School is almost back in session, both IRL and at Nevermore. Part one of Wednesday season 2 hits Netflix on August 6, and the show's cast started celebrations on July 30 with a world premiere and special screening at the iconic Central Hall Westminster in the British capital.
The cast of the show, including Thing, congregated in central London for the special occasion, which marked the first time audiences saw beloved actors like Jenna Ortega and Emma Myers rubbing shoulders with new cast additions like newcomer Evie Templeton.
To commemorate the show's return and premiere, Evie Templeton took Teen Vogue behind the scenes while getting ready for the purple carpet while spilling the beans on her character, Agnes DeMille, and the mischief she'll be up to when the school year starts. Read our chat with the rising star, and see exclusive photos from the evening, below.
Evie Templeton: I know! I'm very, very, very excited. I am a little bit nervous too because it's my first red carpet. So, yes, I'm nervous but it should be a lot of fun. It'll be great.
ET: Well, I have my family here with me today, which is nice to stay grounded and relaxed. And I think also just like breathing. [Laughs.] It might sound a little bit silly, but remembering to breathe and take deep breaths I think is something I find is really important for staying cool and calm.
ET: Yeah, a hundred percent. Triangle breathing is what I do. It's really good. You breathe in for three, hold for three, and then breathe out for three. It's really nice.
ET: I'm more of a coffee kind of girl.
ET: No, probably not. [Laughs.] It'll probably actually make them worse, but yeah, iced coffee is my drink of choice.
ET: We'll probably start maybe in 30 or 45 minutes, once everyone's all set and ready to go. But yeah, in terms of hair and makeup, I've got the wonderful Patrick [Wilson] and Gina [Kane] here to help me out. And then we'll probably get ready a little bit after that and then head over. It should be very exciting. I can't wait to get all glammed up.
ET: It's definitely lived up to expectations. I mean, it's absolutely beautiful. It's all been very relaxed so far, and I think the team's fantastic. They'll keep it nice and low key and calm as well, but I'm excited to get on the road car. It's something I've always dreamed about doing, so it's crazy. It's a bit of a pinch-me moment.
ET: Well, they're gorgeous dresses. I remember seeing them both on the rail and thinking that they were definitely the ones, and then thinking, 'Oh, I'm gonna have to pick between them.' But we ended up [with the perfect solution.] I'm very grateful that I'm getting to wear both tonight. I love Elie Saab. I think he's a wonderful designer, so I was excited [to be able to make my debut wearing his creations.
ET: We really leaned into the world of Wednesday with the black and the embroidery, which are really very beautiful. I think they really fit the theme of gothic glam. They just lean into it whilst also feeling pretty and feminine, and I feel confident in them. I think that's the main thing.
ET: I'm thinking about doing my hair half up so you can kind of see the neckline and appreciate it. We were thinking about maybe playing around with the idea of a black velvet choker around my neck, which might work nicely. And then I think makeup-wise, I'm just leaving it in the hands of Gina because she's so experienced and wonderful, [so we are thinking] maybe a little bit of a gothic hint, but still keeping it natural.
ET: Agnes is a young outcast who's joining Nevermore for her first year, and she really looks up to Wednesday. She hugely idolizes her after hearing about her defeat of Joseph Crackstone. I mean, it was not hard to be a big fan of Wednesday because obviously Jenna is such a wonderful person. [Laughs.] It was just really great getting to play around with sort of the relationship dynamics between our two characters and sort of building upon that relationship. I'm excited for fans to see how their relationship grows and progresses as the season goes on.
ET: Yes, I am. It was a little crazy. I do remember looking in the mirror and thinking it was crazy. But it was cool to see myself in something that I would obviously normally not rock. And the hair team on the show is fantastic. I always think that the hair is like a frame, and makeup's like a mask for your character. So it really definitely helps you get into character and feel like you're immersed in the magical world of Nevermore that they built through season 1, and that we now get to continue through this next season.
ET: It was a wig, yes. But we did dye the underneath so we could sort of braid it into the plaits, so that the frizzy bits at the bottom would sort of match and blend in.
ET: No. Just the bottom bit. Like right at the base of my head.
ET: It was quite funny whenever I had my hair on like a high pony, you'd just be like this big highlight strand at the back. [Laughs.] I had to tell people I was just experimenting. My friends were quite skeptical.
ET: Yeah! [Laughs.]
ET: Maybe I did! A little trendsetter here. [Laughs.]
ET: Yes, she's got the braids down to a T.
ET: Mmm. Not particularly. I mean, I'm a big fan of the Mama Mia movies, so I love the beachy wave kind of look. I love Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried, so I'd say that they were maybe my hair inspiration, but that's not a huge change, I don't think. [Laughs.]
ET: I would say, like we were just saying, I think I also have people whom I look up to and admire. Like I was saying, Meryl Streep is somebody whom I really love. Anya Taylor-Joy is also an actress whom I really admire. I think her work in The Queen's Gambit was phenomenal.
I'd say maybe I'm a little bit more confident than Agnes. She can be a little bit insecure at times. I think she sometimes tries too hard to please people and to be somebody that she's not. But, hey, she definitely rocks the pigtails more than I could. [Laughs.]
ET: I was a huge fan of season 1. I would say it was quite a lengthy process, but obviously worth it in the end. It started with a self-tape, as most things do nowadays. And then I had an in-person and then a couple of Zoom calls, and my final audition was a chemistry read with Emma and Jenna, which was incredible. It felt very surreal.
ET: It was honestly a really magical moment in my life. It was yet another pinch-me moment. I remember it was one of those odd occasions where my whole family was in the house. And when I got the call, it was just fantastic. I think I ate a lot of ice cream while jumping up and down, and I put on the music playlist from season 1 on Spotify on full blast [Laughs.]
ET: Yeah, it's like a full circle moment! Again, I'm very grateful that they could all be here today.
ET: I didn't do any physical training in those terms, but I did do a lot of character prep. I made a mood board of my character. I looked at a lot of old movies that had characters with quirky elements because I feel like all the characters in the show have little elements of madness. So I looked at things like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with Jack Nicholson, and I also looked a lot at season 1. I think I rewatched it for probably the hundredth time by that point and studied some of Wednesday's characteristics and then just tried to soften them a bit. Agnes obviously really idolizes Wednesday, so you always try to be like your idol — at least I think so. So that was something that was important to me when I was preparing.
ET: There were lots of great moments. A moment that I remember really stood out to me was the first scene that I shot at Wednesday and Enid's dorm room. I just remember standing next to the iconic painted glass window and just feeling really grateful to be where I was and to have this opportunity.
ET: Yeah, of course. I would say there'll definitely be more mayhem, lots of twists and turns. I think the fans will be kept on their toes, that's for sure. [Laughs.] But it's also secretive, so I can't say too much. You'll have to wait and see.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
GRWM Credits
Photographer: Stefan Bertin
Hair: Patrick Wilson
Makeup: Gina Kane
Styling: Freddie Lovell-Pank
