Tom Sturridge takes on the iconic role of Morpheus in Netflix's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's classic comic series The Sandman, but transforming into such a character took a ton of hard work and dedication, the actor has revealed.
In a new interview with Digital Spy, Sturridge explained how important the physical side of Morpheus, who is the king of dreams and nightmares, is, as well as the measure he took to prepare for such a physical role.
"There’s so many aspects of his physicality that were important to me, simply because he doesn’t express himself traditionally, often. And so the way that he moves, I think, could be an enlightening way of how he can articulate himself," Sturridge says.
The actor explained that at the start of The Sandman, Morpheus is "nude and silent for 45 minutes," so it was a challenge to show that Morpheus was not human. Sturridge wanted to convey that Morpheus was an Endless — one of seven supremely powerful entities that are both older and more powerful than gods. The other six Endless entities are Death, Delirium, Desire, Despair, Destiny, and Destruction. To convey that other-worldly feel of Morpheus, Sturridge turned to the gym.
"I wanted to build a body that felt like a creature and was true to the images that are in the comics. Which meant just kind of… It’s someone whose flesh is burnt away, and is just sinew and bone," Sturridge said.
"As far as how difficult that was to achieve – it was in the sense that it required discipline and working out and not eating that much. But actually, acting is such an ephemeral job. We’re constantly trying to catch clouds when we go to work. To work out is really easy. Because you just do the six things they tell you to do, and it happens."
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Sturridge said that it "wasn't that much fun" to undertake such a rigorous workout routine, but that he was more concerned with the reaction of the millions of fans who love The Sandman and Morpheus so much.
"That was weighing me down more than the weights," Sturridge joked.
The Sandman is based on Gaiman's comic book run that ran from 1989 to 1996 and was published by DC Comics. The story follows Dream, the titular Sandman, who escapes after decades of imprisonment and attempts to reclaim his lost equipment.
Gaiman himself created this series along with The Dark Knight writer David S. Goyer and Wonder Woman scribe Allan Heinberg. The series brings together a host of actors in a number of iconic roles, with Game of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie playing Lucifer, Logan's Boyd Holbrook playing The Corinthian, Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne, and Patton Oswalt as Matthew the Raven.
All 10 episodes of The Sandman are available to watch now on Netflix.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Jacob is a freelance writer who specialises in narrative TV and film.
He graduated from the University of Roehampton with an MA in Journalism and has written for several publications since, including Gold Derby, Insider, and Screen Daily.
Jacob has covered major events in the world of film and TV, including numerous BAFTA ceremonies and the Cannes Film Festival, while he's also been an awards expert for several publications, including Korea's Arirang. His particular areas of interest include Star Wars, the MCU, the Oscars, and Hugh Grant.
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
