Nell Tiger Free On The Fourth And Final Season Of M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Servant’
January 19, 2023
M. Night Shyamalan’s Servant has begun its fourth and final season on Apple TV+. The 10-episode season will air a new episode weekly every Friday through March 17th. The show stars Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Nell Tiger Free and Rupert Grint. Servant is executive produced by Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan, Jason Blumenthal, Taylor Latham, Larissa E. Michel, Steve Tisch and Todd Black.
Servant follows the journey of Dorothy and Sean Turner (Ambrose and Kebbell), a married couple who experience the devastating loss of their infant. They receive a child-like doll in an attempt to heal from their trauma and even go as far as to hire a mysterious nanny named Leanne (Free) to take care of it. Upon her arrival, a series of strange and terrifying events occur, and it is revealed that Leane holds a powerful position in the Church of Lesser Saints cult. The group is desperate to reclaim Leanne and her mystical powers.
Season four brings the final chapter of the Turner story to an emotional conclusion. Leanne’s war with the Church of Lesser Saints escalates, threatening the Turners’ home, the city of Philadelphia, and more. The Turners’ reality begins to dissolve as Leanne’s true identity becomes clearer.
Forbes spoke with Free about the experience of filming the final season of Servant. We also discussed what she has learned from her co-stars and what she’ll miss most now that the show has come to a close.
Risa Sarachan: Congrats on finishing this incredible show. How does it feel to finally come to the end of this journey?
Nell Tiger Free: It’s bittersweet, that’s for sure! It’s been such a big part of the last five years of my life, saying goodbye hasn’t quite sunk in yet. I’ve never been too good at goodbyes. One of this magnitude is tough for me. I’m not just saying goodbye to Leanne but also to Philly (for now) and to all the amazing people that helped build this show. I’m also pretty proud that we managed to tell this story in its completion. Hopefully, we’ve tied up all the loose ends!
Sarachan: Watching Servant is such an unnerving experience. Did you ever truly feel scared while playing Leeanne?
Free: The only thing that scared me was the idea of not doing a good job. There were days when I’d see what I had to perform, and I’d call my mum, telling her I didn’t think I could do it. She, of course, would calm me down and every time and I would walk out there and hope for the best. I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my job (like Leanne). Nothing scares me more than walking away, thinking I could’ve done more.
Also, the eels were pretty damn scary!
Sarachan: That first episode in the car was absolutely fantastic and claustrophobic to watch! Can you tell me about the experience of filming it?
Free: I mean, you said it already – claustrophobic and fantastic! When I read that script, I was pretty surprised we were opening the final season with something that felt so out of character for Servant. Before season four, action sequences were few and far between on Servant. I think 401 demonstrates perfectly how much that is about to change! I much prefer being at work when I’ve got my amazing co-stars with me (selfishly, I just like to hang out with them) so shouldering this episode mostly alone was daunting.
But I love a challenge, and let’s hope it paid off!
Sarachan: I know you always went into shooting Servant without any information on where your character was going. Can you share your reaction to finally discovering the ending of this season (without spoilers, of course)?
Free: That’s a tough one to answer for me. It was certainly an emotional read. I think my judgment on it creatively was relatively clouded at the time. I was so knee-deep in shooting that the thought of episode ten felt like a million miles away. When it finally happened, that’s when I realized the gravity of the ending and how much it affected me.
Sarachan: What did you learn from working with this small group of actors and M. Night Shyamalan for so many seasons?
Free: Well, I learned from Toby that it’s OKAY to laugh! I loved shooting with Tobs because not only is he a truly fantastic and experienced actor- he is also probably the funniest person I know, and he would ease the tension of a tough day. Rupert taught me that kindness and respect are traits that are so important in this industry. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you’re a jerk, no one’s going to give you the time of day. Rupert is the epitome of someone with immense talent and immense kindness. He’s the model of how to navigate this business.
Lauren was my rock whilst shooting this show. She was my protector and my role model. She really took care of me. I also think she’s one of the most talented actresses in the game, and I admire her more than I can put into words.
M. Night taught me how to be resilient, trust my instincts and lose a lot of my self-conscious nature. He’s smart, and he really is good at what he does.
I love them all.
Sarachan: Where can we see your work next?
Free: Well… You can see me in The First Omen for 20th century. I couldn’t be more excited about that project and can’t wait for you all to see it!
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.