Nell Tiger Free is the 23-year-old British star of M. Night Shyamalan’s smash hit Apple TV+ series, Servant, which revolves around Dorothy and Sean Turner as their lives as grieving parents are upended when young nanny Leanne (played by Tiger Free), seemingly brings their child back to them, with dark consequences for all.

As the hotly anticipated fourth and final season approaches, it’s time for the actress to bid farewell to the role in which she turned in the most memorable performance, transforming her character from sweet girl to badass.

This up-and-comer is, for lack of a better word, cool—really cool. We had a conversation about the end of an era, sheroes and how she’s graduating from creepy nanny to more slow burn scares, this time on the big screen, in The First Omen, a prequel to the original 1970s horror classic.

Full look **Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello**

You’ve gone from playing schoolgirls and princesses, to exploring your darker side in your roles in Too Old to Die Young, and of course, Servant. Have you enjoyed the journey into progressively darker characters?

It’s been fantastically satisfying for me to delve into the darker parts of these characters I’ve been lucky enough to play. I think we all have a little bit of darkness in us, and I think being able to exploit my own insecurities and personality faults and make them ten times bigger, and present them as entertainment, has been relatively therapeutic!

Top and bloomers **Louis Vuitton**, belt **Rose Murdoch**

We’re now up to the fourth and final season of the series. What was it like seeing the scripts for the new season and where they're going with this closing chapter?

It’s always exciting when we get a fresh batch of scripts for the new season, and all of us make our personal bets and guesses to which way the story is going to go. We’re never 100% sure until we’re holding the piece of paper in our hands, and no matter what, every time, every season, there’s always something that one of misses. We pick up little hints here and there, listening to conversations we’re not supposed to! But whenever we get the final 10 scripts, there’s always something that none of us would have seen coming. That’s fun and encouraging, as if we don’t know what’s happening, then it’s unlikely that other people will. Although I feel like our fanbase is insatiable, they keep coming up with different theories, and I read them and think, wow, I never would have thought of that!

Bodysuit **Sportmax**, shirt **Our Legacy**, boots **Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood**, necklace **Hugo Kreit**

Are we in for an epic and emotional conclusion for Leanne, like finding out who the child is and even more nightmares?

Epic and emotional are two perfect word choices for this season! I can’t tell you if any questions get answered. I can tell you that I think it’s a satisfying conclusion and hopefully does the past four years of the show justice and is enough for our wonderful fans.

How does it feel to mark the end of your time as Leanne, she’s such a compelling character, and you’ve played different versions of her throughout the suspense-filled seasons, as there’s been so many plot twists. Did you feel immediately connected to the character?

It feels like the end of an era for me, I grew up playing Leanne, we were both figuring out how to access our power as young women and people, and having a voice, and being comfortable enough to trust your instincts and respect your own decisions. I think that myself and Leanne were kind of holding hands and walking through those discoveries together. It’s been special to me to play a character that was going though similar things to what I was, even though they’re in vastly different worlds and universes, but life imitates art in that way. I don’t think I’ll ever say goodbye to her, I think she’ll always be with me.

Have the characters you’ve played to date helped to build your confidence as an actor? Has it ever been challenging for you, have you had to live up to your middle name and embody that fierce and fearless spirit?

I think every character I’ve played has given me confidence, whether it’s through the experience of filming, or through the experience of the acting, and the two of course go hand in hand. But sometimes the experience of a project as a whole really shapes you, like Too Old to Die Young really taught me a lot of lessons, and Servant taught me more as an actress. I’ve just been shooting The First Omen, and I don’t feel like I would have been ready or able to undergo that mammoth of a challenge, if I had not have had Servant preparing me for the past four years. I feel like I’m learning as I go and watching these amazing actors around me has also given me some great examples of how you should carry yourself in this industry. It helps to figure out what type of actor you want to be, and kindness is very important.

Have there been any mentors along the way, I mean you worked with the original fantasy princess, the late Carrie Fisher, what was that like, did she offer any advice that’s helped refine your craft and given you more respect for the art of storytelling?

I never had any scenes with Carrie, but I knew her socially, when she would shed her work skin, and she was just this enigmatic and amazing human being. I didn’t get to talk to her too much about anything work related, but she was always there and kind, and funny and was just a beautiful soul.

Cape **Giorgio Armani,** blazer **Lanvin**, top **Zadig&Voltaire**, skirt **Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood**, shoes **Stefan Cooke**, earrings **Hugo Kreit**

“I think we all have a little bit of darkness in us, and I think being able to exploit my own insecurities and personality faults and make them ten times bigger, and present them as entertainment, has been relatively therapeutic!”

What about other heroes, or sheroes, that inspire you, either through their personality or performances on screen?

Any young woman that I watch, and think they’ve done a great job, I respect massively, and it’s difficult to pinpoint just one name. I was in awe of my co-star Maria Caballero in The First Omen, because she has this amazing natural instinct and she’s such a beautiful actress and is going to have such an amazing career. So, things like that inspire me, to watch these young women who I get to work alongside and see how fantastic they are. I get more excited to watch careers flourish for women who deserve them, and Maria’s one of those.

So, you’ve mentioned your next major project, The First Omen, a prequel to the original movie, The Omen. Can you tell us anything about it yet?

Well, there’s a heavy religious theme running through the movie, and it’s set in Rome, and that’s all I can really say, and it’s got quite a feminist feel to it. We have Arkasha Stevenson as director, and I would take a bullet for that woman! She was our captain, our leader and I’ve never seen anyone navigate such difficult content and workdays and do it with such grace, and she’s so smart and artistically amazing too. I would do any movie she ever wanted me to!

Do you think all the intense thrillers and dramas you’ve worked on so far helped you to handle the more intense sides of doing a horror?

Towards the end of Servant, we started bleeding in these elements of action and a lot of strenuous physical activity as well as the mental stuff, and those things married together for the number of times and days I was shooting, was amplified by a thousand on The First Omen! I don’t think I could have walked off a rom-com and straight into shooting this movie! The level of intensity I’ve been slowly building through Servant, was the perfect step towards the beast that is The Omen.

Left Top **Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood**, crop top **Patou**, shorts **Burberry**, boots and silver ring **Alexander McQueen**, ring **Hugo Kreit**
Right Jacket **Stefan Cooke**, dress **Talia Byre**, jeans **MM6**, ring **Versace**

Are you into horror? I’m not at all, but I think the most powerful horror films are really psychologically driven, rather than being so much about the violence, what do you think?

I love anything horror or thriller based, I don’t particularly like gore, watching people getting their arms and legs cut off! I love a cheap scare, I’m a sucker for a jump scare, I get truly excited to go to the cinema and see horror films. It’s actually the people who don’t like watching them, that brings me joy, so I might drag you along with me!

Let’s move on, haha! What about other roles you would like to try next, or maybe even expand your career as a writer or director?

The next thing I’m going to do will probably be even darker, haha! I don’t know how you can get much darker, I mean my hair is blonde now so I’m trying to let the light in! I would love to do a rom-com or a musical, that would be such a new challenge for me. I’m quite comfortable in the horror / thriller space, so I think a different challenge for me would be to do something light-hearted.

As for the future, I’m taking it one step at a time. There are a couple of movies I’ve written that are at the bottom of my desk draw, as I love writing. Directing would be many years in the future. I think I have to feel established and safe in my position as an actress, before they let me start doing anything else!

Left Blazer, top and skirt **Miu Miu**, earrings **D’heygere**
Right Jacket and shoes **Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood,** top **MM6**, skirt **Louis Vuitton**, pants **Stefan Cooke**, earrings **Hugo Kreit**

Aside from acting, you’re also in a band called Your Parents, how’s that going?

We’re in a secret gang, haha! We did a couple of gigs and it’s been difficult to line up all our schedules. Never start a band with young guys, because it’s hard to coordinate one man, let alone three of them! I feel like I have three floppy-haired children! I love the band very much though, and it’s just something that’s quite cathartic, it doesn’t necessarily have any professional legs, it’s more a ‘get home from work and go to band practice kind of situation’.

How about combining that musical talent with your next role, maybe a musical? Can you dance too?

You’ll never ever see me dancing! If I had to I would, but for others people’s sake, it’s best not to see me dance! I’m passionate about singing though, I would love to do a musical, acting and singing, it would be a really cool amalgamation of the things I love the most.

Maybe a dark creepy musical, with Leanne’s next transformation as the lead singer and dancer?

You never know! Based on a Christin rock band, haha!

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Discover the full story in our upcoming SS23 WILDSIDE Issue

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Marek Chorzepa

Fashion by Kat Ambroziak

EIC Michael Marson

Casting by Imagemachine Cs

Production by Studio Bajek

Hair by Ben Talbott at The Wall Group

Make-Up by Valeria Ferreira at The Wall Group