Tuppence Middleton On Her New Show Sense8 And Working With Eddie Redmayne

We caught up with British actress Tuppence Middleton (no before you ask, she's not related to Kate Middleton) about her role in the Netflix series Sense8. It's a sci fi drama that’ll fill the OITNB-shaped hole in your soul (presuming you raced through the third season as quickly as us).

When eight strangers from around the globe find themselves sharing spooky visions, they must discover what supernatural force has connected them – before they’re hunted by a mysterious organisation which wants to eliminate their powers.

The premise of Sense8 sounds quite bizarre – what first drew you to it?

Tuppence: "First of all it was [writers and producers] The Wachowskis. I’ve worked with them before, on Jupiter Ascending, and I really loved that experience. I was aware they were writing this series and it sounded really interesting, as did my character. First of all she was Icelandic, so that was a real challenge, and I also found the theme of identity really important and interesting. I think we’re all connected, we’re all made of the same flesh and we feel the same emotions.

Because the show has an international cast and setting, did you do a lot of travelling?

Tuppence , it was kind of this big world tour for eight months, we didn’t use any green screens. My favourite location was definitely Iceland, it’s the most beautiful natural landscape I’ve ever seen.

The Wachowskis are better known for their films, like The Matrix. What was it like to work with them on a TV show?

They’re so brilliant and original, and working with Netflix was great because it meant they were free to express their ideas in a very open space. It was an actor’s dream.

Did it feel more like shooting a TV show or a movie?

This project was very different from anything I’ve ever worked on. It felt like shooting a film, it had the production values of a film and we were always on location, rather than on a set. It was nice because we had these huge production values, but The Wachowskis form very intimate relationships with the actors. It didn’t feel rushed, it felt like making 12 mini movies.

You previously worked with Eddie Redmayne on Jupiter Ascending. What was that like?

Lovely! He’s one of the nicest guys in the industry. He’s so talented, but very down to Earth and self-deprecating. I was really lucky to get to work with him. I think he’s just going to get bigger and bigger.

Sense8 is available to watch in full on Netflix