Evil‘s Andrea Martin on Acting With Demons and the Terror of AI

Andrea Martin ’s career has included a raft of comedy — she was on legendary 1970s cartoon seriesSCTV — but over the eld she ’s excelled in nearly every genre , with two current projects bring in her even more new fans : Hulu’sOnly execution in the Building , andParamount+’sEvil .

WithEvilheading toward its series finale , io9 spring at the chance to talk to Martin about what it ’s like starring onone of television ’s best - ever horror series , especially in the context of her character : Sister Andrea , a wise , wisecracking , demon - slaying nun .

This interview has been slightly edited for clarity and place .

Andrea Martin as Sister Andrea on Evil

Photo: Alyssa Longchamp/Paramount+

Cheryl Eddy , io9 : Sister Andrea can see demons , somethingEviluses to both comedic and terrific effect . What ’s it like for you filming those scenes , when you ’re interact with these creatures ?

Andrea Martin : I ca n’t get past my business organization for them because , really , I ’m just thinking all 24-hour interval when I ’m with them , “ How are they in these full - body prosthetics ? ” They ca n’t go to the bathroom . They ca n’t eat . It strike such a unique individual . Not everybody can do that variety of work . And then to have to act ! I stand for , honestly , I could n’t do it . You fuck , I just have a habit on my promontory and a really liberal skirt . That ’s how I get by . But they ’re in full prosthetics , so it ’s extraordinary . I guess , I do n’t think I can think of them so much as demons as real people in prosthetics .

I never act with hoi polloi in prosthetics . Well , I guess I did onStar Trek[Deep Space Nine].Anyway , it ’s a very unique experience . You have to stay in type . You have to believe that this is a demon . You have to think that you have to shoot down them and smash them — that a kind , gentle person like Sister Andrea [ is engage ] a spadeful [ and ] strike a demon over the head . You have to really believe in parliamentary procedure to do this show .

Andrea Martin on Evil

Photo: Elizabeth Fisher/Paramount+

io9 : Sister Andrea has a very deep faith , even if the Catholic Church itself is n’t always the most supportive institution . How do you think she approaches finding a balance there ?

Martin : She verbalize her mind . She ’s driven by faith . That ’s what ’s go to guide her more than the Catholic Church — more than anything , really . I imagine she knows her place . She ’s fighting to shift how women and nun are looked at in the Catholic Church . The hierarchy — she ’s sure enough , in all these eld inEvil ’s cosmos , has really talk her intellect against the serviceman in charge who also seem to be hypocritical and look down at woman . But she ’s going to go on because she ’s got bigger fish to electrocute : how do we believe in good and how do we have religion ? The world is a rugged place , and without faith , it ’s really hard to keep your spirits up . I certainly look at the world we ’re in mighty now , so that really made me dig in my heels more with Sister Andrea .

I thinkEvilis calling up , call upon what we ’re inhabit through in the worldly concern ; there ’s both evil and goodness . I call up Sister Andrea ’s journeying is that the buyback at the death of your life story is to be honest , come unobjectionable , let go of all the anger , antagonism , detest , fear , violence that maybe you ’ve been a part of secretly , in any pocket-sized way . And to be capable to say , “ I ’m regretful , I conceive in a mellow tycoon . I believe in Leslie Townes Hope and joyousness . ” I mean , I have to believe that , for good interest . So I try on to hold on to that when I was playing the character .

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io9 : We’ve learned a little bit about Sister Andrea ’s backstory here and there . Was that something you knew about when you pop out to play her ?

Martin : There was n’t really a backstory . When I did the first view , I guess it was just a guest hotshot , and so I tried to play the theatrical role that was on the page and in the special time , bring something of myself to it . But then they kept writing more , and then I just dug a niggling mystifying , you know ? So as the character continued and the series continue , I create a backstory for sure . And some of that backstory you will see in the last couple of episode . They ’re really poignant .

io9 : Did [ Evilcreators Robert and Michelle King ] name the grapheme after you ? Or was it Sister Andrea when you take the part ?

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Martin : I didThe Good Fightwith them , and — this is going to come as a shock , but I never asked them . I never asked them , now that you bring that up . I assumed that it was written with me in thinker , but I could be untimely . If you talk to Robert and Michelle , ask them ! You have it off , Robert and Michelle always have a twinkle in their eye . And they ’re always mightily under the surface with wit . So they plausibly think there was something funny about that . I mean , I ’ve never learn of a Sister Andrea before , and I do n’t lie with — if I had n’t accepted it , if they would have gone to somebody named , you know , Agatha . Sister Agatha . I do n’t have intercourse , but that ’s how it ended up .

io9 : I ’ve been a fan of yours in so many other project — Only execution in the Buildingis a big one — but you ’re also in one of my all - clip favourite horror picture , Black Christmas , and now one of goggle box ’s most entertaining horror series inEvil . As an doer , what is it about the horror genre that excites you the most ?

Martin : I retrieve just being ask ! The very first thing I ever did was a movie calledCannibal Girls , which you probably do n’t know about , but Eugene Levy and I improvize the entire movie . It was direct by Ivan Reitman . It was a funniness horror film . But it ’s terrific ! It was shown in drive - ins — drive - ins do n’t really survive so much anymore—[but ] look it up , I ’m sure you ’ll line up it interesting . you’re able to see it . I do n’t know if Netflix has it . Somebody has it . So that was my first motion-picture show . Cannibal Girls , dear god .

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And then , Black Christmas . Wow . That was a really frightening picture to watch . And then I did the [ 2006Black Christmasremake ] . I think I ’ve just been asked to do them , and they seem like interesting characters , but I do n’t know that I ’m depict to it . It ’s something that I would never see . I get well frightened . I do n’t like horror film . I do n’t like violent cinema . I just like an quondam - fashioned romantic comedy . So , thank god I do n’t have to watch what I ’m doing as I ’m doing it . I do n’t know if I ’d be capable to do it . I just approach it as an actress , not as a horror film actress .

io9 : Since you ’ve been onEvil , a show which often explores the horrors of applied science , has your own awareness been heightened about how applied science might be used in malevolent path ?

Martin : Yeah , I have unfortunately . I ca n’t even babble about AI without thinking about what we ’re leaving for our child . I have an eight - twelvemonth - old granddaughter , and we , her mamma and dad , keep her away from iPhones and iPads and the net . But I think it ’s just a topic of time . All she wants to do is face at an iPhone . And thank god they do keep her away . I hope that they ’ll be capable to do that until she can think for herself . Like when she ’s in high school . But who know ?

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And now with AI , I have in mind I opine AI can work wonders with medicine and science . But when it comes to fine art , it ’s so dire . I reckon people will go to the theater more . I think they ’ll go to the ballet more . I cogitate they ’ll go to Opera more . I think they ’ll go to symphony more , where there are real masses . I consider people will crave it . You know , I want to do as much there as possible , and nobody can change what I ’m doing on stage . So I do n’t know . It ’s a world — you know , I ’m old now , and I just really guess about the future tense for kid . That ’s more fearsome than any horror show for me .

Evilstreams new episodes Thursdayson Paramount+ . And for those who presume : Cannibal Girlsis streamingon Tubi .

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