Set in The Sandman universe, the supernatural and detective work meet in the new series Dead Boy Detectives, out on Netflix on April 25. Before the series release, YE got to chat with Yuyu Kitamura, who plays Niko Sasaki to learn more about her character, the casts’ chemistry, and which actor Yuyu would want to play her mom in the show.
Dead Boy Detectives follow Charles Rowland, played by Jayden Revri, and Edwin Paine, played by George Rexstrew, who decide not to enter the afterlife and instead stay on Earth to investigate supernatural crimes. The series is based on the DC Comics characters from The Sandman. The show also stars Kassius Nelson, Briana Cuoco, and more, with Lukas Gage playing a recurring character and Kirby Howell-Baptiste reprising her role as Death from The Sandman series.
In addition to being an actor, Yuyu is also a filmmaker, author, and podcaster. She published her own book called “Circles and Lines” which is about mental health and coming of age. In 2021, Yuyu also wrote, directed, and starred in her own short Invited In about the hard truths of social media. She has also been featured in the podcast Meet Cute.
“The most challenging part for me personally was the fact that this was my first show of this scale so everything was so new.”
Yuyu said she would describe the Dead Boy Detectives series as fun, supernatural, and with a spice of trouble.
“Our cast was so lovely and so warm and created such a safe space that whatever question I had, they were so happy to walk me through.”
Yuyu also revealed how the cast worked to build connections off set, and said they would often go to dinner and spend a lot of time together. As this was Yuyu’s first acting role of this scale, she learned a lot from her castmates and said they were very helpful in answering any questions.
“Everybody on our show is so wonderful, and so talented.”
“The way I overcame it is what Niko does on the show: she goes to her friends, she finds comfort and solace in them and they help her out.”
While Niko’s mom is never featured on the show, she plays a great role in Niko’s life, and Yuyu said she could envision actor Michelle Yeoh playing that role.
“Niko’s mom is such a strong force and Michelle [Yeoh] has such a power to her.”
Thank you, Yuyu, for chatting with Young Entertainment. Follow her on her Instagram at @yuyukitt. Watch the video below where we ask her more about the challenges of working on her first full length series, and which Scooby Doo character she thinks Niko most resembles. Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for the latest news in young entertainment.
Consider this:
- Don’t be afraid to ask your castmates questions, especially if they have been working in the industry for longer.
- Spend time building connections with others off set. These connections will make your work on camera that much easier and more enjoyable.
