How Does Yellowjackets Cast Cope With Their Favorite Character Deaths? (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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The past two seasons of Yellowjackets have been difficult for fans, as multiple beloved characters have been lost. However, while audiences mourn from their couches, the cast has their own way of saying goodbye: throwing death parties to honor their fallen castmates.
Sophie Nélisse On Finding Out Who’s Next to Go
At the show’s Season 3 premiere in Los Angeles, Sophie Nélisse, who plays young Shauna, shared that the actors rarely get advance notice of character deaths. “Honestly, we find out when we get the script,” Nélisse said. “We usually find out maybe a week before, and then we all get really sad. But what we love to do is we throw a death party in their honor.”
Sophie Thatcher, who portrays young Natalie, admitted that losing her character’s older counterpart, played by Juliette Lewis, was devastating. “It was really sad, and I love Juliette so much, and I love my character, Natalie,” Thatcher explained. “I could cry. I cry about her all the time. It was sad, but I think she lives on in a lot of ways.”
Juliette’s character met her end in the present-day timeline of Season 2, with her final moments spent in a poignant conversation with her younger self, reflecting on life and death. “I wasn’t expecting it, but it had a weird impact on me, where it felt like a part of me was missing, again, because I grew up with this show, and it was such a formative age for me,” Thatcher added.
Finding ways to decompress is essential with a series as intense as Yellowjackets. For Nélisse, long drives home with best friend and co-star Courtney Eaton (Lottie) provide a much-needed emotional escape. “What’s really helpful is that we get to have a really long drive back home, and Courtney [Eaton] and I — who’s my best friend who plays Lottie, and also we live together — we drive together to and from set,” Nélisse said.
“So she has been my rock and the person that just helps me decompress and will just lay on the couch and do nothing, but just the silence and her presence calms me so well,” the actress continued. “Our weekends, we’d always think we’d be out exploring, but we’re usually pretty dead, and we just want peace and quiet, and a lot of meditation and hot saunas,” she added.
Shauna’s Darkest Yellowjackets Season Yet
As for Shauna, Nélisse describes her as hitting rock bottom this season. “We find Shauna at probably the lowest point in her life,” Nélisse explained. “I don’t think she could undergo any more grief and trauma. And I think because it’s so much for her to handle and it’s too much pressure on her shoulders, she conveys all of those emotions into anger.”
“So I think she’s just kind of unstoppable this season and very scary because she’s unpredictable, and she’ll be ready to cut anyone that gets in her way,” Nélisse continued. ”She also has this sense of revenge, and I think she just wants to become the leader and to regain power on everyone.”
The third episode of Yellowjackets Season 3 dropped on Paramount+ on February 21, with its Showtime premiere following on February 23.
