The Sandman star Kyo Ra, aka Vanesu Samunyai, is stepping into some serious shoes for her first major role. Rose Walker is the protagonist of what is often held up as the definitive Sandman story, The Doll’s House. The graphic novel, first published in the early 1990s will serve as the source material for Netflix’s upcoming The Sandman series. The Seoul-based Samunyai, who is sometimes known by her Korean name, Kyo Ra, spoke on today’s Netflix Sandman Cast Panel about her debut role.
“So, Rose Walker is a regular 21-year-old who has lost her parents, and she’s just alone in the world,” Samunyai told the panel. “And she wants to find her brother, Jed. She wants a sense of normalcy in her life. Along the way, she meets Morpheus, and they work on trying to get that going.”
The Morpheus in question is the title role of the series, also known as The Sandman or Dream of the Endless. As the embodiment of humanity’s dreams, his crossing paths with Walker means that she’ll definitely be waiting a bit for that sense of normalcy in her life. Although The Doll’s House introduced the character of Rose in the second graphic novel of the collection, what we know about Netflix’s The Sandman so far seems to indicate that the series will incorporate the material of the first book as well as several characters from The Doll’s House.
How big a role Walker will play in the show isn’t known at this time, but when asked about working with Tom Sturridge, the actor who plays dream, Walker indicated that their interaction with each other will definitely leave an impression. Speaking to the panel, she notes:
“Tom is great, really great to work with, and what was really nice was how we played with Morpheus and the relationship between them, the dynamic, and the change that Dream had over their interaction.”
– Kyo Ra aka Vanesu Samunyai
The Sandman will premiere on Netflix on Aug. 5.
