EXCLUSIVE | 'Locke & Key' star Sherri Saum reveals she had auditioned for Ellie Whedon's role 10 years ago
For some of the cast of 'Locke & Key,' the recent Netflix series was the first time they'd heard of their characters. Sherri Saum, however, has been prepared to play Ellie Whedon for over a decade, now. In an exclusive interview with MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), she talked about the show, how her character differed from the comics, possibilities for Season 2 and for just how long she's been prepared for the role of Ellie.
The 'Locke & Key' graphic novel was first published in 2008, and despite its popularity amongst the fans, getting it to screen had been a real uphill battle for the show's makers and the property has gone through many different versions before its final Netflix airing.
"The interesting thing is that the show has been through many iterations, and I had auditioned for it 10 years ago, when it was at a different studio, when it was with different people," said Saum. "It was literally like a whole other thing. But it was still the same character that I auditioned for, 10 years later."
Preparing for the role, back then, was how Saum was first introduced to the character. "I did, at that time, go digging in the archives of the LA Library for the source material. I wanted to know everything I could about the character," she said, "So I had a good base when this thing suddenly came back around all those years later. I even dug up my old audition sheet, and I was like, 'This is the same character. Even the same audition material. This was meant to be.'"
Saum then talked about the difference between her character on the show vs the Ellie Whedon of the comics. "The thing I can notice most is that they really kind of develop my relationship with Nina Locke - Darby Stanchfield's character - more than I noticed it being in the graphic novel," she said. "But I think the core of Ellie stayed the same. She's so burdened, she's got all these secrets. She inadvertently started a lot of craziness, unleashed it onto the world - from a good place, but it still caused all this havoc, so she's this very burdened character."
You can watch the interview in its entirety below. It should be noted that the interview contains spoilers for 'Locke & Key' Season 1.
All episodes of Season 1 'Locke & Key' is now available to stream on Netflix.