\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div><\/div> \t\t\t\t\tMcQueen silk parachute dress; The Finest Stack 14-karat yellow gold earrings.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCharlotte Ellis\/WWD<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tAfter a bloody, final job alongside his longtime lieutenant Little John, the injured and limping Robin spends his final months in a remote, hillside priory run by Comer\u2019s Sister Brigid, a religious mystic with her own demons who helps him heal physically and spiritually.\u00a0<\/p>\n The role was quiet, mediative \u2014 and a challenge for the 33-year-old actress. But Comer is always one to push her limits, defy convention, and take on roles that are dark, nuanced and not pretty. She is an actress with a capital \u201cA,\u201d and despite winning BAFTA, Emmy, Tony, Olivier and myriad other awards, which she keeps on a desk in her spare room at her London home, Comer is determined to prove herself and fulfill her potential.<\/p>\n \n\tBody and Soul<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tShe worked hard on Brigid, reading books about 13th century healing, medicine and alchemy, tapping into the character\u2019s thoughts on mythology and philosophy and channeling her poise and grace in the face of so much tragedy.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMy energy is not still, and the role is different to how I operate as a person. But what I admired about Brigid was her ability to be a keen listener and observer. And while it was definitely a change for me, I felt so held by the material and trusted the director,\u201d says Comer, who\u2019s reclining on a sofa in a private London home surrounded by greenery. <\/p>\n \n\tShe\u2019s just torn open a little pack of Haribo gummies after a long day\u2019s shoot, and is chewing thoughtfully. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThere were so many undercurrents to Brigid. She is having to hold so much in, but she\u2019s still a matriarch with so many people seeking her lead and her care,\u201d says Comer, adding that it took one read of the Robin Hood script for her to say \u201cyes\u201d to the project. She\u2019d been eager to work with Sarnoski ever since she saw his 2021 film \u201cPig,\u201d about a reclusive truffle hunter whose beloved pig is kidnapped. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s rare to sit down with a script that feels complete \u2014 and sings! It was stunning. It felt poetic and I found Brigid\u2019s poise and grace really inspiring. She is able to transmute her pain, and not meet violence with violence, and I found myself pondering how I would behave if I was confronted with someone from the past who had inflicted so much pain on me,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \n\tComer was also fascinated by her research, and in particular attitudes to the body and soul during the Middle Ages. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAt the time Brigid was treating people there was a fundamental sense of hope, and belief in the self. The soul and spirituality were just as an important as physical and matter. Body parts were associated with astrological signs, and there was this kind of notion of people being linked up to something greater. Brigid tells stories, and at the time there would have been song and prayer to help with [a sick person\u2019s] morale,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \n\tComer herself is a natural carer. Midway through the interview, she lays a little blanket near her feet for the dog, who is keeping a close eye on proceedings. She keeps a bowl in the same bag as the blanket, while a retractable leash sits on a nearby chair. The dog has a name, but she wants to keep it private. <\/p>\n \n\tWhen it comes to herself, she\u2019s more open, talking about fashion and what she wears. For the interview, Comer is in a variation of her day-to-day uniform of jeans and trainers. The jeans are Agolde, the trainers are leopard print Adidas x Wales Bonner<\/a> Sambas, and the top is a cute Free People cardigan that resembles vintage thermal underwear. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMy dream outfit is me looking like I\u2019m in some kind of pajamas,\u201d she says with a laugh, although she\u2019s happy to go glam, too. She names Givenchy<\/a>\u2018s Sarah Burton<\/a> as one of her favorite designers, and wears Khaite, Alex Eagle, vintage Chlo\u00e9 (which she picked up at Selfridges) and The Row, although the latter is only for special occasions due to its famously hefty price tag.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIf I\u2019m going in on The Row, I have to really justify it,\u201d she says with a laugh.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tAla\u00efa cotton coat with embroidered silk fringes and patent calfskin leather sandals; Bulgari 18-karat yellow gold Vimini earrings.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCharlotte Ellis\/WWD<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tGoing to Darker Places<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tThe relationship between body and spirit also plays a big part in one of Comer\u2019s upcoming projects, a musical film called \u201cStuffed,\u201d about a taxidermist whose secret ambition is to stuff a human being. She finds a man, played by Harry Melling, on the dark web who volunteers to do it.<\/p>\n \n\tThe musical is based on a short film by the writer-director Theo Rhys, and is cowritten with writer-composer Joss Holden-Rea, who created the original music and lyrics. It is based on Rhys\u2019 award-winning short film of the same name, which was released in 2021.<\/p>\n \n\tAfter reading the script, and listening to the music, Comer says her first thought was, \u201c\u2018What!?\u2019 I could not believe what I was reading and hearing \u2014 it was just so surprising. The film is macabre, but it is also tender, funny and unassuming. It is stylized, and felt really original. What a breath of fresh air in a world in which so much is getting remade. I\u2019m really excited by it, and I think the people will be surprised when they see it.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIf Comer has her way, \u201cStuffed\u201d won\u2019t be her last body-related horror film.<\/p>\n \n\tAsked which directors she\u2019d like to work with, Comer names Lynne Ramsay, whose work includes \u201cWe Need to Talk About Kevin,\u201d based on the bestseller by Lionel Shriver, and \u201cDie My Love,\u201d about a young mother losing her mind to postpartum depression. She\u2019d also like to work with Julia Ducournau, the Palme d\u2019Or-winning director known for the body horror\u00a0drama \u201cTitane,\u201d and \u201cRaw,\u201d about a veterinary student who craves human flesh.<\/p>\n \n\tIt\u2019s difficult to imagine those dark yearnings coming from a dog mom who loves yoga, holiday cooking classes and spending quality time with her family when she\u2019s back home in Liverpool.<\/p>\n \n\tBut Comer has clear reasons for her interest in the genre. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBody horror is usually a symbol for something, and as a viewer you\u2019re encouraged to lean in a little bit more and interpret it. There also seems to be something quite daring about it. There are also quite a lot of things regarding our bodies that feel quite taboo, or that we\u2019re quite shameful of, and [those films] kind of pull the cloak off of that \u2014 which I like,\u201d says Comer.<\/p>\n \n\tShe added a dash of raw physicality to Brigid\u2019s character in the \u201cThe Death of Robin Hood.\u201d There is no nudity or sex in the film, and Brigid\u2019s relationship with Robin is platonic. But he does catch her alone one night, masturbating on the ground in front of a candle-strewn, outdoor altar, under the stars. The scene is discreet, and she is clothed but the moment is intimate and erotically charged.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBrigid was so in tune with nature \u2014 and herself \u2014 I felt like it was an opportunity to move emotion. It wasn\u2019t gratuitous or necessarily about her being sexually attracted to him, but I feel like his being at the abbey and his energy and the conversations they were having probably would have stimulated something for her, and given her a way to release something that she was holding on to,\u201d says Comer. \u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAlthough the scene was never explored in that much depth, that\u2019s how I made sense of the moment, which was almost quite somatic. It was her way of shifting something that was going on inwardly. It was a poignant moment for me, because I\u2019m not sure how much of Brigid\u2019s backstory was going to remain in the film. She wasn\u2019t born a holy woman \u2014 it was a role she took on,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n \n\tJackman says working with Comer \u201cfelt beautiful, easy, simple and natural. There was a commitment and a desire for something deep, truthful, real and epic that we shared.\u00a0Every day I would come away, just being blown away by Jodie and my other fellow actors Bill and Murray [Bartlett]. It\u2019s one of those movies where a lot more is said outside of the lines, and that\u2019s when you know when there\u2019s a real connection. And I think audiences will feel that.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tJason Wu Collection plaster deconstructed cotton metal gauze gown with frayed floral jacquard; Erdem tweed slingbacks; The Finest Stack 14-karat yellow gold earrings; Cartier rose gold, white gold and yellow gold, all 18 karats, Trinity Necklace necklace; Chopard 18-karat rose gold ring with diamonds from the Precious Lace Collection.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCharlotte Ellis\/WWD<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tThe Life of an Actress<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tFrom the moment she started going to drama school as a 12-year-old, Comer knew acting was for her. She originally went for fun, and to spend time with her friends on the weekends, but it got real very quickly. She did small jobs, such as radio plays, \u201cand I didn\u2019t want to do anything else. I just loved it, found it fulfilling and wanted to put everything into it,\u201d says Comer, adding that her parents were supportive, and always encouraged her take responsibility for her decisions.<\/p>\n \n\tShe doesn\u2019t come from an acting family. When she was growing up her mother worked for a commuter rail company in Liverpool while her father was a physiotherapist and masseur\u00a0for Everton football club. After radio, she moved to television, appearing in British series including \u201cHolby City,\u201d \u201cSilent Witness,\u201d \u201cMy Mad Fat Diary,\u201d and period shows including \u201cLady Chatterley\u2019s Lover,\u201d and \u201cThe White Princess.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tSince her breakthrough role in \u201cKilling Eve,\u201d she has appeared in myriad feature films including \u201cStar Wars: Episode IX \u2014 The Rise of Skywalker,\u201d \u201cThe Last Duel,\u201d \u201cThe End We Start From,\u201d and \u201c28 Years Later.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn March, Comer wrapped a sell-out U.K. and Ireland tour of \u201cPrima Facie,\u201d a one-woman show where she plays a thrusting, working class barrister who defends men accused of sexual assault, and then becomes a victim. In 2023, she scooped a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award for her performances on Broadway and in London\u2019s West End.<\/p>\n \n\tIn addition to \u201cThe Death of Robin Hood,\u201d and \u201cStuffed,\u201d upcoming projects include \u201cThe Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde,\u201d a psychological thriller directed by Kenneth Branagh who last year compared Comer to Meryl Streep. \u201cI consider myself fortunate to have worked with her at this stage in her career,\u201d he told The Times of London last year. \u201cAs somebody once said of the young Streep, \u2018I wish I had shares in her future.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tJust like Streep, Comer also has a gift for accents, local and foreign. She may speak with a strong Scouse, or Liverpool lilt, but in \u201cKilling Eve\u201d she speaks English and Italian with a Russian accent, and slips easily between posh English, Australian, nasal New Yawk, French and German. She can also do regional English accents, including Essex and Newcastle, the latter of which she had to put on for \u201c28 Years Later.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tComer was born with the talent, but she also works at it. \u201cI think I just have a good ear. I was always doing silly impressions and stuff at home, or if there was an advert [on TV or radio] with an accent, me and my dad would always joke around and do it. So when it came to doing auditions, I wasn\u2019t scared of trying\u201d she says. <\/p>\n \n\tShe still does a lot of prep.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI probably got a bit out of hand on \u2018Killing Eve,\u2019 and it is always important to me to do an accent for a reason. Some come easier than others, but you want it to feel authentic, and you want to get to a point where you\u2019re not having to think about it.\u201d She says the Newcastle, or Geordie, accent needed a lot of work \u201cbecause I wanted it to be an authentic portrayal.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tComer was proud to take \u201cPrima Facie\u2019s\u201d Liverpudlian barrister, Tessa Ensler, to Broadway and showcase her native accent in America.<\/p>\n \n\tPhoebe Waller-Bridge, creator, head writer, and executive producer of the first season of\u00a0\u201cKilling Eve,\u201d says Comer has enormous range. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cShe has the ability to go from glacier to blow torch in a matter of seconds. She is dexterous as hell, and so exciting on set \u2014 without any ego. She\u2019s a professional firework \u2014 always emotionally truthful while being constantly surprising. I loved her innate sense of mischief, and her ability to show all the colors of a character in a look. That superpower of hers is what powered Villanelle. She\u2019s the dream,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \n\tSarnoski also admires Comer\u2019s protean qualities, and wanted her to play Brigid for a number of reasons, including the \u201cchildish sweetness she can access \u2014 which you see in \u2018Killing Eve.\u2019 But she also has this depth, poise and mystery to her in a lot of other roles. She feels weirdly ageless and outside of time \u2014 both young and seemingly ancient, with a complexity and range that the prioress needed.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tVictoria Beckham wool jacket and trousers; Calvin Klein Collection viscose and silk dress; Khaite leather pumps; Christina Caruso 14-karat yellow gold-plated brass \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCharlotte Ellis\/WWD<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tThe Road Ahead <\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tComer wants to do more of everything \u2014 more stage, screen and TV \u2014 as long as she\u2019s acting and learning. She loved \u201cPrima Facie,\u201d and would like to return to the stage with an ensemble cast.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe beautiful thing about theater is there\u2019s room for experimentation and playfulness. You have that immediate relationship with the audience, and it\u2019s very kinetic and alive. There are a million possibilities and opportunities every night to explore something new, unlike TV or film which both have a finality to them. The theater is more of an actor\u2019s medium, because once you go on stage, it\u2019s your show. If you want to try something, you have the freedom to do it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe stage is also very exposing, which is why I wanted to do \u2018Prima Facie\u2019 in the first place. I was scared of it, and I didn\u2019t know how I was going to get to a point of being able to do it. But I knew that within that journey there was going to be a tremendous amount of growth. There\u2019s also a discipline to theater. You have to look after yourself, protect your voice, use different muscles and tell a story through every fiber of your body. There are no close-ups.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Ala\u00efa](\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-wwd-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
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\noval earrings and 14-karat yellow gold plated brass Triple ring; Bulgari B.zero 18-karat yellow gold and stainless steel
\ntwo-band ring; Cartier rose gold, white gold and yellow, all 18 karats, gold Trinity ring.<\/span><\/p>\n