Would you be someone new if you had a second chance? Get ready to take a dive and submerge yourself into the newest psychological thriller from Apple TV+!
This steamy, and highly stimulating series follows the story of a young woman named Sophie Ellis who recently woke up one morning and couldn’t remember what happened the day before, let alone her name. Vulnerable, frazzled, and confused, Sophie is then told she was the survivor of an attempted suicide after jumping off of a ferry into the San Fan Sisco Bay – only she doesn’t seem to remember any of this at all.
Plagued by memory loss, Sophie works to uncover her true identity, relying only on the help of her husband, friends, and associates she doesn’t remember ever having, and the clues she picks up along the way.
Both starring and co-executive produced by the captivating Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Sophie Ellis), this series serves as the ultimate mind-bending show that constantly keeps its audience guessing.
“Gugu joined us from the very beginning…. she signed on before we even sold it to a network so I’ve been lucky to collaborate with her on this story from the very start,” says Veronica West, creator, showrunner, and executive producer.
Also joining the “Surface” series cast is Oliver Jackson-Cohen (James) who stars as Sophie’s mysterious venture capital husband and caretaker.
“When we found Oliver, it just became clear that [he and Gugu] had this crazy chemistry and this intensity together that could really keep you guessing and make you think in some ways [they are] star-crossed lovers and in other ways toxic,” West says with a laugh. “I think that’s something Sophie and James are still trying to figure out…. but it’s something that makes for great drama.
“Surface” brings the drama and then some; so much so that the script alone was enough to have Jackson-Cohen metaphorically “banging” on Mbatha-Raw and West’s door.
“I hadn’t read something that was of that kind of completing stuff that didn’t fluff; there’s such density to this script and story that I just really wanted to be a part of it,” Jackson-Cohen says when asked about his draw to his role, James.
“The ability to be able to play someone like James…. there’s so much conflicting stuff going on with him; it just felt like yeah, ‘sign me up,” Jackson-Cohen says with a smile.
As for Mbatha-Raw, her character was one that she gravitated toward when it came to playing a “multi-faceted human being.”
“I get more satisfaction from working on stuff that’s more nuanced,” Mbatha-Raw says. While no stranger to taking on complex and dynamic characters, such as her roles “Loki” and “Belle” to name a few, some new challenges found their way to Mbatha-Raw.
“[There were] so many challenges, emotionally, and physically with things like the running, and the horse-riding and the underwater sequences but ultimately [it was] incredibly satisfying; roles like this don’t come every day,” Mbatha-Raw says before giving further credit to her fellow castmates.
Among the star-studded cast is Ari Graynor (Caroline), Marianne Jean Baptiste (Hannah), Millie Brady as (Eliza), Francois Arnaud as (Harrison), and Stephan James (Detective Thomas Baden) who stars opposite Mbatha-Raw as yet another mysterious character from her past.
“To be honest it was just fun,” James says before continuing, “in a weird way I think a lot of Baden’s mystery and darkness and edge is stuff that I have within my one personal life – it was a way of exuding some of those emotions 10x through this character.”
While James says he may not be crazy about working within the TV medium in the long sense, he isn’t completely ruling it out, especially if the story is as compelling as that of “Surface.”
“Whenever I get to do something for one or two seasons, that’s very exciting for me because you get to be in a position where people are living with your character for weeks on end and getting familiarized with you in a way that’s not totally possible in movies,” James says.
“Surface” is certainly guaranteed to have its intriguing storyline and even more enigmatic characters living in your head rent-free for weeks on end, with surprise plot twists and cliff-hangers.
It’s safe to say that Hello Sunshine and Apple studios hit the nail on the head with their latest series, ensuring viewers that all is indeed not as it seems on the surface.
Don’t believe us? Take it from West herself who says her new series “won’t be what you expect”, as they “weren’t afraid to get weird.” If that doesn’t already have you saving the premiere date on your calendar, take it from James, who says that this show is nothing short of “unpredictable”, and ensure that “you will never know where this story is going to take you.”
Get ready to see what lies below the depths of “Surface”, and tune into the Apple TV+ premiere on Friday, July 29th!
