriguing as a character.
“When I finished playing Brienne of Tarth on Game of Thrones, I really wanted the opportunity to play a different kind of role, a range of parts. When [showrunner] Allan [Heinberg] offered me Lucifer, I was hugely flattered and excited for the opportunity to play someone so evil. Lucifer is a lifetime of disappointment and distilled rage. [Lucifer] isn’t interested in doing the right thing, only in satisfying their immediate needs, no matter how petty. We all wanted Lucifer to, in some essential way, look like Lucifer in the comics. I am someone who, as a performer, can look androgynous, and that felt right for this Lucifer.”
Christie famously played Brienne of Tarth in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Fans loved watching Jamie Lannister Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Brienne’s journey through Westeros as she struggles to be seen as a legitimate knight in a world that didn’t want to see a woman hold that title. This just so happens to mirror some people’s reactions to seeing Christie taking on the role of Lucifer.
Some have shared their disappointment in the casting of Christie because of her gender, but Gaiman has made it abundantly clear that Lucifer in the comics was neither male nor female. Lucifer was based on David Bowie, and they went for that aesthetic in the live-action adaption, but that doesn’t make Lucifer male. As Christie said, she believed that her androgynous look worked for the role.
Christie also commended the tireless work of staying true to the original work and the team effort it took to bring this project into reality.
“It was so phenomenal working with Jamie Childs, the director, Allan Heinberg, Neil Gaiman, David Goyer… They were just all so collaborative, and they all had a very real and tangible passion for the comics. They really wanted to preserve the comics whilst bringing real life to them. Neil wrote the comics [30] years ago, so sometimes he would say there were things that he would change or have updated. But because he had such a strong voice throughout it all, you felt very much in the best hands. I adored working with Tom Sturridge. From the minute that I met him—he was in costume, and in character—I knew that he was dedicated to this project.”
Gaiman has stood behind the creative decisions in The Sandman. He told Kirby Howell-Baptiste that Death will be her greatest role, and has advocated for Mason Alexander’s portrayal of Desire, as well as Jenna Coleman’s Johanna Constantine.
The Sandman comes to Netflix Aug. 5.
