Sense8 season 2 premiered today on Netflix and we got a chance to talk to Jamie Clayton, aka Nomi, about all the amazing things that happened.
When we finished Sense8 season 2 we were left speechless, and it took a while to grasp all the events of the last few episodes. Not soon after we got a chance to speak with Jamie Clayton about the season, and she shared some awesome insight into the show, and a great message for the LGBTQ community.
If you haven’t finished Sense8 season 2 then beware of these major spoilers!
“Teamwork makes the dream work”
How was it filming season 2? Was it awesome being able to travel the world again?
Yes! Yeah we jumped from nine cities in season 1 to 16 in season 2. It was crazy! I really, really, really loved Amsterdam. It’s such a beautiful place. I I did a ton of shopping, met new friends when I was there, it was great.
Also it was wicked hot in Seoul, Korea when we were filming! I’m talking about 100 degrees every single day, unbearable heat.
But I had a lot of time off while I was there and I got to do some exploring and I had a lot of fun in Korea. I think it’s really cool there, like, I went to a poop Cafe! They had the best rose flavored latte I’ve ever had in my life, and it was served in a mug shaped like a toilet! It was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
And of course, I’ll never forget Positano. Positano it was just absolute heaven on Earth.
Sense8 is known for having crazy visuals and this season there’s an epic scene in episode 7 where two clusters start fighting. What was your favorite visual of the season?
Those are actually one of my favorite overall things about season 2, actually. In season 1 the sense they are just learning who they are, and what this newfound sort of sensate thing is and it’s always amazing to see.
Now in season 2, because they know how to visit and share, there’s a lot more sensates within every scene. We’re not just paired off, it’s not just Will and Riley, Kala and Wolfgang and Nomi and Lito.
It’s a lot more like Kala, Nomi, Lito and Riley. There’s like three, four, five up to eight one scene at one time, all of us using all of our abilities.
Like, that really cool scene in the van where we’re busting Sun out of prison and we’re all in the van, and it’s like Nomi is there but she’s also in San Francisco hacking. And Lito is there and he has that great line about ‘When did these guys put us on a fucking schedule?’
Everybody is using their abilities with the drop of a pin, it’s like boom boom boom! Teamwork makes the dream work.
It really is! That’s what I love about season 2, is there’s no learning curve. Everyone works together to achieve something, and no matter how small that thing is it’s amazing.
Well spotted, yes! [There’s] no learning curve, exactly. Because there’s no time! You just have to jump in.
“There’s a lot of authenticity within the words…”
Nomi and Amaneeta’s relationship, honestly, is one of the best on TV. What do you think makes them so good together?
I think there’s two big reasons. First, I’m super, super grateful for Freema Agyemen, who plays Amaneeta. I’m so lucky that it’s her, our chemistry is [amazing.]
I was a huge fan of hers from Carrie Diaries, I know everyone else is a fan from Doctor Who but I’m not that girl, I’ve never seen that show. But I have seen the Carrie Diaries because I’m that girl, so when we met I was like “holy shit, fuck. This is amazing, I love you!”
And we just hit it off! We’ve got so much in common just in life, we text each other all the time. When we were in New York for the premiere we went to dinner together and we walk around holding hands, we’re like proper school girls. We just vibe really well together and really get each other, so I think that is obviously a huge part of it. It helps for our chemistry to be believable on screen.
And the other reason is Lana wrote this character from a very personal place, so I think there’s a lot of authenticity within the words because it’s actually been lived.
It’s not just something that’s being written because it’s just being written, it’s from a very personal place. So I think that authenticity combined with the authenticity that I’m able to bring to Nomi, coupled with the authenticity that Freema is able to bring to Amaneeta, and our chemistry together is just this perfect storm. People just really ship us, and I love that.
Oh yeah, that ship is amazing! It’s honestly one of my favorite ships of all time. Do you think there’s any chance of a wedding happening in season 3?
I mean, that is my absolute dream! OTP, baby! I don’t know, it just gets me all giggly thinking about it.
“The cluster is stronger when they work together”
So about Nomi’s saftey: Her sister’s wedding was crashed by the FBI, and yeah the warrants were gone but there’s still people who were aware about the case. Do you think Nomi can keep her guard down after this or is it still gunna be up?
Yeah, no. I think the minute they became sensates the guard went up, and it’s not going to go down until they figure out what the hell is going on.
Watching the finale, it was amazing seeing everyone actually come together and be in the same place for the first time ever. They were all physically there, and it felt totally different somehow than usual.
Did it feel different acting that scene out? As an actress could you feel the difference between them physically being together now versus every other time when it was just mentally?
Yes, I know what you’re saying! As an actor you’re in those[ group] scenes so many times when you’re filming, and the character is not actually supposed to be there, and it’s just this idea of being there. At the end of season 1, you see us all together but we’re not all physically there so it’s actually this idea of us being together.
And that does read differently. At the end [of season 2] we’re all actually there, and that’s BIG. We’re all physically there in the same space for the first time, and yeah that was different for me.
There’s so much more weight to that. It’s like, the idea of stronger together. Yeah the cluster is stronger when they work together but oh my God, to actually physically be there? Whoaaa.
“…continue to pursue your life, be authentic and be your best self”
With Nomi, her connection to family is huge this season and during her sister’s wedding.
A lot of people in the LGBTQ community can relate to the struggles of family, so what message would you send to those who watch season 2 and identify with Nomi’s situation?
As someone under the LGBTQ umbrella myself I understand the idea of chosen family, and it’s something that I’ve spoken about before and one of the themes of the show.
You don’t really know what it’s like to be ‘other’, or a minority unless you are one. Being in the LGBTQ community we are minorities, and the fact that so many people are not being accepted by their families is a real issue. And those that are accepted by their families are very, very lucky.
But even for those people still, this idea of chosen family is so important because no one is going to be able to hear you and listen and be able to share with you like someone who’s been through what you’ve been through.
I love the idea that the sensates are this sort of de facto chosen family for Nomi. She’s got her family, which obviously is her biological family, but then she’s got Amaneeta and Amaneeta’s mom, who is her new family. And she’s also got Bug and her friends, and within the cluster that’s a new chosen family there.
One of the things that she tried to do in season 1 is encourage Lito to be proud and be authentic, and be more open about who he was so he could find a chosen family and a bigger support system and not feel so alone.
I think that’s the biggest thing, find people who understand what you’ve been through and that you can talk openly and honestly with, just so you realize you’re not alone.
There are people, loads of people, -I remember realizing this- who have been through what I’ve been through. All kinds of things that I’ve been through, big and small. And when you find those people that feeling of not being alone, that can be a huge, huge weight lifted off your shoulders.
And [then] you can continue to pursue your life and be authentic and be your best self, and make all your dreams come true!
That’s one of the best messages of the show! And I love that when any of the characters feel alone it’s so important that everyone else help them feel better and make them realize they aren’t alone.
The show couldn’t be clearer when they’re trying to get that message across: You’re not alone!
Yes! And within that, it’s the idea that you’re not alone and you don’t need to be reflected in a mirror. Like, what I mean is you’re not alone and the people that are going through what you’re going through, they’re not going to look like you or talk like you.
And that’s the bigger message, everybody all over the world is going through stuff and I don’t know why we have such an issue in relating just because someone doesn’t have the same skin color, or doesn’t talk the way we talk, or eat the food we eat, or celebrate a marriage the way we do.
They’re still human beings and are going through what we’re going through, and if we listen then we can have these amazing experiences with each other.
I seriously can’t wait for people to experience this show! Season 2 is so much better than season 1, congratulations on being a part of something so awesome.
Thank you! Season 2 is definitely different. It’s a different tone, and season 1 was all about the sensates realizing who they were while season 2 is all about them putting that to work.