In an interview with BuzzFeed News on March 31, stars of the show Yellowjackets (Vietnamese: Những Người May Mắn) Sophie Nélisse and Courtney Eaton shared their unforgettable experiences while filming a “terrifying” scene in the second season.
Courtney Eaton, Sophie Nélisse, and Jasmin Savoy Brown in Yellowjackets season two. Image: Showtime.
Yellowjackets is a critically acclaimed drama series created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson. The show follows a girls’ high school soccer team that survives a plane crash in the wilderness while traveling from New Jersey to Seattle in 1996. The survivors remain stranded in the wild for 19 months. The series explores the girls’ struggle to survive during their time in the wilderness, as well as their lives 25 years later after being rescued.
One of the most haunting scenes in season two sees the girls being forced into a desperate situation where they must resort to cannibalism due to extreme circumstances.
At the end of season one, the character Jackie (Ella Purnell) dies tragically. Shauna (Nélisse) feels immense guilt and does not want to let go of her friend’s body. At the start of season two, the group decides to preserve Jackie’s body at the suggestion of Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown). This leads to a situation where the characters must confront their morality amidst the threat of starvation.
Nélisse and Eaton revealed to BuzzFeed News that the prop used for the body was made from rice paper and jackfruit. “We pulled the rice paper apart, and it was really sticky. We both expressed, ‘This is the worst thing we’ve ever had to do.’ It was genuinely terrifying,” Nélisse shared.
According to the actresses, the combination of rice paper and jackfruit was not intended to be appetizing when they began filming. However, everything changed once it was molded into different parts of a human body.
Eaton described the combination as a mix of rubbery texture, the chewiness of jackfruit, and rice paper, which made her gag multiple times. Co-star Samantha Hanratty had to actually consume the prop during filming. “It was so disgusting that I had to spray a bit of hamburger smell or something on it,” she joked.
In the series, Eaton plays Lottie, the leader of the group. She believes her character should not be blamed for the act of cannibalism. According to her, in situations where survival is at stake, moral lines can become blurred, especially if one feels threatened.
Nélisse also reflected on the harsh realities of survival, as her character is drawn into a darker path in the wilderness during the new season.
To survive in the wilderness, the group of girls must navigate the fine line between humanity and survival. Image: Showtime
Yellowjackets premiered on November 14, 2021. The series has received critical acclaim from audiences and industry experts alike, garnering seven nominations at the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards. The second season premiered on March 26. The show is expected to have a third season as well.
Source: Insider
