FREDDY CARTER
In Netflix series
Shadow and Bone
Photography David Reiss
Creative Director Deborah Ferguson
Interview by Tessa Swantek
Clothing and Accessories: Kenzo Paris SS21
First, I really want to congratulate you on how well received Shadow and Bone has been! You are also set to be in Masters of the Air and are in post production for your second directed work Broken Gargoyles. Other than most likely a bit overwhelmed, how are you feeling following all of this?
Thank you! It has been a slightly mad couple of months, especially after having such a quiet year leading up to it. I was very grateful to be busy but it was a little bit like going 0 to 60.
You have experience in stage acting in Agnes Colander, Circa, The Wars of the Roses, All Day Permanent Red, and Lines in the Sand; What are the differences in terms of your acting between stage and film?
I suppose the main difference is the amount of time you are afforded in theatre, weeks of rehearsals followed by preview performances and then a whole run to figure out what the hell is going on. TV is the exact opposite, you have so little time to rehearse but there is something exciting about the pace of TV and film, about working with your instincts.
Clothing and Accessories: Kenzo Paris SS21
You made your writing and directing debut with your short film No.89 and you are now in the production process of your second short Broken Gargoyles. How did you come up with the concept for No. 89 and is there anything you learned from working on No. 89 that you are implementing on Broken Gargoyles now?
The idea came from a conversation with a friend about how terrible break ups are and we were joking about what kind of person would enjoy breaking up with people. I suppose the most important thing I learnt while making ‘No 89’ is that preparation is absolutely everything and then deviating from that plan is where all the exciting choices happen but you have to have a plan in the first place.
Clothing and Accessories: Kenzo Paris SS21
Shadow and Bone has very clearly gained a huge amount of popularity and on top of it being such a well-done story and show, many are falling in love with your camaraderie as a cast. You spent around a month in Budapest training and getting to know your castmates before filming, can you tell me a little bit about this experience? You have been known by your cast as the photographer on set, do you have a favorite picture you took while in Budapest?
It feels like such a singular experience, to be in an amazing city surrounded by a cast who all get on really well and working on a project that you really love and believe in. I think those experiences are quite rare so I feel very lucky to have been a part of it. And yes, I spent most of my time there trying to capture my cast mates candidly and off guard, with varying degrees of success, I’ve got hundreds of photos of them all with their eyes closed! My favourite pictures are probably a series of character portraits I took of the cast, I was weirdly nervous to ask them to pose for them as I felt like a bit of an imposter.
Clothing and Accessories: Kenzo Paris SS21
There is a behind the scenes clip of Leigh Bardugo getting very emotional upon meeting you and the other cast members in your character outfits- it must have been so surreal to really see her work come to life. What was that moment of meeting her like for you?
Nerve wracking. No one knows these characters and this world better than Leigh. She cares so deeply about it but it definitely felt like she transferred all that love and care to us as soon as she saw us in costume.
Clothing and Accessories: Kenzo Paris SS21
You have expressed several times how much of a huge fan you are of the Grishaverse/Shadow and Bone trilogy. Fans of the books were excited to see you portray Kaz Brekker with many saying that you are what they pictured when reading the series. Is it strange to be the face of a character that you and many others are a fan of?
It certainly felt like a big responsibility, but I think the whole cast and creative team were such big fans of the books that everyone was eager for the show to do justice to the books, I think that really helped.
Clothing and Accessories: Kenzo Paris SS21
You wrote a piece for Backstage in which you write that “No one could doubt my work ethic but in hindsight it’s clear that I was over-preparing and limiting my choices. One teacher remarked that I’d be able to tell you what my character had had for breakfast that morning but I couldn’t tell you how I felt about the circumstances of the scene.” You are such a big fan of the Shadow and Bone books, so in the sense of research I am guessing you knew Kaz very well. How did you stay in the present moment of the scene while knowing about Kaz’s backstory, especially given that the show follows Kaz Brekker before his storyline in Six of Crows?
That was actually one of the hardest things and I’m very grateful to Eric Heisserer out show runner for constantly pulling me back and telling me not to show too much. Kaz’s backstory is so complex and interesting that the temptation is to show it all at once and reveal too much. We had a lot of fun planting little moments throughout the series that reference the backstory which hopefully fans of the books will enjoy.
Clothing and Accessories: Kenzo Paris SS21
In the show, Kaz, Jesper, and Inej are asked to show their talents on stage. As Freddy Carter, what talent or passion would you like to show other than acting? What do you feel passionate about?
During lockdown I was desperately looking for a creative outlet so really threw myself into photography and I’ve become a bit obsessed with vintage film cameras and their history, so I suppose that.
Clothing and Accessories: Kenzo Paris SS21
Fans of the book series and the show love the tension between Kaz and Inej. The emotional pull between the two characters is really very internal as both have to deal with emotional trauma of their own. Can you talk a little bit about expressing this on screen since a lot of the feelings had to be shown rather than said?
You’re right, so much of what goes on between Kaz and Inej is unspoken and both of them are trying to bury their feelings as deep as possible because they’re scared so I suppose I tried to think of it like that, he’s having all these thoughts and feelings but they’re so scary and confusing to him that he’s constantly ignoring or pushing them down. Like I said before, when you know the endgame it’s tricky not to show too much.
The cane is such an interesting part of Kaz Brekker since it represents a weakness and alludes to his past but is also a symbol of strength in its use as a weapon. Did the cane help you connect to your character?
I loved the cane, there’s an episode halfway through the series where Kaz is without it for a stretch of time and it was very strange filming that stuff. I’d become a little bit reliant on the cane to which I think is no bad thing considering how important it is to Kaz.
Clothing and Accessories: Kenzo Paris SS21
Of three of your more intimidating character roles, Kaz of Shadow and Bone, Jason Ripper of Pennyworth, and Tom of 15 Days, who would you bet on in a fight?
Kaz, I think. Both Jason and Tom are cowards in their own ways, the only thing Kaz is afraid of are his feelings!
What are you most excited about right now professionally and what can you tell us to look forward to from you?
I am currently filming a new Apple TV+ series called “Masters of the Air”, it is being made by the same people who made “Band of Brothers” which was such an inspiration to me growing up wanting to be an actor, so it feels very special. I’m also just about to start post production for my next short film, “Broken Gargoyles” which I’m really excited to finish and share with the world.
Photography
David Reiss
Creative Director & Fashion Editor
Deborah Ferguson
Interview
Tessa Swantek
Grooming
Emma White Turle
Web Layout
Victoria Smith
On-set Fashion Assistant
Haruna Jebak
Thank you
DDA PR, KENZO Paris, & Netflix
View the trailer for “Shadow and Bone” here:
