Why Maladie From The Nevers Looks Familiar

High-concept TV shows that merge elements of science fiction and fantasy are all the rage these days, proving how sophisticated audiences have become. 20 years ago, you probably couldn't get away with having an epic drama about women living in the Victorian era, who essentially have X-Men powers, going on missions to alter the world for the better. Now, that very premise is at the heart of one of the most buzzed about TV shows of 2021 — The Nevers. 

From controlling fire to walking on water, there's no shortage of unique abilities on display, and from the trailer, there's one character in particular who stands out — namely, Maladie, who's played by Amy Manson. Maladie is a mentally unstable woman who is initially committed, but soon travels underground so that she can go on a murderous rampage without a care in the world. As it turns out, her mind has been warped by a particular ability she has yet to understand, and that the audience will come to know all too well, once the series comes out. 

Maladie is an eclectic character, by the looks of it, but Manson is no stranger to fantastical worlds. In fact, there's a good chance you may not even recognize her at first from the array of fantasy/sci-fi roles she's had in the past. 

Amy Manson is no stranger to donning Victorian garb and dealing with strange, unnatural occurrences. Prior to joining the cast of The Nevers, she starred in the British series Torchwood, which you can now watch in its entirety on HBO Max, in case you want to see where the actress got one of her earliest roles. 

The Doctor Who spinoff follows a mysterious organization known as Torchwood, that's tasked with investigating supernatural occurrences on Earth so that it can acquire any and all advanced technology for its own purposes. The main group we follow is led by the dashing Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), who goes on various adventures, and we get to learn a bit more about his backstory during flashback sequences in back-to-back episodes of season 2, where we see him interact with another Torchwood member — Alice Guppy (Manson). 

She has a bit of a vindictive streak during her appearances, as she kills a Blowfish and freezes Jack at various points in her story. While her role in the series may have been short lived, it provided a glimpse into what the actress was capable of, and what she could bring to The Nevers.

Little known fact, but Amy Manson is actually Scottish, so it was particularly fortuitous casting when she had the chance to play the role of Merida on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was the next best thing for fans of the Pixar film, who are still holding out hope to eventually see Brave 2. The show expertly blended elements of classic Grimm fairy tales as well as aspects of Disney films, which resulted in the delightful inclusion of the Pixar universe with Merida's introduction in season 5. 

At this point in her life, she's now Queen Merida, who has taken control of her family's kingdom after her father's death. She soon runs into trouble when Emma Swan, the Dark One (Jennifer Morrison) comes to the village and attempts to take Merida's life so that she can gain control of the Wisp. It's not the last time the two run afoul of one another, and as any Brave fan would want from her storyline, she does turn into a bear at one point. 

With Once Upon a Time, Amy Manson proved she could look fearsome with a bow and arrow. It was only natural for her to up the ante, later in her career, by showing off her skills around the BFG 9000 in Doom: Annihilation. 

Around the time Doom Eternal made people lose hours of sleep trying to survive another round in the depths of Hell, this new Doom film (a reboot of the 2005 version Doom starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Karl Urban) was released direct-to-video. Doom: Annihilation has all the same bloody good action fans of the franchise have come to expect, and Manson took the lead role as Lieutenant Joan Dark, who leads a team of Space Marines to inspect an old lab that's now overridden with zombie-like creatures. 

While you may not necessarily watch a Doom movie for the acting, many critics were quick to point out how Manson really carried the film and elevated it beyond what some people may expect going into it. As Alex Kane wrote in his review for Forbes, "The action's slick, and the creature effects look impressive, but the real standout is Manson, whose character undergoes a spiritual journey that elevates the film a notch above the level of Syfy-channel fare."

It's clear Manson always brings her A-game regardless of the project, so fans of her work should be even more excited now to see what she's able to do on The Nevers.