‘It Was Thrilling To Act With David Tennant & Michael Sheen’: Quelin Sepulveda on Good Omens Season 2 – Interview
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1 year ago
Good Omens season two arrives on Prime Video tomorrow (28 July)
Catch British-Brazilian actor Quelin Sepulveda in the second season of Good Omens, launching this Friday (28 July) on Prime Video. The hit fantasy drama stars David Tennant and Michael Sheen playing an angel and a demon in an unlikely friendship. Plus, Quelin recently finished filming with Tom Hardy on a new Netflix film, HAVOC, arriving on the platform very soon. We sat down with Quelin ahead of Good Omens season two to chat about everything she has going on right now.
This shoot and interview was undertaken pre union strikes.
Interview: Quelin Sepulveda On Good Omens Season 2
Photographer: Joseph Sinclair; Stylist: Charlotte Roberts; Glam: Alexis Day.
Hi Quelin, how’s life going at the moment?
Life’s good! Just got back from walking my dogs – in the nick of time, too, because it’s just started pouring.
You’re about to be seen in the second season of Good Omens on Prime Video – can you give us an elevator pitch for the show?
The show is a fantasy comedy based on a book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. It centres around an Angel and a Demon who, over their many years being their respective side’s representatives on Earth, have formed an unlikely friendship.
What can viewers expect from Season 2?
A whole lot of adventure, mystery, romance and much more of all those cute little quirky moments that Neil Gaiman writes up so well. We get introduced to some fun new characters and we dive deeper into Aziraphale and Crowley’s friendship, through time and space (literally), as they try to uncover why Archangel Gabriel turned up at the bookshop without memory of who they are and why they’re there.
Can you describe your character?
I play Muriel – a lowly angel (37th Order Scrivener, to be precise) who is tasked with a mission on Earth. They’ve spent the majority of their time alone working away in their office in Heaven, quietly wishing for more, so when the opportunity arises to come to Earth – let’s just say they’re eager to do their best…
They’re incredibly gullible, wide-eyed and very curious. Not gonna lie, I’m 100 percent biased – I love them!
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It’s a star-studded cast – what was filming like?
It was such an amazing experience. Everyone was very welcoming, supportive and just so talented. I really felt like I was given the space to explore and discover Muriel with everyone – particularly with Michael and David. They are very giving actors.
Any standout moments?
Too many! But if I had to choose, my very first day on set was a massive standout for me.
We filmed the scene where Muriel arrives at the bookshop in Soho and interacts with Aziraphale and Crowley. David and Michael give you 100 percent, and it was thrilling to be acting with both of them at the same time. Plus, they’re so amazing as their characters, so it was surreal to be face to face with ‘Aziraphale and Crowley’… It was one of my favourite scenes to act out.
How did you get into character/prepare for the role?
For me, the key with Muriel was to connect with their innocence, eagerness to be valued and curiosity. A lot of it was reconnecting to almost a childlike sensibility to their surroundings – they’re experiencing everything for the first time.
This automatically then had an effect on their physicality, which was made super easy to discover with the rest of the cast. Everyone had a very playful attitude so it allowed for some really fun spontaneous moments.
Are you still in touch with any of your co-stars?
I’ve seen Gloria [Obianyo, who plays Uriel] a fair bit – we recently went to the Beyond The Streets exhibition at Saatchi Gallery which was great. I also saw Nina [Sosanya, who plays Sister Loquacious] and Maggie [Service, who plays Maggie] when we went to New York Comic-Con and we had a lot of fun out there…
Quelin Sepulveda (Muriel), Michael Sheen (Aziraphale) in Good Omens © Amazon Studios
What has been your favourite project to date?
Oof that’s tough. I think it was Good Omens. It’s just so quirky and imaginative. I’m a sucker for fun costumes too, and the costume department in Good Omens was incredible.
I do have to say that HAVOC is a close second, though. I love roles that require a lot of physicality, so being in an action thriller – directed by Gareth Evans no less (I was obsessed with The Raid) – was an absolute dream!
Any roles in the pipeline that you’re excited about? (If you’re allowed to tell us!)
I’m well excited for HAVOC. It’s the upcoming Netflix action thriller directed by Gareth Evans, lead with Tom Hardy, Forest Whitaker, Luis Guzmán and Timothy Olyphant.
I also just finished filming another project, which was loads of fun. I can’t say much about it at the moment, but I had a great time filming it, so I’m looking forward to it coming out.
All very different to Good Omens!
Who has been your favourite actor to work with in the past?
Oh gosh! How do you choose! I’d say, working with Luis Guzmán was so fun. He’s a legend! He is such a Latin American icon, and he has a really great energy, so getting to work with him was an honour. We became good friends – every once in a while we’ll FaceTime, touch base… He even came to a Brazilian restaurant with my family when he wrapped!
Which co-star did you learn the most from?
I probably learned the most from Tom Hardy. HAVOC was the first big project that I had ever done, and he really took me under his wing. When it’s your first time working at that level, you can feel a little out at sea, but he really supported me and made me feel held. The best thing was that he constantly challenged me; he didn’t give me time to second-guess myself. I honestly have so much love for him.
What’s your dream role?
Oh that’s hard – something like Tom in Succession, or maybe I just want to be Matthew Macfadyen in Succession… Just too good.
What’s a genre you’d like to do more of?
Oh, I love a good sci-fi, me. It’s a genre that has such a wide scope, ranging from films Arrival to Alien; I love both.
Or a gritty drama like Warrior or Sound of Metal… Something where I’d have to train or learn a new skill would be fun.
Do you get to spend much time at home?
At the moment, yes, which I like. I’ve been spending time with my family and my dogs, writing, catching up with mates… I do love travelling, though, so I really like being away for work, too. So it’s a win-win really.
Do you live in the town or the country? Which do you prefer?
I live in London, and I’m also from São Paulo, so I guess I’ve always been in big cities. I do enjoy the countryside, especially in autumn; it’s just beautiful. In all honesty, though, I’m a beach girl through and through. Something about the ocean… You can’t beat it.
Photographer: Joseph Sinclair; Stylist: Charlotte Roberts; Glam: Alexis Day.
What’s your interior design style?
I love it when a place feels lived in – paintings, plants… I’d say probably a cross between an industrial interior meets bohemian decor vibe.
What’s your relationship with social media like?
Love/hate would probably describe it best.
How do you find balance in your personal and work lives?
I’m still learning really. Things can change last minute in this industry, so it’s been about learning how to let go and just allow things to flow. Ironically, I can be much more flexible if I have a routine for myself blocked in everyday, like walking the dogs, reading, exercise… It anchors me.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A firefighter. I was obsessed! My mum used to take me to fire brigade open days and events for kids back when we were still living in São Paulo.
If you could give advice to your 15-year-old self, what would it be?
Don’t internalise what people project onto you. Their judgement of you is a reflection of them.
How can we all live a little bit better?
By being more compassionate.
Anything fun in the pipeline – professionally or personally?
It’s nothing extravagant, but I’m super excited to get back to doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! I’ve been healing from a shoulder injury, so stopped for a few months. Now it’s almost fully healed so I can’t wait to get back on the mats this summer.
Quick Fire
I’m tuning into… My Hero Academia
What I’m reading… Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
The last thing I watched was… John Wick 4
What I’m most looking forward to seeing… Barbie and Oppenheimer – and yes, it’ll be a double-feature moment
Favourite film of all time… The Matrix
Band/singer I always have on repeat… This is hard – maybe TOOL
My ultimate cultural recommendation… A walk around Hampstead Heath
Cultural guilty pleasure… Gogglebox
What’s next for me is… It’s errand day for me today, so truly living that wild lifestyle: organising the flat, doing my food shop, then cooking a relaxing dinner… Crazy!
WATCH
Good Omens season two arrives on Prime Video on 28 July 2023. Stream at amazon.co.uk
