August 5, 2022, will be the day when the most awaited show, The Sandman, will stream on Netflix. The Sandman is the adaptation of a comic book of the same name by Neil Gaiman. A standout part about the show is its take on a mythical character like Death. The representation of death in the show is not traditional. The Netflix Original will see Kirby Howell-Baptiste donning the role known for its free-spirited nature. With such an unconventional role, one might wonder how Kirby prepared for her role or how her general experience in the show was. Well, lucky for us, the actress recently opened up all about it in an interview.

This is how The Sandman represents Death in the show!

The depiction of Death by Neil Gaiman is not how normally one would imagine. The Death of Gaiman is vibrant and a lively woman who’s just doing her job. To cast this dark character who has a jolly personality would have been a difficult job. But the casting directors didn’t have to look too far. Kirby Howell-Baptiste, one of the most famous and talented artists, has created her name as a comedian. This English actor has starred in The Good Place, Barry, Veronica Mars, and even in the dark comedy named Killing Eve. 

Kirby Howell-Baptiste, in a recent interview, opened up about her character of Death in the upcoming Netflix Original. This character is the opposite of her personality. She says that she comes somewhere between Death and Dream. She also talks about how she could adapt the character the way she wanted because she played with the character. The general idea of Death differs from what she has to portray on-screen. Therefore, to prepare for the character, she had to interpret it according to her own understanding. “I was given a lot of creative freedom from the beginning was that (The Sandman’s) idea of Death is completely different,” says the actor. 

Kirby has been a fan of Neil Gaiman’s writings. She had read The Sandman way back. Death was her favorite character, and to play her favorite character is so exciting for her. According to her, Death is not as scary because she is the life and soul of the party, and it’s someone that you’d love to be around. Indeed a paradoxical statement of what one would think about Death, but this is what Gaiman’s Death is.

Kirby says that this character helps deal with loss. “I think we all would hope for our loved ones when they go, and also obviously when we go, that we are taken care of,” says her about her changed perspective about death. Playing this character helped Kirby on a personal level as well, and she’s happy about it. 

Now, the fans would have to wait and see how this character would be. Are you also curious to find out how Death can be so cheerful? Will Death be able to help the viewers the way it helped the actor herself? Let’s wait for a few more days to find out if the show could fulfill the expectations of the fans or not.