Next Question Bonus: Daisy Edgar-Jones

seemed like everyone was watching and talking about Daisy. That role earned her a Golden Globe nomination, and she's been working non stop ever since. Already this year, she's appeared in the f X mini series under the banner of Heaven with Andrew Garfield I'm Going to Put an End to This Wickedness it Is, and the black comedy thriller Fresh opposite Sebastian Stand What's going on? Step, I'm gonna tell you what You're going to freak out. Her most

recent project is another adaptation. She plays Kaya Clark a k A. The marsh Girl in the film version of Delia Owens mega bestselling novel where the Crawdads sing your girlfriend, Now do you want to be Annam Feathers, but the other girls don't know Feathers. All right there. We talked about how she prepared for that role, but also about her life growing up in London as an only child, her acting debut as a very feisty seven year old

Am Boleyn, and what she's planning next. So enjoy everyone, Daisy, I am so excited to meet you. First of all, I'm obsessed with you. I loved you in Normal People, I loved you in Under the Banner of Heaven and now where the Crawdads sing, I loved you, And that is well, you are having a moment, to say the least. How is it feeling right now too? Honestly, have so many exciting roles and to be so in demand. Oh that's so kind. First of all, thank you. I think

it's like, yeah, I feel so luckier. You know, I've been acting now since I was about seventeen, and you know, it's like to be able to play some of the roles I've played is like such a dream come true. And to work with the people I've been able to work with, like, I don't know, I still I still can't really believe I'm I'm I'm able to do that. So I just feel very very lucky. Really. So I know that your parents are both or were in the business. I'm not sure if they still are. But tell us

how you caught the acting bug in the first place, Daisy. Yeah, so I you know, my mom, my mom, before I was born, was a film editor and then for many years and so and then she she stopped to bring me up. Um And my dad, yeah, he does work in TV. He's slightly different, um uh, sort of realm. But I guess I definitely grew up in a nati family who also knew what it was to be self employed, which I think is the scariest part of an actor really.

But for me, like I, you know, I joined the show a company called the National Youth Theater when I was fifteen, because before that I had no idea sort of how you became an actor. I didn't know what an agent was, I didn't really know about drama school or any of those things. Um, And I was really lucky I got into that company and I had an open casting. They did these open castings for a for

a film called The Little Moment. They were going to do a live action version of the Little Mermaid, which never ended up happening, but the auditioned for that, and the woman who who cast was casting it knew my agent was looking for somebody my age, and I met with Chris, who I've now been with a very long time, and really then I got to start auditioning. So it's just really lucky that I went to that audition. You also played Ample in when you were seven years old

and the school play. At that moment, did you think I'm pretty good at this? I'd like to pursue it. I really enjoyed that. Yeah, we were doing so we were learning about King Henry the Eighth and all his vibes, and we were doing a sort of chat show where Henry the Eighth was on and all of his wives came on to burate him. And I played Amblen, who was one of the most pissed off because she had

her head chopped off. And I was always quite like quiet and quite like a good girl, I guess, and it was really fun to come in and be like really angry and sassy, and I think I was like, oh, this is fun. I can get away with saying things I can't get away with saying as myself. So I think that's when I sort of caught the bug and I and I really, I really loved it. You are an only child, You spent a lot of time when

you were growing up alone. Do you think that's somehow fed into your imagination and creativity and desire to be in the arts. I think you definitely probably had a real effect. And I think also, you know, as an only child, I because I did spend a lot of time on my own, I also spent a lot of time trying to make friends. Because you know, if I was on HO a day and those two siblings playing, I would, you know, have to ask to join in.

And and I think, I I love I love that aspect of what I do is that you get to meet such a multitude of people and and you know and play with them basically and create with them. And so I think, um, perhaps that kind of helped me in you know, being more able to make friends quite quickly. But but yeah, I guess I would spend a lot of time, you know, imagining these worlds which we all do as children, and you know, I feel lucky as an adult that I get to kind of continue doing that.

Let's talk about your latest role in as Kaya and Where the craw Dads saying, how did you get involved in this project? And of course this film is going to be so highly anticipated because it was such a hugely popular book by Delia Owens. Yeah, so I I UM. I got the audition through UM I think the summer of and and I met with Livy who directed it and UM and we spoke about Kaya and the part.

And then I got the book and I read it in like two days, and so I was I really read it, you know, imagining how I would go about bringing KaiA to life, and I I just really found her, which I think everyone did a very enigmatic character in UM and I really wanted to be, you know, to get that part. So so then I auditioned over Zoom, which was a strange experience. I've never auditioned over Zoom before. UM And yeah, and and then I got the part.

So it's kind of wild. Why do you think, and I can't wait to hear how you prepare for the role, because obviously Kaya has a southern accent, is the swamp girl, et cetera. But why do you think this book captivated so many people? What about this story? Do you think Daisy made people just gravitate towards it? Yes, well, I think I think, you know, I think the story is is although you know, the the circumstance that KaiA finds

herself under is quite unique. I guess, you know, she's abandoned in this marsh and she she she survives and grows up alone. There's so many aspects of her as a character that I think are incredibly relatable. She's a very resilient person. And I think we as humans are incredibly resilient. You know. We we suffer a lot of knocks through our life and we get back up again and we keep going. And I think that aspect of kai is one that I think we all see in ourselves.

And also sort of the way that the environment is depicted in the Nature is so sort of all encompassing that you almost lose yourself in the book when you're reading it. It feels like you are in that environment. It's painted so vividly. And and then also this sort of murder mystery aspect of it means that there's always it's very you know, page turn and you can't really put it down. And so yeah, I think there's something

in it for everyone. Really, there's love, there's there's loss, there's nature, there's there's sort of intrigue and mystery, so you know, there's just there's something for everyone. Really, we'll have more with Daisy after the break. Were you worried at all or intimidated at the prospect of taking on a role that was, you know, grew and people's imaginations. You know, sometimes when a book is so loved and it becomes so personal to each and every reader, it's

hard to take on that that role. Um did that weigh on you at all? I think there's definitely a sense of responsibility and a sort of slight pressure when you know that the character has already been realized in so many people's minds, and you know, it's the second time I've taken on a literary character. And you know, I didn't feel that way when I did Normal People.

But at the time I had no reference for the shows that are being watched in a wide way because I've never been in anything that was watched in a wide way, so I sort of didn't really know what that felt like. So definitely there was a pressure. But I think what's what's the magical thing is with filmmaker.

It takes so many people's imagination to bring to life something, So you know, the performance is only a tiny aspect of It's also the edit and the music and the costume in the set, and it takes all of these people to kind of come together and and and have a sort of symbiotic realization of a of a of a book. And I think I think that's what's really fun, is leaning into enjoying being part of the creative team and you're all in it together and you can only

do your best. You know, let me ask you about becoming Kaya, because obviously you were born and raised in London. How did you perfect this southern accent of Kaya's and you would never guess that you were, uh from London born and bread? Yeah, London. Well, I tend to work in accents. I I think I feel more comfortable acting and in accents because I think it's sort of access as a whole different type of physicality or characterization that

you might necessary might not necessarily found. So you know, with that accent, it's so miracle and it's so gentle and and musical. I think that it really helped me to capture that kind of essence of kaya, it wouldn't have worked in my accent, which is naturally quite like self conscious and a bit awkward. I think, I think,

you know. I work with an accent coach called Francie, and I'd worked with her on a film called Fresh the previous month, so it was great because for Fresh, I worked with her just before we started filming on Zoom, whereas with this I got to actually have her on set and she was great, so she would run in

and say, we'll just tweet this will change this. But yeah, I find, you know, the more if I can just sort of listen and listen and listen, listen, soon I'll be able to kind of tune into the sound of it. But I grew up in a house full of accents, so I have a bit of an advantage there. How So your parents are yes, and my mom is Northern Irish, my dad's Scottish so and I'm from London, um, so there was definitely different, different sort of tuning and voices to listen to and and kind of get an ear

for it. For I was gonna say, you must have an ear for accents, given the fact that you grew up in this sort of multicultural home, if you will. And what about actually shooting uh in the marsh of Louisiana a k a. North Carolina. What was that experience like because it looked very marshy, daisy it was very mr I have to say, it's funny when you when you watch the film, you can't also feel the intense humidity in the mosquito bites. But but no, it was.

I wondered about that, I really did. I was like, I wonder four daisies being eaten alive by mosquitoes right now? Because I'm from I'm from Virginia and I spent a lot of time in the South in the summer um. I'm not sure when you filmed this, but I thought, oh, this must not be really a lot of fun. Yeah, no it was. We luckily we were marched till June, lie, so it wasn't. We were just before the like intense humidity, but getting there sweaty and definitely mosquitoes like larger miscues

than I've ever seen. They were huge. But no, it was. It was a wonderful place to film, and you know,

obviously it was. It was sort of we were in so the biou of Louisiana and it was kind of um it was you know, um moding for North Carolina, and it was really helpful to film in that environment because it really you could not ignore the nature and like it was everywhere you looked there was egrets and alligators and dragonflies and crazy thunder lightning and it was it was a beautiful place and it really helped me,

I think, to get into Kaya's kind of head. Really it almost felt primordial, you know in a way to see the moss and and sort of the water and you could almost feel that the humidity when you were watching it. But also the beauty issue said with the beautiful birds and wildlife, and I read that you did did your own stunts and you even jumped into some alligator infested waters. Really, yes, although I don't think at the time I knew how alligator invested they were, which

I think was a good thing. I think had I known, I always felt very safe and looked after. And we had people there, we had like wildlife experts who you know, made sure we were safe. But yes, there was there was alligators everywhere you looked, um, which I yeah, I don't know if I'd be able to do that now actually, but at the time I was like, yeah, I be fine, Sure, I'll be fine. But and it was so you know, And what about the stunts. Were any of those particularly memorable? Well?

I remember we had because you know, I had a lot of diving. There was one scene where at the start where Car is being chased, um and um. So it was a scene on the boat where had to go really fast around a cordiner and like more up and then leap out and run and it was like, you know, quite trucky because it was like I had to get through a goal post sort of of trees, um at a really sharp angle, and you know I

was going quite quite you know, quite fast. So that was probably the most memorable where I was like, this is actually quite dangerous. Um, but really it sounds bad. I'm glad. I I also love the supporting cast. Well, actually they're more than that. The other stars. I should say. I love David Straythorne and always have, and I love the both men who play Chase and take two very different individuals um and kind of the the good and evil of relationships. Um. How was it working with all

three of those characters? Yeah, Well it was really it was such a joy, you know, like you said that there's such a star star ensemble cast, and they're also brilliant and give such different flavors. And I think, you know, with Taylor, like his gentleness and kindness that sort of really shone through in that character. And actually Harris, who plays Chase, is one of the loveliest boys I know, um, and I think he did such an incredible job of

like painting Chase with with nuance. You know, we we get a insight into why he acts the way he does, and you know, he's complicated. He isn't just straightforward evil,

so you know that's true. But I did hate him, yeah, I think, And that's again Harris is the Horrors being amazing because he's very hard to hate in real life really, And then I love working with David stra there, and like I spent a whole week of court room scenes just watching him act and and I didn't have anything to say, you know, because I was just sort of

sets up looking quite sad. But watching him performer, you know, he's obviously done a lot of film and TV, but also it's like an incredible theater actor, and I just loved watching him, like take apart these big monologues and and and find light and shade and view them with so much. And he was such a kind person too, so I just yeah, those were some of my favorite days.

Actually was filming with him. Of course Reese Witherspoon's company, Hello Sunshine, so one that option the book and produced the film, and I know Reese was on on the set. I saw a picture of her with you all. So is that the first time you had at her? And does she inspire you to kind of take greater control of your career instead of kind of waiting for roles to come to you actually seeking out and creating projects

that you'd like to participate in. Yes, so we The first time I met her was when she came to visit a set, and that was really cool, very exciting because I grew up watching We you know, and have been a fan of hers for a very long time. So to meet her and then also to sort of see her take in the set the first for the first time the way I because I remember when I stepped on and it was kaya Shack on this beautiful lagoon.

I was like, of course, this was lifted from my imagination really in the book so to see her see that set too, it's really cool. And yeah, I think she's incredibly inspiring and and you know her her kind of company are all about putting women in leadership roles and and and you know, complicated women at the forefront of stories and and I think it's really important. And I had so exciting as a young actor to see that and go, you know that is that, you know, that is the way to do it really is to

seek how it roles. But also if they aren't there, if you create them yourself. You know that that really put women in and you know, in the forefront, because I think we need more of that, and and actors too, you know, giving them much more power and making them less at the you know, left sort of the whims of the quote unquote people in charge. To to take charge of your own career and your own destiny, uh, must be incredibly empowering and liberating for anyone in the business. Totally. Yeah,

I would really agree. Yeah, you have been doing so many interesting, exciting roles, and I'm curious what's next for you, Daisy. Well, I think, um, I think I just like to continue working with filmmakers. I really admire you know. I think what I love so much about film and TV is that you are part of such a kind of collaborate collaboration and such a team. Um, and it takes all of you, you know, to bring your best to kind

of create something wonderful, and I just love that. So I think working with a filmmaker that I admire, you know, working with more filmmakers I admire something I'm interested in, but also playing characters that I have not played before and really sort of h yeah, making the unexpected choices, I guess would be cool. Have you signed up for anything? Are you working on anything now that we can look

forward to? Yes, nothing that I can so say, but you're gonna have to tell me if you tell me, yeah, and you give us a hand or not really badly not but but things I'm very excited about. And one that is also a book adaptation, which is yeah, I don't know why I keep doing this to myself, but yeah, well, Daisy After Jones, it's so wonderful actually to spend some time chatting with you. I'm really happy for your success. I think you're just enormously talented it and you just

light up the screen and whatever you're in um. Thank you for for chatty with us about Where the Claw Dads Sing, and I look forward to seeing whatever you're doing next, even though you can't tell me. Thank you so much for having me than Where the Crawdads Sing is playing in theaters now. Next Question with Katie Kurik is a production of My Heart Media and Katie Kurk Media. The executive producers Army, Katie Curic, and Courtney Litz. The

supervising producer is Lauren Hansen. Associate producers Derek Clements and Adriana Fasio. The show is edited and mixed by Derrick Clements. For more information about today's episode, or to sign up for my morning newsletter, Wake Up Paul, go to Katie Currek dot com. You can also find me at Katie Curic on Instagram and all my social media channels. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. H