Since Disney cancelled the Netflix MCU-adjacent series like Iron Fist, Daredevil, Luke Cage, The Punisher, Jessica Jones, and The Defenders, the streamer has made it clear that they do not need the original shows. Going on to adapt several lesser-known comic book titles, Netflix has been rolling out shows such as Locke & Key, Jupiter's Legacy, The Umbrella Academy, amongst others.
In addition to the Sandman adaptation that's headed the audience's way, Netflix is set to drop Sweet Tooth, a DC comics adaptation by Jeff Lemire, next week. The story is focused on a young human/deer hybrid on a journey to find his mother in a post-apocalyptic world filled with poachers looking to hunt his kind.
The child actor who portrays the titular hybrid is Christian Convery, while his "gruff protector," Jepperd, is played by Game of Thrones and RocknRolla actor Nonso Anozie. Given a chance to speak with both of them as well as the director, writer, and comic creator, we dug into a number of interesting points in the series.
When we focused on Nonso, we asked about how he crafted his version of the character, his chemistry with the young cast, performing his own jaw-dropping stunts, and many other interesting subjects. We've included an excerpt of our exclusive chat with the actor below, with the full audio interview at the bottom.
Literary Joe: Your character is really expressive with your body language, moreso than speaking, at least towards the beginning of the series. Were you directed on how to present yourself, or did you improvise based on the story?
Nonso Anozie: It's a collaborative effort, I would say, but I feel like I took the source material and created my version of what I believe Jepperd is with his backstory and how he would communicate. There is a precedence, and there's a definite feeling that I think Jeppard has, and he exudes this pain and struggle, and hopefully, you get that on-screen as well. I created that character.
And then the great thing about having a director is that when he directs you, he almost coaches you on screen and lets you know when you're losing a bit of the character, or you're doing too much or going too far the other way. So the director was more of a coach for the character to keep him in line. But I essentially created him from a script and the source material.
Literary Joe: I don't want to get into any spoilers, but your character has some very physical scenes. I wondered if you handled any of those things yourself or if you use stunt doubles for them?
Nonso Anozie: No, we didn't use any stunt doubles. That was me during the fight, the whole thing. And immediately, after six or eight months of lockdown, sitting on my butt, I got to New Zealand. They were like, 'oh right. That fight scene is going to be 10 guys, and you're gonna have to do it.' (Laughs)
Literary Joe: A lot of the cast members that you're working with are younger actors. Do you approach that any different than when you're amongst a cast of adults?
Nonso Anozie: I think the great thing about working on sets with kids is that all the protocols are in place before you even get there. And then you're free to interact with kids in a normal playful way.
When I met Christian, we clicked immediately, almost like I was like his big brother. And I felt like it was great, he's a really intelligent kid, really empathic, and he gets it straight away the first time. And that is part of the reason why hopefully it is presented that way, that we have a great connection offset, and that is reflected in the Jepperd and Gus characters.
Christian's mom is a social butterfly. She's really great at getting everybody together; she really is. She's not onscreen, but off-screen, she gets everybody together and created a real family feel in this production, which is an amazing thing.
What do you guys think of Nonso's comments? To hear our full interviews with Sweet Tooth actors Nonso Anozie and Christian Convery, as well as director Jim Mickle, writer Beth Schwartz, and comic book creator Jeff Lemire, click the podcast players below. And as always, be sure to share your thoughts in the usual spot!
This episode features the incredible behind-the-scenes talents that have brought Netflix's latest DC Comics adaptation, Sweet Tooth, to life. We chat with Jim Mickle, who directed the upcoming series, Beth Schwartz, who wrote the Netflix show, and the creator and writer of the DC Comic series Sweet Tooth which the series of the same name is based upon. The team tells us about their research into animals, spending time with Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey at their personal petting zoo, and the process of adapting the pages to the screen.
What a wonderful and touching chat this is. Anyone who is interested in watching Netflix's upcoming DC Comics adaptation Sweet Tooth when it launches on June 4th will want to hear what the stars have to say. We speak with the main actor, 11-year old Christian Convery, about his starring role as the titular character in Sweet Tooth and the research he did on deer to immerse himself in the scenes.
Nonso Anozie, best known for his Game of Thrones portrayal of Xaro Xhoan Daxos and his roles in Ender's Game, Cinderella, and RocknRolla also took part, talking about doing his own stunts after six months of pandemic couch-surfing. We also dug into the charismatic relationship between the two actors' characters and what they do behind the scenes to help build that comfortable comradery on screen in the series.
Sweet Tooth hits Netflix on June 4th.