March 28, 2024

Meet Krypton’s Wallis Day – THE badass heroine we have been waiting for

My first encounter with the 23-year-old came on one of the hottest summer days at the Audi Polo.

Whilst many use this event as their only opportunity in the year to channel their inner Julia Roberts circa that ‘polka dot dress moment’, Wallis tackled ‘reveal and conceal’ head on with a white skirt suit and an unapologetic black lace bralette.

“What a queen,” was my immediate thought and the lewk summed up everything that Wallis is, she is an actress who is so unapologetically her.

But as I call her for this interview I wonder: how badass actually is Wallis in comparison to her hardened Princess-esque character, Nyssa? “I mean I do have to do stunts in the show,” Day declares proudly. Laughing she continues, “We are a similar level! Don’t get me wrong I don’t murder people, but I think we don’t take sh*t! ” See – I told you she was a Queen!

Wallis Day may be the star ofKrypton– a new TV tale based around the origins of everyone’s favourite lycra clad hunk, Superman – but IRL she doesn’t need a coy cape and directionalDynastyshoulders pads to appear badass.

Think of Wallis as the ‘edgier’ British version of Jennifer Lawrence with the vivacious personality and captivating talent to match. For instance, the first four minutes of our interview is practically inaudible for our incessant giggling – such is the infectious nature of one of our best-rising actresses, who initially honed her craft in Hollyoaks.

For those who haven’t exactly been Keeping Up With Krypton, Wallis assures me that you don’t have to be well versed in comic books to enjoy this humanised hoot. “The characters really speak for themselves. I never really knew much about that world until Warner Brothers and DC dumped a load of comics in front me and said, ‘you have nine months before we start filming – so read! ’”

But prepare yourself as Wallis’ skills at building a fully-fledged three-dimensional character in a supernatural setting (a rare feat! ) means much like the actress herself, you are going to be geeking out hard. As she confesses, “I actually got really into it and was reading up loads and watching all the films! I am definitely a bigger geek than ever before now. ”

Nothing could, however, prepare Wallis for her induction into the Comic-Con World which I can attest in the immortal words of Mis-Teeq is so so scandalous, “Comic-Con was literally bat sh*t crazy in the best way imaginable. I can’t even describe it to you. I found it quite nerve racking, especially the panel – where we talked about the show – because it is when the comic book fans stand up they ask really intimate questions about things I haven’t even learnt yet as they really know their sh*t! ” Praise be the lord for Google, then?

Geek chic, however, has never looked so good on anyone as illustrated by Wallis’ equally badass peroxide blonde lid. The process of chopping off her long locks had a metamorphic effect on of superhero proportions on her, despite it meaning she had to labouredly dye her hair every night ahead of filming. “I have had long blonde hair my whole life and when I cut my hair I finally felt like it had caught up with my personality,” Wallis shares.

“I am a bit of a rebel, so I kept the long blonde hair for auditions as that is what I thought casting directors wanted but it’s brought a new wave of freedom and confidence. I am so much more me now. I literally booked three jobs the week after and I think that was my aura and my vibe in the room- that made a difference! ” Her refreshing attitude is making me wanna reach for the hair dye and get scissor happy – STAT!

Going blonde wasn’t the only game-changing thing Wallis pulled the trigger on recently, gurl went vegan with quite the results. “Since I became vegan last year my mood and energy levels have plateaued but in a good way as they are really steady now,” Wallis confides. “I never really feel fatigued anymore – that changed my life, that changed everything. First of all, it was due to the way that animals are treated, and I thought, ‘hell no, I am not contributing to that,’ so I educated myself on what was really going on. But my reasons really tie into one – the changes to my mood are what kept me vegan! ” When I compare it to the kind of clarity we get when one wakes up on Sunday without a hangover, Wallis characteristically howls.

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Much has been made of how the supernatural universes inhabited by DC characters and Marvel stars alike are rapidly becoming more inclusive of the real-life world we actually live in. It’s something Wallis is equally championing. “It is heading in the right direction. I think these are characters who have been deprived of airtime for a really long time, so I am over the moon that they are finally getting their time to shine. ” Can we get a here, here in here? !

But with casting calls infamously being called into question Wallis speaks with caution about the steps we still need to undertake to ensure our entertainment is truly representative. “I think it’s really important that they are cast correctly – that is a really important aspect and that the writers really understand what they are writing about. I think it’s important to get an opinion in the room from the person who has actually experienced what is being written about and point the script, the filming and the portrayal correct. ” W. O. R. D.

But like the character who is born of Krypton, what does Wallis want to stand for a-la Superman? With her growing Instagram following of 213k – which I proudly count myself as one of, after all, Wallis is the definition of ‘girl crush’ – she is all too aware of her growing responsibility. “I think it is really important that with those followers comes a sense of responsibility. It took me a long time to realise that. ”

A new superheroine in the making, then? Wallis continues, “Growing up I had really strong female role models and I think it’s really important to not feel pressure to be a role model but just be the best person you can be. It’s taken me a long time to get to that point, but I am still growing, and I am still learning every day. ” There lies the charm of Wallis, just like us she is still just figuring it all out. Watch this space because we certainly are.

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