Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, interview

Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo recently joined the cast of films Back in Action, Devs and Wednesday. In Wednesday he is set to return as Deputy Sheriff Santiago starting next August. Can you introduce your role to fans of the series? What will Deputy Sheriff Ritchie Santiago have to investigate this time?

This season we get to see a Santiago that’s ready to prove herself. Off the back of Galpin’s mess, I think she just wants to rebuild trust in the Sheriff’s department. In classic Wednesday fashion, there’s mystery after mystery to solve with Wednesday at the centre of it all. Santiago has a choice to make - follow in her predecessors' footsteps or work with Wednesday to keep everyone safe. It’s a tough balance, normie and outcast and Santiago has to wrestle with that line a lot. 

She started in Port Elizabeth, South Africa,to get to big productions such as precisely Back in Action and Top Boy, How to Date Bill Walsh and Doctor Who. How much determination did you have to put in to achieve your passions?

I mean, you have to be a little delulu to pursue this line of work. To me, it’s like a calling. It’s the only thing I know how to do, inside out! I just knew I had to make it work one way or another. I always knew I wanted to train in the UK or the States, and that’s a whole new level of hard work and constantly challenging yourself to grow as an artist. It’s not the only path to a career in this crazy business, but it’s my path, and I’m forever grateful for that. 

Growing up in Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth, was hard, but my grandmother and my parents really wanted me to have all the options, i.e. to be whatever I could dream of being, no matter the odds. It took a lot of perseverance and dedication, and yes, there were detours, but I always came back to the craft. I had to learn compassion for myself cause you hear a lot of no’s before you get that yes. It’s super demanding on all of your faculties. I am so blessed to have the support that I do. I’m duty-bound to honour it and make myself proud. 

In the Doctor Who podcast she lent her voice to several characters until taking on the role of Nalah Massi in a critically acclaimed series. Will fans be able to hear her again in the role of Nalah?

Oh, I’d love to play her again, but that’s up to the wonderful folks at Big Finish. I’m a big ol’ nerd, so I’ve loved Dr. Who for years. When the opportunity came about to be a part of the “Who-niverse” I jumped at it. I’ll never turn down a Big Finish gig if I can help it. They’re such a wonderful community-driven team, it’s truly something special. 

Who is Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo in everyday life? Does she have a favorite movie or series?

I’m three raccoons in a trench coat. I’m kidding, but am I though? Seriously, I’m just your average gardening queer, total homebody. I love all things nerdy, especially TTRPGs like “Dungeons and Dragons” and any excuse to tell a story. I’m an avid gamer and I read a lot. This year I adored “The Residence” on Netlfix and “Murderbot” on Apple TV+, which I guess means my neurodivergence is showing. 

My favourite movies of all time are Dark City which is this wild noir scifi that opened the door for works like The Matrix, and I Saw the TV Glow, which, as a trans nonbinary person, shook me to my core (I full body wept). There’s a moment in the film where Jack Haven delivers a monologue while crawling (iykyk), where I literally jumped out of my seat and started crying. I felt so fundamentally seen and understood. It’s a magical film! I’d give anything (within reason) to work with Jane Schoenbrun. 

In Back in Action she appeared from a distinguished cast, which included Cameron Diaz, Glenn Close, Jamie Fox and many others. Do you have an anecdote you can share with fans?

What a great time! I think my biggest takeaway from that was Jamie Foxx playing tunes from his trailer/cast tent. There was always this aura of good vibes following him. He would be playing banger after banger all day. I remember once, while the crew was working out a setup, he started getting all the actors to sing together. It was so fun! Sets can be exhausting places, and that just really brought some light into the room. 

Cameron is one of the loveliest people I’ve had the pleasure to work with. She’s so kind and open. We had a brief scene, but she was just so generous with me. Finding solutions for the bits of business with the passports and such. She totally put me at ease!

In the critically acclaimed TV series Devs, you play the role of Angela. What was her role and why do you think this TV series has been so successful?

I played one of the coders, tippy-tappin' away in the underground secret bunker. Which was fun because I’ve dated a bunch of computer programmers, so I had loads to draw on. 

Alex Garland is a genius, having a way of exploring story and the human condition in relation to our creations with such depth. The cast was amazing, Nick, Allison, everyone really. The level of detail, right down to the sound design, which is another little obsession of mine, was superb. I learned so much from that set. I don’t think he knows it, but Alex was so encouraging to me; he’s so patient. I learnt my early lessons about the rhythm of the frame in the brief stints I got to work with him. Top-class artist!

What is Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo's next project, besides returning to Wednesday? Are you currently writing anything particular for your own work?

I’ve been really focused on my own writing. I had a bad fall in Dublin at my flat while filming “Wednesday” season 2 (and I just kept going like the insane drama student I am haha). They were great, and I was well looked after by the team. I’ve been prioritizing rest and recovery. 

I’ve got a horror project (I bloody love horror) that I’ve been working on. It was optioned for a while and then that went away as these things so often do, but I’m nothing if not doggedly tenacious; I’ll get it done! I’ve also been working on a theatre production, which is a political thriller reimagining/sequel to Shakespeare’s Coriolanus through his mother Volumnia’s perspective, set in African antiquity. 

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