INTERVIEW: ESSIE DAVIS on starring alongside Bryan Cranston in ‘Electric Dreams’ | CROOKES MAGAZINE
The enigmatic new anthology show ‘Electric Dreams’ has hit British TV screens. Based on short stories form the prolific sci-fi writer Philip. K Dick. Essie Davis talks to us about her role starring as Bryan Cranston’s husband.
Interview by Adam Crookes
AC: How did you land a role in Electric Dreams?
ED: The producers just called my agents and offered me the part! A one hour, self contained story opposite Bryan Cranston? How could you say no?!
AC: What was your reaction when you found out you’d be acting alongside Bryan Cranston?
ED: Excited. I loved Breaking Bad! Bryan is also the producer of Electric Dreams so to get to act opposite him in the story he chose to be in was pretty special.
AC: Talk us through your seemingly complex character in Electric Dreams…
ED: Vera is a strong, high positioned lady in a very pivotal government role. Married to an equally high status General in the army(Bryan). They have a public facade of a contented, successful relationship of equality, power and authority. Things are very different behind the scenes. Vera is very lonely in this bad marriage. I’m not going to give any more away. There’s a lot that happens in the absence of her husband. You’ll just have to watch it!
AC: Did you feel any added pressure in trying to convey the emotional abuse that your character has been through?
ED: Every character has a past. What Bryan, Francesca and I all found tricky was to balance how bad the abuse was. When it went too far it made Vera weaker in the following scenes where she is still trying to connect with her husband. It had to be very finely balanced so the audience witness it but won’t judge her as spineless for her endurance and kindness.
AC: With the ideas of the episode diving into what it means to be human. Will some people interpret the story differently?
ED: I’m sure every person experiences a story differently. This is a very intimate quiet story. But I think this story really resonates with what is going on globally both with global warming and the refugee crisis and how each country and person is dealing with these problems.
AC: Do you think that Francesca Gregorini direction and Jessica Mecklenburg’s script helped portray emotional abuse towards women in a meaningful way?
ED: Vera’s story is very personal and yet very familiar. Jessica’s script really reflects that public face and private abuse conundrum. Francesca’s direction really brings out the loneliness of abuse and the depth and power of kindness.
The episode of ‘Electric Dreams’ featuring Essie is available now on All 4 and will be available on Amazon Prime next year.
