Nyssa-Vex has been one of the most mysterious characters on Krypton so far, though even when layers are peeled away, she seems to become even more fascinating. Part of this has been because of the performance of Wallis Day as this calculating character, daughter of magistrate Daron-Vex.
Several weeks ago at the WonderCon convention in Anaheim, California, we spoke with the actress about the role that is only going to grow in the coming weeks of the series which airs Wednesday nights at 10PM ET/PT on Syfy.
You can see the video below; if words are more your thing, a transcript follows!
KRYPTONSITE’s CRAIG BYRNE: There seems to be so much more to Nyssa than what we have seen on the series so far. How much fun was that to be playing?
WALLIS DAY: So much fun. It’s amazing, because I actually got to know Nyssa as the journey went on for everybody else, and my ideologies of Nyssa definitely changed, and I was genuinely learning at the same time who my character was. It’s amazing to learn who a character is as you go on, because you make really honest decisions in the moment, because you can’t foresee the future, and you’re not anticipating anything. So, I got the opportunity to play it really genuinely and in the moment.
Was anything changed about Nyssa from the time you got the role to the final product?
I think if anything, maybe she became a bit more kick ass. I didn’t want her to just be straightforward; I wanted her to be able to have a lot more physical parts of her as well as what she’s been through in her backstory.
So clearly we have not seen all she is capable of?
Oh no, you haven’t!
Is her father aware of how sneaky she may be?
Yeah. I mean, she’s half of him, and I think he knows that, but I think he knows that she’s highly skilled. He knows that she’s intelligent, he knows that she’s highly trained in combat, but I don’t think he expects what’s coming at all.
Do you know anything about her mother?
No comment.
Were you familiar with the Superman mythology at all before getting this role?
Yeah, I was. My brother was a big fan, so I kind of grew up with it. We used to watch the movies together.
What was your reaction to seeing the sets like the Fortress?
I’ve never seen sets like that. I’ve been to quite a lot of sets, but I’ve never seen a set like this. It was incredible.
When you’re filming the show, do you feel like you’re in a different place?
Totally. The second I get to work, I feel like I’m in a totally different world.
How did it feel for you to see all of the Superman fans being enthusiastic for Krypton on Twitter?
They’ve been so warm and welcoming. It can be a bit daunting, because it’s scary, and you want to do the legacy justice, but honestly? The warmth and suppotr from the fans has been amazing, and I hope that we just really serve them, and they get what they wnated to see.
How did you react to seeing some of the visual effects, like the episode where there’s 3 Nyssas?
It’s like Clueless, right? It’s amazing. I’m blown away. From the watching the pilot, the first time with the CGI and everything, I was honestly blown away. It was what we thought it was going to be on set, but actually when we see it, it matches everything. It’s just amazing.
If Adam Strange is able to change history, if Seg and Nyssa go look at the birthing thing again, could they see something different from Cor-Vex?
I mean…. they could! [Laughs] I don’t want to say too much, again.
Is Cor-Vex the future that she would like to see?
Yeah.
Why should people keep watching Krypton?
If you enjoyed the pilot, it’s about to get a whole lot more interesting. We’ve managed to establish the characters, and now it’s like “let the games begin.”
Krypton airs Wednesdays at 10PM ET/PT on Syfy.