Following the global premiere of Girl Taken on Paramount+, Delphi Evans discusses her transition to screen performance.
Adapted from Hollie Overton’s novel Baby Doll, the six-part series moves past the crime to focus on the aftermath—exploring the bond between twin sisters as they attempt to reclaim their lives years after a devastating abduction.
In the series, she plays Abby Riser, a role that marks her first major television project. Here, she shares her perspective on the project and the process of stepping into this role.
The new series, GIRL TAKEN, is based on the novel Baby Doll by Hollie Overton. Can you start by setting the scene for our readers — what is the core premise, and what initially drew you to the script to take on the role of Abby Riser?
The story follows the journey of a family going through the tragedy and aftermath of a kidnapping. Abby is such a strong character who goes through so many stages and changes throughout the series from the second her sister is taken. The way she deals with her grief and hope even after Lily’s return is something that really drew me to her story.
How did working with your real-life sister, Tallulah, as your on-screen twin specifically inform the dynamic between Abby and Lily that the audience will ultimately see?
Having that relationship with Tally was so helpful in building the close-knit twin dynamic Abby and Lily share. So much of their relationship was right there for us, the love, the history, the small arguments sisters have. I think the closeness that we share and brought to our characters will hopefully read for audiences.
Given your acting foundation in theatre, what was the most surprising or steep learning curve you experienced transitioning to the set of a major television production for your first series role?
I think for one the ability to have a second take! Also, the difference from theatre, where you live the whole story of a character every show, to having the whole story play out over the course of 10 weeks was definitely a different experience. Definitely early on the cameras and marks were something I had to learn quickly too!
The series covers intense and demanding subject matter. How did the tone on set shift when filming those difficult scenes, and what was that transition like for you personally?
Being on set was incredible and we had such a great time filming which is so important when so much of the subject matter is so emotional and for those super intense moments the set really allowed those moments to happen.
What was the most challenging aspect of portraying Abby Riser?
I think balancing all the relationships Abby has in her life and understanding specifically her relationship with her mum. Their relationship is so complex throughout the time when Lily is gone and that was something that was a fun challenge to play.
How did the professional dynamic and interaction you shared with co-stars Alfie Allen and Jill Halfpenny contribute to the overall atmosphere and tone of your scenes in GIRL TAKEN?
Alfie and Jill were both so great to work and such lovely people as well as co-stars. They made it so easy to feel comfortable with them and that meant there was a really good atmosphere on set. I also learned so much from watching them work.
After dedicating a significant amount of time to the character of Abby Riser, how do you usually decompress or transition back to your own life once filming on a project like this wraps?
It’s nice because I got to do that transition with Tally! We had such an incredible time working together and I feel so lucky to have had that time so leaving that behind was hard. We spent a lot of time with our family after filming which really helped transitioning out of filming.
Is there a particular kind of role, a specific genre, or even a classic character you would love the opportunity to tackle next in your career?
I would absolutely love to take on a period role at some point in my career. Sense and Sensibility was always a favourite of mine growing up and I would love to be in something like that.
Beyond the suspense of the abduction, what do you believe is the enduring question or theme GIRL TAKEN asks the audience to consider?
For me it is about family and resilience and what that looks like even though traumatic experiences.
Dive Deeper
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- Watch: Girl Taken is now streaming on Paramount+.
- Read: The original novel, Baby Doll by Hollie Overton, is available here.
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Photographer: David Reiss @davidreissphotography
Styling: Ruta Jane @ruta.jane
Make-up: Isabel Concetta @isabelconcettamua
Hair: Sandra Hahnel @sandrahahnel