Simone Kessell on Yellowjackets Season 2

Adult Lottie is described by a Yellowjackets showrunner as “kind of a cool Jesus” – she’s a charismatic cult leader-like figure who’s also a potential threat to her former teammates, and New Zealander Simone Kessell, 47, completely melted into the part, Patricia Karounos writes for Elle Canada.

“As an actor, you get nervous when you aren’t prepared. You get anxious. Your heart’s pounding, and you’re thinking: ‘Am I good enough? Should I be in this role?’ And when you get nervous, you need to do more work,” Kessell says. “I worked incredibly hard on my prep with regard to finding the new Lottie – finding her colour rather than her darkness.”

“This is such a ruthless industry,” she says. “You can be so vastly talented but be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s a bit about who you know, but you also need tenacity and hard work.”

Original article by Patricia Karounos, Elle Canada, April 19, 2023.

Photo by Jonathan Bookallil.