Anna Devlin

Playing a 10-ft-tall giant in HBO's new sci-fi series The Nevers was quite the experience for 5-ft Anna Devlin. The young actress tells us about the play that kicked off her love of acting, working with one of Hollywood's biggest directors and her love of horror films.

You're currently starring in HBO's The Nevers - tell me a bit about how you landed the show?

I just auditioned for it! I read the audition sides and when I got the full script I just loved the quality of the writing. We actually shot the first episode a couple of months before the the rest, and as soon as we started the scale of the show just blew me away - the level of detail on the sets is so intricate, like you can pick up a book from a shelf and it'll be full of notes!

How did you get into acting?

I'd kind of grown up around it , as my grandparents and some of my cousins were actors! I'd never really considered it as something I wanted to do seriously until I did a play at the Almeida Theatre when I was about 14, called Before The Party, and that just cemented it for me!

Your character Primrose is literally a giant - what was that like to play?

I'm only 5ft, so I'm used to being the smallest person on set! On my first day they had me up on this platform to raise me up to Primrose's height, and I was just sort of towering over everyone - they can't help really help but look up at you, and that was like the complete opposite of what I was used to! Primrose isn't just 10ft tall though, she wants to feel feminine, which is difficult for her with her height. The show takes place in an era when women were very much expected to "be" a certain way, and she just doesn't fit that. I like being surprised by characters, I like playing people who aren't quite who they seem at the beginning.

You worked with Ridley Scott on All The Money In The World - what was that experience like?

Quite terrifying, actually! That was my first big screen work, I was still doing my A-levels at the time - I was actually studying Ridley's films for my Film Studies class, and I had to tell my teacher that I wouldn't be able to be there for the exam as I was going to do a film actually with Ridley Scott! It was very fast, I got the call and then I was flying out to Rome. Watching Ridley work was amazing, as I love his films - Gladiator is my dad and I's favourite film to watch together. Ridley had this tent with about four monitors in it, and after we'd done a scene he took me inside and let me watch as he cut the scene - he works really quickly!

What are some of your other favourite films?

I'm a really big horror fan! My favourite film of all-time is The Shining, I studied one 30-second scene from it for my Film Studies A-level and just in that 30 seconds there was so much to talk about. I love Rosemary's Baby too. It sounds kind of creepy to say I love these films, as they're so twisted, but they're classics and they're so well made. They have such great scores too!

What do you like to get up to when you aren't working?

At the moment I'm studying Classical History at university part-time. I'm doing it just for fun, which sounds kind of nerdy but I really enjoy it! I'm studying ancient African art, which I find fascinating. I do life drawing as well. I love anything kind of art-related!

Words: Scott Bates