Why Y’lan Noel Chose Darkness (and Sideburns) for His Role in ‘Woman in the Lake’ – Essence

Y’lan Noel tells the story of a person who doesn’t have much respect for himself, but may be very honest.

The adaptation of Laura Lippman’s 2019 novel is now available on Apple TV+. It’s a story inspired by the sorts of stories we spend time examining and the ones we ignore.

Noel’s character, a black police officer, represents a lonely one who is unable to suit into the expectations of others. He recognized an element of himself in this character.

“I think one of the things that drew me to him was the fact that he was a loner,” Noel tells ESSENCE. “The biggest thing that makes him a loner is his profession. He’s a cop. He’s a black cop in a black neighborhood. There’s a level of distrust, disacceptance.”

Noel’s character, Ferdie Platt, lacks the confidence he exuded as Daniel in . This isn’t a talented man so stuffed with himself that he can’t get out of his own way during a studio session. This is someone who struggles to get through the day in police stations and on street corners that scare him away at every turn.

“I think part of why I’m drawn to these types of characters, in terms of loneliness, is because I grew up as an only child and I know what it’s like to be misunderstood.”

Ferdie isn’t a flat, baton-twirling villain or a stoic hero with no needs or ambitions of his own. He’s more complex. “It’s just really satisfying for me… to make these people three-dimensional,” Noel says.

Maddie Schwartz, a disillusioned housewife turned investigative journalist, connects with Ferdie. Maddie is played by Oscar winner Natalie Portman.

Each of them works individually to unravel the child murder case, while sticking to their very own moral principles.

The pair turn out to be lovers at a time when their relationship remains to be considered taboo. Noel’s character is more interested in doing what’s right than in following the law. When Maddie tries to maneuver the situation to keep up financial independence from her husband, Ferdie notices immediately. “He’s also a rookie detective, and she’s not short,” Noel says.

His character doesn’t judge her. Noel understood how these two found one another in such tense circumstances.

“She’s a stranger in his community, and he’s someone who, because he’s a policeman, [the] By the Sixties, the infrastructure that had underestimated him had finally found a spot for itself.

Noel used period-appropriate sideburns to assist flesh out his character’s look. The long hair helped him create the facial expressions justly. “I had to have sideburns outside of work for, like, seven, eight months when I was in Baltimore, which gave me some really interesting conversations in public,” he joked.

For the more necessary “inner work,” he read Sixties docu-fiction to dig into his character. He studied women’s liberation and community policing. “I watched documentaries about what life would have been like in the 1960s,” he explains.

has dark themes. It focuses on racism, misogyny, segregation, and violence. Noel relaxed with a visit to Mexico after the miniseries ended.

“I went on a retreat right after filming,” he says. “A dark retreat that many people might consider extreme. But for me, it was an opportunity to just get back to neutrality.”

It was helpful to just accept the “peace and quiet” of the surroundings.

The topics covered in the series are difficult, but because history is rewritten because it goes, the fiction retains a dynamic that’s erased on other platforms.

Noel is a author and actor. He desires to tell other stories that he thinks are necessary. “I want to tell more stories about African mythology, African folklore,” he says. “I’m very interested in these stories about African mythology, African gods, kings and priests. And not only that, but also a utopian world where people are more in touch with our inner powers.”

As for Portman’s character, Maddie, she feels uninhibited, worrying about presenting an ideal brisket ensemble while people suffer. Ferdie wants justice regardless of the cost.

“She’s fascinated by finding the truth, and he’s on that journey as well,” Noel says. He appreciated his character’s commitment to doing what’s right. “He stood his ground, despite the consequences he faced, and I think that’s a very admirable trait.”

Noel understands Maddie’s desire to go away her comfort zone and immerse herself in recent surroundings.

“I think it’s important to step outside of our comfort zone because that’s where we discover the best things about ourselves,” she adds. “I think it’s important to pursue your dreams and the things you’re interested in, no matter the sacrifices.”

is now available to look at on Apple TV+. New episodes on Fridays. Watch the trailer below.