Rosy McEwen of ‘Black Mirror’ Shares Insight from Charlie Brooker That Transformed Her Performance: “It Released Everything”

Charlie Brooker is back at it, weaving intricate tales across parallel universes in the latest season of Netflix’s acclaimed series, Black Mirror. In the second episode of season seven, titled “Bête Noire,” we meet Siena Kelly (Domino Day, Temple), who portrays Maria, a talented development executive at a chocolate company. Her life takes a strange turn when an old school acquaintance, Verity (Rosy McEwen), appears during a focus group tasting session.

Maria’s unease grows as Verity, a brilliant computer expert, joins her workplace. While the rest of the team seems enamored with Verity, Maria remains skeptical. As Maria’s grip on reality loosens—her long-held beliefs are inexplicably distorted—it’s revealed that Verity has created a device that allows them to travel to parallel universes. Unbeknownst to Maria, Verity is on a revenge mission, having been one of her childhood bullies.

“It’s silly, ridiculous, and wild,” McEwen shares about her experience with the episode. “It’s unnerving and weird, but also wonderful, campy, and over the top.”

The actress, who won a British Independent Film Award for her role in Blue Jean and will star as a younger Nicole Kidman in Prime Video’s Scarpetta, discusses the joy of diving into Brooker’s sci-fi world.

In a recent interview prior to the release of season seven, McEwen reflects on how Black Mirror has returned to its British roots, her thoughts about Verity’s reality-bending pendant, and the crucial insight Brooker provided that unlocked their understanding of the characters: “That just released everything for both of us. We were like, ‘Ohhhhhhh, so this is all completely playing off a ridiculous quality!’”

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Your episode is fantastic—top-notch. It felt reminiscent of the earlier seasons of Black Mirror.

Oh, yay! That’s so lovely. I haven’t actually seen it yet.

Oh! When do you plan to watch it?

When it comes out!

Are you excited?

Yes and no. It would have been nice to see it beforehand to mentally prepare for its release. However, I trust Charlie and the team completely. I can’t imagine it would ever be entirely off the mark. They know exactly what they’re doing—it’s such a well-oiled machine. So, my confidence in them is strong.

How did Verity come into your life? Did you audition?

Yes, I was asked to audition and sent in a tape. When I read the episode, I was immediately drawn to that scene where she’s drinking the milk—I thought, “I want to do that so badly.” She was such a fun character to portray, and I had a clear vision of how I wanted to play her. After sending in my tape, I went in for a callback and met everyone. After my first callback, I thought they weren’t interested!

It was so quick, which usually signals a lack of interest. I thought, “Okay, cool. They’re not into my vibe, fine.” So I was surprised when I got a second callback, which involved chemistry reading with Siena. We clicked right away; she’s so talented. It made our scenes so much easier to perform, and the set ended up being one of the calmest and most relaxed I’ve ever been on.

How so?

I think because this project is so beloved, it has already established its foundation, and the vision is very clear. Ultimately, it’s Charlie’s vision, and everyone understands what that is. When everyone is aligned toward the same goal, it creates a calm atmosphere. In contrast, indie film sets or new projects often come with a level of uncertainty, as people wonder, “What will this be? Will it work?” Everyone micromanages every detail. But with this project, it was just so relaxed.

Charlie’s reputation certainly precedes him. Were you a fan of Black Mirror before this experience?

Yes! While they did freak me out, I’m a sensitive person. I didn’t binge-watch the series; I dipped in and out because they affected me so deeply. The characters are so human and relatable, and the worlds he creates draw you in completely. As an actor, it’s a joy to perform his words since they flow so naturally. You become immersed in these worlds that feel relevant, and as the strange elements emerge, they creep up on you, leaving you feeling unsettled.

That first episode, the one with the pig and Rory Kinnear… oh my God. I think about that episode every few months; it haunts me! (Laughs) Someone showed it to me, and I wondered why they would release something so powerful into the ether. It’s incredible how a show can have such an impact.

Charlie crafts these narratives so succinctly within 50-minute episodes. Considering the rise of artificial intelligence, do you think his observations resonate more now than ever?

I actually see Charlie’s relationship with technology as quite positive. I don’t think he’s warning us that everything is terrible and we should be scared. Instead, he offers us insight. Our episode, in particular, he describes as a romp—it’s silly, ridiculous, and wild. It’s unnerving and weird but also wonderfully campy. I think he finds humor in the darkness, which is essential for us right now.

Not every episode is bleak; this one, especially toward the end, is a bit silly. Did you feel any sympathy for Verity during the story?

Interestingly, during rehearsals, Siena and I asked many in-depth questions about our characters. We were taking notes, pondering things like, “Why? What does this mean?” We struggled a bit to grasp who these individuals were and the intensity of their actions. Charlie eventually told us, “No, they’re just really petty.” That realization freed us both. We understood that the story plays off the ridiculousness inherent in human nature. We all have those feelings, but we don’t always indulge them. Verity, however, fully embraces her pettiness, and that’s part of the beauty of these episodes—it starts very human, but the absurdity of the world we live in should be laughed at; it deserves to be labeled as ridiculous.

It must have been incredibly fun to shoot.

Oh, it was! I loved every moment. Our director, Toby [Haynes], encouraged us to go madder and weirder. I was trying to balance Verity’s believable sweetness with her eccentricity. How far could we push it? As we progressed through the takes, Toby would say, “Go even weirder.” I’d think, “Really?” It was liberating.

If you had Verity’s pendant, what would be the first parallel universe you’d visit?

I’ve been asked this a lot, and I keep going back and forth. I’d love to accomplish mundane chores—like changing my bed sheets—which sounds boring, but how freeing would that be? On a larger scale, during my lunch break, I’d love to change my reality to being on a beach for just 10 minutes and then return. Think of the teleportation possibilities—really savoring every moment of life.

Verity’s ability is essentially immortal, right? It’s one of the most powerful advancements we’ve seen in the series.

(Laughs) Because it’s infinite! The possibilities are endless. Here I am thinking about changing my bed sheets, but you could cure cancer or address global warming!

I could easily watch an entire series centered around Verity’s adventures in other universes.

There’s that scene showcasing all the things she’s done—dating Harry Styles, becoming an astronaut—but she still returns to the pettiness from her school days.

Did you meet any other cast members from this season? Have you seen any other episodes yet?

I don’t know anything about it. We were all kept in the dark during filming. Siena and I shot our scenes first, about a year and a half ago. We were unaware of how many episodes there were or who else was involved. We wrapped up and didn’t hear anything until everyone else did—we learned about the cast at the same time as everyone else.

Oh wow! Being a Brit, what are your thoughts on the criticism regarding Black Mirror becoming somewhat Americanized in recent seasons, potentially drifting from its British roots?

I hadn’t really considered the British versus American aspects of Black Mirror. What I can say is that at Netflix, everyone deeply trusts Charlie. I imagine that in other shows, as they grow or move to different platforms, there might be more cooks in the kitchen. However, that’s not the case here. Even if the episodes are set in America with American actors, the vision remains Charlie’s, and I believe they’ve always respected that.

What reaction do you anticipate for your and Siena’s episode?

It’s funny because Siena and I kept saying, “We really hope people enjoy our episode.” It’s a bit silly and not as tech-driven or unnerving as others. It’s not the Rory Kinnear episode, and it doesn’t leave you feeling troubled. But then we thought, isn’t that great? There is always room for fun, silliness, and laughter—even in the darkest, strangest situations. I believe that’s always been Charlie’s message.

What behind-the-scenes moments can you share? Did you take home a pendant? Are you and Siena bonded for life?

We are definitely bonded for life! We adore each other. Interestingly, the first scene we shot was the final scene, so we jumped right into it. Our chemistry was effortless.

Props to you both for diving right into the grand finale!

It was daunting, of course, but there’s something energizing about nerves at the beginning. You think, ‘Okay great, I can channel everything I’m feeling into this.’ Fortunately, Siena and I got along so well, which is a concern when shooting the final scene first. If there’s no established relationship or chemistry, it can be tricky.

The chemistry between you two is palpable, especially in the milk scene.

Oh my God! My parents are going to be like, “Who are you?”

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Black Mirror season seven is now streaming on Netflix. For more exciting updates and insights, stay tuned for more from HiCelebNews!

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