'Lucifer' actor Lesley-Ann Brandt says Mazikeen is a woman who happens to be a demon
Actor Lesley-Ann Brandt plays the role of Mazikeen, or rather Maze for people close to her, in the Netflix show 'Lucifer' season 4. After working with Fox for the first three seasons, the actor continued to work on the show when it was picked up by Netflix after the home network axed the show.
Her character also happens to be one of the main reasons why fans fell in love with the show - especially because of Maze's rapport with Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis), the devil and Dr. Linda Martin (Rachel Harris) - and organized a #SaveLucifer campaign on social media. Brandt spoke exclusively to MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) about her experience.
Experience over the last four years
Brandt spoke about how television is so competitive but also said, "When you have an audience that supports you for four years when the show is on air, and also save the show when it gets canceled, it is pretty phenomenal. I don't think I could have anticipated what this role would mean to me and the amazing group of friends I would meet. We would become like family. I mean the character that I play, like how much I would love her. It's a pretty incredible experience."
The inspiration behind playing a demon from hell
Maze, a demon who follows the Devil of Hell is not someone who you would come across in your everyday life. Or is she? Brandt said, "I think we have seen versions of her before. I think the supernatural element - when put aside - I really approach her with a lot of humanity and humility, I don't play a demon. I play a woman who happens to be a demon."
Brandt said she uses her personal experiences to bring forth what the character feels at certain times in the show. "For example, when she (Mazikeen) wants to go back home. I felt that when I immigrated from South Africa to New Zealand I didn't really like the country then. I was young, I was seventeen. It was a hard time for a child to leave their friends, their culture, their country behind. And Maze is going through pretty much what I was going through."
Brandt also felt she is similar to Maze when it comes to voicing her opinions, despite it being the unpopular one in the room; something that the character in 'Lucifer' has been doing since the beginning of the season.
An introduction to Neil Gaiman's Maze
Speaking about the role as seen in the comic book, Brandt recalled that she hadn't read 'Sandman', the comic by Neil Gaiman until after she was cast in the role and when she did read the comic, called 'a giant novel' more than your everyday comic, Brandt fell in love with the character.
"In the world that Neil Gaiman created, so layered and amazing. Really, I fell in love with her. The pilot was beautifully written by Sean Capanos, but I really fell in love with her when I read the comic book. I thought the comic books were so progressive when they came out (1989), and the world that they created was magnificent," she said.
Portraying sexuality with subtlety
"You don't make a big deal of it. It is just who you are. I think there is a lot that the world can learn about from the show. There is just an acceptance of a character. There is no scene where Chloe goes, 'Oh my god, wait you sleep with a woman and a man, wow!' That's like major. Same with Lucifer, she is attracted to a man that she knows has slept with men, but so what? I just feel that through our show we want to show the world that people just want to live their lives. Who are we to tell someone who to love and how you want them? So, playing a character that is so comfortable with who she is sexually, and really doesn't care what anyone thinks, is very liberating. As I receive a lot of fan mail, it is liberating for a lot of people who watch it. I do sense a responsibility to honor that part of her."
'Lucifer' season 4 was released on Netflix May 8 and consisted 10 episodes. The streaming giant hasn't officially announced a renewal of the show.
