This week, Netflix will play host to brand new series Safe, starring the brilliant Amy-Leigh Hickman alongside the likes of Michael C. Hall, Amanda Abbington, Freddie Thorp, Amy James-Kelly, Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, and a whole host of other brilliant talents. Ahead of the show’s premiere, we caught up with the brilliant Amy-Leigh Hickman, to find out a little bit about what to expect from the series, her character, and more…
Amy-Leigh Hickman stars as Sia in new Netflix series Safe
What can you tell us about new series Safe, and the character you play on the show?
Safe is a new eight-part drama for Netflix made by Harlan Coben; it’s a thrilling series about a man whose daughter goes missing in the first episode and the series is based around trying to solve that mystery and many others that occur over the course of the series.
I play the character Sia. Sia is a 17-year-old girl who seems to have it all going for her. The most popular girl in school, wealthy family and a girl who pretty much always gets what she wants. However, the reason I became so fascinated with playing this character is because she has so much more depth to what meets the eye. She has this real dark side to her which we see more and more throughout the series.
Sia is an only child described as “popular” and “privileged” – is this something we’ll see seeping out of her personality?
You definitely do see these sides to her. Especially being an only child from a highly privileged family, she is always used to getting what she wants, but in Safe we see her in situations where her parents can’t just flash the cash and save her from certain situations. However popular and privileged are not the traits that define her character. There is so much more to her. Sia is a dark and mischievous soul in addition to insanely intelligent. This is what makes her so unique. Which is why Sia is one of my favourite characters I have ever played. I think the audience will be really shocked by who she really is.
What’s her relationship like with the other leading characters in the show?
The majority of my story took place with Nigel [Lindsay] and Laila [Rouass] who played JoJo and Lauren – my parents – and the three of us got on great in real life, so we were all really lucky. Sia is a bit of a daddy’s girl and definitely has JoJo wrapped around her little finger. However, in Safe we see the Marshalls struggle being in a situation they never thought they would ever be in, in a million years. Therefore, Lauren, JoJo and Sia’s bond gets stronger, as they have no other choice but to protect one another.
Can you tell us a little about a typical day on the set of the series? If indeed there are any ‘typical’ days?
That was the great thing about working on Safe; that every day was so different! We got to film in some really interesting places and locations. One of my favourite places to film was in the Marshall house where the party in episode one takes place. It was such a beautiful house; one room actually had its own bar and disco-lighted ceiling! There were so many other different locations which added to how exciting and different each day at work was.
How was it working with the likes of Amanda Abbington and Michael C. Hall on the show?
Both Amanda and Michael were such lovely and gracious people who I felt I learnt loads from simply by watching them do a single take. They both give so much as actors which really inspires me to watch and work. I feel super lucky to be a part of such an incredible cast. The entire cast worked so beautifully together to create such a special final product.
How hands on was Harlan Coben when it came to the filming of the series?
From day one, Harlan was really involved with everyone and everything that was going on. He was super hands-on in making sure everyone was up to date and kept in the loop with every script and story. I love his care and passion for the series; he was such a great person to work with.
The show will air on Netflix in territories outside of France – what are some of your favourite Netflix shows?
I’m such a huge fan of Netflix! So working on a Netflix series – especially one as magical as Safe – was a total dream come true for me. Most recently I have been watching Stranger Things which I am fascinated by and inspired by all the cast as performers. I am a huge fan also of Orange is the New Black and the new comedy The Good Place. That’s the great thing about Netflix – you can binge watch any genre you want which for me is great, because when I am obsessed with a series, I want to watch them all at once, which you can do with Safe!
We’ve also seen you in Channel 4’s drama series Ackley Bridge – what can you tell us about the upcoming second series of that show?
The great thing about series 2 is that we have double the amount of episodes as we did in series 1, which is amazing. We get to delve deep into the stories we touched on when we only had six episodes, and be braver in the stories we are telling. We have some amazing new members of cast and incredible scripts and stories. I’m super proud of this series.
Finally, what’s next for you in the coming months?
Over the next couple of months, I will still be in Halifax shooting for Ackley Bridge! So right now I am enjoying being back up north!
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Safe will be available on Netflix from Thursday, May 10, 2018.
Tagged in Netflix