We’ve completed Netflix, we’ve rinsed Amazon Prime Video and now we are left wondering what to watch next.
Well, if you missed season one of Servant on AppleTV+ you are in for a treat as the show has returned for a second season and the thriller is well, even more thrilling than it’s first outing.
Servant – which provides thrilling moments with a seasoning of humour at times – follows a couple, Sean and Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) who after suffering the tragic loss of their baby son, Jericho begin caring for a baby doll of the same name, in order for Dorothy to manage her grief. However when they employ a young Nanny, Leanne Grayson played by the amazing Nell Tiger Free a series of weird and unfortunate events ensue in the family home. Rupert Grint also co-stars as Dorothy’s brother, Julian and in season two things get a little steamy for the former Harry Potter star, too.
Photographer: Heidi Tappis, Hair: Kelly Peach, Make up: Charlotte Prevel, Styling: Dani and Emma
Here the show’s break out star, Nell Tiger Free, opens up about the season two plot twist that shook her the most – namely getting down and dirty with Rupert Grint’s Julian and how she has learnt, like her on screen character, to step into her power…
What do you think sitting with yourself – due to the multiple lockdowns – over the last year has taught you?
That I’m really, really bad at being alone! I’m a crippling dependent person and that spending time on my own will slowly but surely drive me just a little bit insane! I am re-watching Desperate Housewives which is keeping me sane at the moment.
Coming into Servant season two, what was the plot twist that shook you most?
If I am completely honest the thing that shook me the most was the Leanne and Jul moment – I’ll explain! I remember getting a call from one of our producers and they said, “Yeah, you’re going to have to get down and dirty with Rupert.” I was like, “Uh!” I went and found Rupert and I was like, “Rupert, have you heard what we’re doing?” And I was like, “Oh my God.” I wasn’t expecting those two to get together at all. That was a big shock for me and I think the finale shook me as well like big time. I was really surprised at the direction the finale went and every episode has a twist in it. So it’s difficult to pick one, but I think that was definitely the scene that left me the most shook for sure.
Babe, that must have been crazy because obviously everyone grew up watching Harry Potter and then you’re like, “Whoa I am getting Ron Weasley!”
Childhood me is quaking – 11-year-old Nell! Everyone’s first crush was Ron Weasley, right? I feel like everybody’s first crush was someone from Harry Potter. He was not mine. He was my best friend’s, though. She was crying when I told her saying, “I cannot believe you are living out my childhood fancy of being with Ron Weasley.” I was like, “But it’s not Ron Weasley, it’s Rupert. It’s a difference.” So it’s definitely a weird one for childhood me.
What do you think is the biggest change in your character, Leanne from Servant season one to season two?
By the end of it she’s almost a completely different character. She still has those core parts of her, which is her mystery, her delicacy and her stillness are maintained. But I think in season two we see how she sheds this quiet, sweet girl from Wisconsin vibe. She moves on to being this commanding woman who decides she’s just not going to take sh*t from anybody anymore. I love that she’s growing as this kind of spiritual figure and ethereal character. Her power as a woman is growing which I think is super fun. It’s been so much fun to be able to sort of let her hair down a little bit, and find her strength.
With that in mind what has been a turning point for you finding your power as a woman?
I had a pretty hard experience shooting something when I was 18. I entered into that experience kind of wide-eyed, bushy tailed and minding my P’s and Q’s. I let myself say yes to everything and I didn’t really stand up for myself. There’s a lot of ego in this industry, and a lot of men. It’s difficult to command yourself. I found it really hard to command myself as an 18-year-old girl on this set that was just filled with powerful men. It was kind of scary to me. I definitely felt kind of silenced throughout that experience.
Then by the end of it, I decided that I wasn’t going to take any sh*t anymore. Not in the way of being a diva at all, but just knowing that it’s okay to say no to things sometimes. If you stand up for yourself and you’re assertive that doesn’t make you a bitch and it doesn’t make you a troublemaker. It just makes you a person, and as an actor and a young woman, who knows who she is and what she wants and how she deserves to be treated. I think I’m really grateful for that difficult experience because it made me much stronger.
Do you feel sitting here today, that you are more in your power than you’ve been before?
I’m definitely at a point in my career where I’m less afraid of people. I definitely feel like I have the strength to voice when I’m feeling uncomfortable, or voice when I feel like I’m being mistreated. I think that’s something that took a really, really long time. I’m still learning it. I still feel very much like a newbie in the industry, even though I’ve been doing it for like 11 years. I still feel like I have to prove myself. But I’m not 100% comfortable yet but I’m getting better at hiding that and realising that it’s okay to be strong, it’s okay to speak up, use your voice, and speak out against wrongdoings that are happening. It’s definitely a struggle, but I feel like I’m getting stronger sort of every day.
It’s such an ongoing journey working out and learning how to use your voice isn’t it?
Absolutely. I think watching Lauren (Ambrose) has really helped me, because Lauren doesn’t take sh*t from anybody and she does it in the most polite, sophisticated way. She knows exactly who she is. She knows exactly what her limits are. She’s not going to compromise any of that for anything. I’m watching her, learning from her and trying to absorb a little bit of her strength. She’ll always pull me aside for a pep talk and be like, “Come on, you can do this, get your sh*t together. You’re fine. You can speak up, you can say whatever you like.” She’s been an amazing sort of mentor and person to be around.
Servant touches on a lot of mental health issues in these multidimensional characters. What have been some turning points in your relationship with your own mental wellbeing?
I suffered with anxiety. That can be ramped up to a 1,000 especially at things like premieres, places where you really have to keep your sh*t together and present this whole perfect image of yourself. Even doing stuff like this going into interviews, I’m like, “Oh my God, am I going to say the wrong thing? Am I going to make myself look stupid?” I’m really obviously terrified of that. But I think for me being in this industry, it definitely can be really, really overwhelming at times. It’s also really easy to get carried away and run away with yourself. Maybe even sort of lose sight sometimes of everything else that’s going on around you. I’m really lucky that I’ve got such an amazing support system and such a great group of friends that have been my friends since I was 10 years old. My mum, my sister, and my dad – they’re all just so great at keeping me in check.
For you personally what would be your big hope for your Leanne in Servant going into season three?
That I will fly! But that’s only because me and Rupert have a bet going that I think I’m going to fly by the end of the season. He thinks there’s no way. So I’ll win some money if I fly. But also I want her to keep growing, and keep stepping into this bad bitch energy. I want her to burn it all to the ground and just be like, “You know what? I’ve been oppressed and I’ve been given shit for so long that I’m not going to let anybody stand on my neck anymore. I’m not going to do favours for people that don’t appreciate me anymore. I’m going to harness my power and I’m going to rule the world.” That’s what I want!
Servant season two is available on AppleTV+ now