A New Thriller with a Twist
Alexandra Roach, a 38-year-old actress known for her roles in The Nightsleeper and Black Mirror, quickly decided she wanted to be part of Harlan Coben’s latest Amazon Prime thriller. The show, titled Lazarus, is a psychological drama that has captured her attention from the very beginning.
Speaking ahead of the release of the show on October 22, Alexandra shared her excitement about the project. She described the experience as a joy, saying it was a privilege to “bring a character to life that came from inside of his mind.” She also mentioned that she had a strong emotional reaction to the script, especially when the twist at the end unfolded. “I thought I knew what it was, and what this world was, then all of a sudden it just became something else and completely turned,” she explained.
The Storyline
The six-part series follows Lazarus (played by Sam Claflin), who returns home after his father’s (Bill Nighy) suicide and begins experiencing disturbing events that can’t be explained. Relying on the help of his sister, Jenna (played by Alexandra), Lazarus becomes involved in a series of cold-case murders while trying to uncover the mystery behind his father’s death and his sister’s murder 25 years ago.
A Career Highlight
Alexandra, who has been acting since 2001, has appeared in numerous popular shows such as Being Human, Inside No. 9, Black Mirror, and Killing Eve. She is also known for her role as Becky in Utopia and DS Joy Freers in No Offence. In 2011, she played a younger Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.
When asked what she hopes fans will take away from the series, she said: “I want them to lean in to the unknown where the lines between what’s reality and what’s not are blurred, and it makes you second-guess yourself.” She added that the audience will feel the same paranoia and unease that the characters experience throughout the show.
Working with Harlan Coben
Alexandra praised Harlan Coben for his storytelling skills, calling him a “prolific storyteller” who is at the top of his game. She was excited to bring a character to life based on his ideas, noting that there was a lot to explore in terms of family dynamics and secrets. “He’s just so good at bringing those stories to life,” she said.
Despite being nervous during their first meeting, she found that Harlan gave her complete freedom to interpret the character. “He gave me complete freedom to bring this character to life. He was there on set sometimes when he was over, and we went for dinners. We sat next to each other and got to know each other, but he was quite hands off, to be honest, and just let me be, and there’s something lovely about that.”
Bonding with Co-Stars
Another actor she bonded with was Sam Claflin, who plays Bill Nighy’s son, Lazarus. “I loved working with Sam,” she said. “He’s such an open and generous actor. We had these quiet meaty scenes and quite long scenes, but he was just so committed.”
Preparing for the Role
In preparing for her role as Jenna, Alexandra took an unexpected approach. Instead of focusing solely on the character’s backstory, she drew inspiration from Glastonbury. “For me, I had to really think about Jenna’s journey throughout,” she said. “I had to delve into what Jenna’s interests were and her identity, which is her spirituality. So for me, I went down a path of being curious into that world, and I learned so much about all of that.”
She even attended workshops and had her tarot read while exploring the spiritual aspects of the character. “I’ve always been interested in spirituality, so when I learned I was playing Jenna, I went down to Glastonbury and took workshops and got my tarot read.”
Final Thoughts
Alexandra is excited about the upcoming release of Lazarus on Amazon Prime Video, which will be available to watch from October 22. She believes that the show will keep audiences engaged with its twists and turns, making it a must-watch for fans of psychological thrillers.
