JODIE COMER’S TIME
The Actress Behind Killing Eve’s Complex Villain
The odds were seemingly stacked against 26-year-old Jodie Comer going into the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, especially after being upgraded to lead actress after season one of Killing Eve. She was up against Mother of Dragons herself Emilia Clarke and not to mention co-star Sandra Oh, who was the fan-favorite and could have made history as the first Asian woman to win the Outstanding Lead Actress category. Nonetheless, Jodie’s name was called.
When Jodie Comer started her acceptance speech, chances are every Killing Eve fan was shaken to their cores. We’ve seen the Russian beauty Villanelle — whose real name is Oksana — for two seasons. Sure, she slipped in an out of different accents as she took on various assassin personas, but the Eastern European accent held through. Back to the speech, though. Her real voice is fully the trademark of someone from Liverpool.
Donning a seemingly authentic accent isn’t an impressive feat for an actress. What is impressive is making all of your fans believe that’s who you are and what you sound like. Jodie waltzed up to the stage in a gorgeous cutout white dress, looking more like Villanelle than ever.
“I want to thank… my mum and dad, who are in Liverpool, and who I didn’t invite because I didn’t think this was going to be my time,” Jodie said to a laughing audience. “1. I’m sorry. 2. I love you. I’m going to bring it home.”
Jodie plays Villanelle with a sense of poise and complexity that every actress longs to possess. Some of it can be attributed to the beautiful writing from Phoebe Waller-Bridge, whose prose and ability to write dynamic, enticing female characters will be remembered for years. But it is Jodie who brings that all to life on the small screen.
Jodie’s accolades reach beyond her Killing Eve years, though that role is definitely what launched her into her stardom. She has been acting since 2008, when she earned her first guest role on The Royal Today. Small roles subsequently led to larger ones on Justice, Doctor Foster: A Woman Scorned and Thirteen, for which she won a BAFTA.
There is a realm Jodie Comer hasn’t really ventured into yet: film. Thankfully, that’s about to change. Her first upcoming feature role is in Shawn Levy’s Free Guy where a guy (Ryan Reynolds) finds himself in a video game. Jodie will star as Moltov Girl alongside the incomparable Taika Waititi and good-looking Stranger Things star Joe Keery.
Jodie is also pegged to lend her talents to the upcoming Ridley Scott period drama The Last Duel. With a script from real-life buds Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (who are also set to act in it), her portrayal of a woman raped and blamed for crying wolf could propel her into a new level of fame. It will surely be a feature to look out for.
Jodie Comer was named one of the Stars of Tomorrow back in 2016. Well, tomorrow is today. And trust us, Jodie Comer, it is your time.