PLAYING THE ROLE OF PERCY SHELLEY

Giullian Yao Gioiello heads A Nightmare Wakes with a racially diverse cast

Playing the role of Percy Shelley is a tall order. Actor Giullian Yao Gioiello does not come short playing the famous author of the early 1800s. The Asian actor heads us a racially diverse cast in Shudder’s A Nightmare Wakes. It’s a testament of director Nora Unkel‘s work with the support of her cast and crew that stories from the past can resurrect through the lens of diversity.

Rightfully so, Giullian Yao Gioiello journeys back to the past and makes the character of author Percy Shelley come alive amongst a dark narrative backdrop. He is the mysterious other half of Mary Shelley who also shadows in her darkness.

Giullian Yao Goiello knows he will receive criticism for playing a traditional caucasian role. That doesn’t stop his inspiration to play Percy Shelley. There is much more to this role in A Nightmare Wakes. Just like his counterpart Alix Wilton Regan, they both have a story to tell. FERNTV speaks with Giullian Yao Gioiello so he can tell his.

The Interview

FERNTV: Tell us what it was like to the casting process for the film?

Giullian: It was a sort of a perfect crossing of paths that led me to this film. I went to University way back when with director Nora Unkel. She had just lost the actor who was to play Percy due to, I think, scheduling. She reached out to me last minute, to see if I would be available to send a tape.

The audition was strange (I hope this isn’t too much of a spoiler) but I sent intakes of two totally different characters. I later found out I would be playing both of them. So I sent them in that night, and it kind of all lined up, and just a week or two later I was out there shooting up in Cooperstown, at Hyde Hall.

FERNTV: Director Nora Unkel uses a racially diverse cast and crew for the film.  Comment on this experience?

Giullian: Well, it was different for sure. Usually someone like me, I’m mixed race, Asian… We just don’t often get considered to play a historical character who is… well, a white person. She decided to do colour-blind casting, so I knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me to prove that it’s not about how you look, it’s about the life you can bring to a character and the performances.

I was excited to take a crack at an English role too, especially as such a legendary poet like Percy Shelley. Nora wanted to give people of different races a chance to be a part of Shelley’s history too. I think it was a cool way to remind people that you can still tell the story while casting from the growingly diverse pool of actors and actresses.

FERNTV: What was it like to do a period piece such as this film where there wasn’t the technology that we had today?

Giullian: There were a lot of candles, haha. Our cinematographer was constantly getting moody shots using the light from the window or candlelight. It was great for Alix and I’s overall immersion in the whole thing. It didn’t hurt that we got to shoot inside of a literal 1800s English manor like Hyde Hall. Generally, once we got into the costumes, it wasn’t hard to feel like we were truly back in the early 1800s.

Who is Percy Shelly?

FERNTV: How were you able to research the life of Percy Shelley to prepare you for the role?

Giullian: Well, it was quite a quick turn around from the audition to shooting (must’ve been less than a week). But I immediately started familiarizing myself with some of his poetry, his life, his writing. I did a deep dive into everything I could find out about him on the internet. He’s an idealist, a promiscuous gentleman (amongst Byron’s folk, not uncommon) but I believe genuine. Although definitely in over his head when he leaves his wife behind and finds himself left with a pregnant Mary, instead of a romantic getaway.

I eventually found he was one of the first people in modern times to promote the theory of the vegetarian diet, which I thought was kismet, being vegetarian my whole life as well. And there were a lot of British RP vocal drills every night, “Garden, Edinborough, ” and stuff like that. I did watch a lot of The Crown, too, haha.

I just focused on his writing, and his relationship with Mary, which was very important for us to get right. It was very tumultuous, and despite how darkly it is depicted in the film. I was hoping to bring in some of the naive love I imagine they were sharing together, too.

FERNTV: What did you like most about the role of Percy Shelley?

Giullian: I really loved playing someone from a totally different world, and era, but who I still felt very connected to. In some ways, we are of course quite different in appearance, in upbringing — but at the same time, there were many parallels as well between us. I, myself, am an artist and writer. I was a similar age to Percy when he ran away with Mary. We both found ourselves born into worlds in which we often question the very nature of it. I like to imagine we would’ve been kindred spirits.

Also, it was just an emotionally challenging role. The subject matter was very dark. So we spent a lot of time opening ourselves up. There were a lot of 12-hour days spent in pretty tenebrous places, mentally and physically. And believe it or not, that was fun for me as well. It was a chance to create two totally separate characters, which was a very unique challenge.

FERNTV: Comment on how men were treating women during this time?

Giullian: I don’t want to spoil the film, but yeah. Men did not treat women well, and Percy was no exception. Some of the scenes in the film were quite difficult for me, just in how disturbing some of the content was. But we (Nora, the director, and Alix Wilton Regan, who played Mary) spent a lot of time really trying to make sure that we were able to depict it realistically as to how it would have been in the time period. Due to its importance to the story, it was vital to us that we show the horrors of deep and rampant misogyny at the time. It was very important to the development of Mary’s storyline and character. But yeah, men, especially when in love, were treating women pretty horribly back then.

FERNTV: Comment on what it was like to work with costume designer Jennifer Stroud?

Giullian: It was wonderful! We had quite a small budget, but what Jennifer and Jasmine were able to do with the costume was incredible. On such a shoestring budget, they really to pulled together a beautiful set of outfits for us. Just made it that much easier to drop into the characters. 

FERNTV: What is your advice to some of the up and coming actors today?

Giullian: Wow, I guess I would have to say, especially to my fellow BIPoC actors, more and more roles that we never even imagine are opening up to us. You just have to keep putting in the work on building your characters in your auditions. Even if it feels like you “don’t fit” or they’re “not looking for someone like you”. You might just find yourself being one of the first people who looks like you playing your next role in a film.