Boyd Holbrook of The Sandman Reacts to Having to Act With Teeth for Eyes

Introduction

Boyd Holbrook, star of The Sandman, reacts to playing a character with teeth instead of eyes. The Sandman is a forthcoming Netflix fantasy miniseries based on Neil Gaiman's comic books.

After being incarcerated for decades by a mortal wizard, Fantasy, the King of Dreams, sets out to restore law and order to the commonwealth of the Having a dream. The Sandman will have ten occurrences and will star Tom Sturridge in the role of Fantasy.

Related: As Neil Gaiman watched the first scene from 'The Sandman,' he teared up

Gaiman's comics 

Gaiman's comics are filled with otherworldly configurations and personalities, and the upcoming Netflix exhibition would seem to be no exception. Gwendoline Christie's Lucifer, Jenna Coleman's Johanna Constantine, and Halbrook's villainous The Corinthian have all been taunted in previews for The Sandman.

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The Corinthian has one physical feature

Although not shown in great detail in the trailer, The Corinthian has one physical feature that sets him apart. The iconic character has teeth lining his eye sockets instead of eyes, which he frequently conceals with aviator shades.

The Corinthian is a major main villain in the comics, and it would seem that Holbrook's edition in Netflix's The Sandman will be no different, based on the trailers.

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant

Holbrook discusses his initial reservations about playing the character without eyes. Holbrook tries to explain that he was initially reluctant because so much of acting is done with the eyes, but discussions with co-creator Allan Heinberg ultimately put his mind at ease, with The Corinthian owning a good deal of depth.

The actor explains that the writer's lack of vision is more of an "obstacle" than impairment and that he had a lot of fun playing the role.

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Check out the rest of Holbrook's comments below. 

When we first began chatting about it, I was a little concerned because a lot of having to act is done through the eyes. Your soul is hidden in your eye sockets. Allan Heinberg and I talked about it a lot, and he really put me at ease as there is so much other stuff going on with The Corinthian.

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It became a benefit rather than a hindrance

It became an impediment rather than a handicap for him. But it's also almost a sensory thing. It was a lot of playing in the dark and figuring out where you were going. I was given a character I'd never had the opportunity to play before, and it was a lot of fun."

It's still something of a mystery

It's unclear how Holbrook's version of The Corinthian will vary from the variant seen in The Sandman comics, but the actor's concerns aren't out of the ordinary. Actors frequently talk about the importance of the eyes in nailing an achievement, and Holbrook is essentially missing one tool from his actor's toolbox without them.

As seen in The Sandman trailers

The actor's remark preserves much of the mystery surrounding the villainous character, but he does suggest that The Corinthians' "impediment" made the character even more interesting to discover.

The Corinthian's lack of eyes will not really make him any less terrifying. If anything, the writer's tooth-filled eye sockets turn him into a terrifying walking disaster able to inflict conflict.

It remains to be seen how Netflix's The Sandman compares to the original comics, but Holbrook's portrayal of The Corinthian, along with Sturridge's Dream, already appears to be a TV show highpoint.