Actor Tom Sturridge had to feel out the right voice for his character Dream of the Endless in Netflix's The Sandman, with the source comics' author Neil Gaiman saying that his first attempt sounded like he was Batman.
In an interview with EW, Sturridge and Gaiman discussed working together to adapt the mysterious, godly character to the screen. Gaiman, who is an executive producer on the series in addition to being the writer who created Dream, recalled one conversation they had on set: "I growled at him once and said, 'stop being Batman.'" Clarifying the kind of voice that Sturridge was using at the time, Gaiman added, "He was trying to get a bit whispery."
"It was literally my first day!" Sturridge laughed, although he also acknowledged that the criticism was worthwhile, saying, "But it was incredibly helpful." The actor also said to Gaiman, "I remember you said to me that everything he says has to feel like it was etched in stone. He's never improvising. He has experienced and perceived every thought, dream, and moment, and therefore he knows what you're going to say. That was very helpful."
Dream, also called Morpheus or simply the Sandman, is an immortal being whose story is told beginning with his capture at the hands of several occultists humans who intended to snare his sister, Death, instead. In the comics, Dream and several other prominent characters are distinguished by having unique designs for their voice balloons rather than the standard black-on-white fonts of most dialogue in the medium.
Sturridge's initial uncertainty on how to convey Dream's voice may have stemmed from this use of visual metaphors, but Gaiman's coaching seems to have helped him overcome that hurdle. There have also been some visual changes to the character, as seen in the latest still to be released from The Sandman, but faithfulness to the heart of the source material is said to be a major priority for the show.
The Sandman is based on Gaiman's beloved dark fantasy/horror comic series of the same name, which was first published in 1989 by Vertigo, a division of DC. The comic primarily follows the character of Dream, but is also known for incorporating a variety of characters from worldwide myths and legends, as well as delving into the human lives that Dream touches and contemplating the mysteries of dreams.
In addition to Sturridge, the cast of the series includes Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer, Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mason Alexander Park and Donna Preston as Dream's siblings of the Endless, respectively Death, Desire and Despair.
Netflix's The Sandman still lacks an official premiere date, though the show is expected to arrive in 2022.
Source: Entertainment Weekly