Renegade Nell stars Louisa Harland and Nick Mohammed have shared their experiences working with "genius" creator Sally Wainwright on the Disney+ show.
Speaking to Digital Spy about the historical fantasy series, the actors spoke about collaborating with the Happy Valley boss's new show, revealing that Wainwright's involvement was one of the reasons they joined the show.
"She's just a genius. Having everyone involved – how can you not be a fan of her work? I mean, she literally is a genius. She's phenomenal," Mohammed said.
"This show is quite a departure for Sally in some regards, because it's swashbuckling, and there's a fantasy element to it."
Related: Renegade Nell – how to watch Happy Valley creator's new show
He continued: "I feel that thematically it feels very Sally, and has a strong heroine at its heart. There's a strong sense of right and wrong, and social justice, and class warfare.
"She's able to comment on these very contemporary issues but hiding it within this great issue that she’s created. She's phenomenal. She's one of the reasons we said yes."
Harland — who plays the show's protagonist Nell Jackson, who's forced into becoming a highwaywoman after being framed for murder — also revealed the guidance Wainwright gave her, adding: "She gave me a lot of confidence."
"She was very involved in the casting process, and was kind of waiting for Nell to walk in through the door. For some bizarre reason, she thought it was me, and — it was me!"
Related: Is Happy Valley boss Sally Wainwright's new show worth a watch?
"She gave me a lot of confidence, and trusted that I had it within me. So she gave me very little guidance, which gave me, also, even more confidence with the role. And her writing is so good. It's all there on the page."
All eight episodes of Renegade Nell are now available to stream on Disney+. Written and created by Wainwright, the series also stars Joely Richardson (One Day), Adrian Lester (Trigger Point) and Frank Dillane (Fear the Walking Dead).
Alice Kremelberg (The Sinner), Ényì Okoronkwo (The Lazarus Project) and Craig Parkinson (Doctor Who) round out the cast alongside Bo Bragason, Florence Keen, Pip Torrens and Jake Dunn.
Renegade Nell is available to stream on Disney+ from March 29.
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Brenna Cooper is a freelance journalist, who currently specialises in entertainment reporting. She joined Digital Spy in 2022, writing TV and movies stories for the site. After graduating with an NCTJ accredited Journalism Masters from the University of Sheffield in 2020 she has since embarked on a freelance career.
Brenna previously produced lifestyle content for Checklists.co.uk and has a specific interest in music, reviewing live acts and interviewing bands such as Confidence Man and Amyl and the Sniffers.
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
