As the role of present-day Lottie demands, Simone Kessell made a huge impression on Yellowjackets in her debut season.
Season 1 introduced the 1996 version of the character played by Courtney Eaton, but viewers were left wondering whether Lottie would make it through the wilderness ordeal alive until Kessell’s casting was announced between seasons. Ultimately, present-day Lottie becomes a significant driving force of the show. She’s the one who encouraged the Yellowjackets to start listening to the wilderness and respect its voice in the past, and now she’s pursuing similar ambitions but on a larger scale via her very own wellness compound.
At the start of Season 2, Lottie isn’t preaching about the power of the wilderness but rather, offering activities and sermons that encourage “turning suffering into strength so we can live as our best selves.” Lottie starts the season sound and steady with confidence and authority, but as more surviving Yellowjackets arrive at the compound, the more Lottie starts to lose herself to the trauma she was subjected to in the wilderness.
With Yellowjackets in the spotlight courtesy of a significant amount of well-deserved Emmy season hype, Kessell took the time to join me for a Collider Ladies Night conversation to recap her journey playing Lottie thus far, including her heartbreaking downward spiral.
Listen to this conversation uncut here: open.spotify.com/episode/7v8J...
00:00 Dicey Questions
03:22 Intro
03:50 Becoming an Actor
04:58 Auditions
06:58 Going from New Zeland to Hollywood
08:59 What Makes New Zeland Sets Special
12:33 Yellowjackets: Lottie's Mental Health
14:22 Lottie's Intentions Are ALWAYS Pure
15:05 Simone's Lottie vs. Courtney's Lottie
16:18 Does Simone Press the Showrunners for Answers?
18:42 Who Are Lottie's Gurus?
20:36 Outro