Jameela Jamil says she cannot believe she has gone “from Hollyoaks to Hollywood” as she prepares to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for the upcoming She-Hulk series.
The English actress, 36, who began her career on Channel 4 as part of its T4 series, said the experience on the show had been “the surprise and joy of my life.” She plays super-villain influencer Titania in the upcoming nine-part series, which also stars Tatiana Maslany alongside MCU stalwarts Mark Ruffalo and Benedict Wong.
Maslany plays the eponymous green hero Jennifer Walters, a cousin of Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner, who must navigate the complicated life of a single, 30-something woman, who is also a green, six-foot seven super-powered Hulk.
READ MORE: Man, 48, discovers he met wife, 29, when she was a baby
Speaking at the series premiere in Los Angeles on Monday, Jameela told the PA news agency: “I can’t believe I’ve gone from saying ‘here’s Hollyoaks’ to being at a Marvel premiere. This is so ridiculous, it’s way too much to handle.
“No one is more surprised than I am and I didn’t even know I was playing a super character until I got the job and signed the contract. This has really been the surprise and joy of my life… Hollyoaks to Hollywood.”
Series writer Jessica Gao previously told PA how the writer’s room for She-Hulk was composed predominantly of women, and that Marvel boss Kevin Feige had given her “pretty much free reign” on the series. Jameela said: “It feels different on set not to look out and see 99% men, it allows you to feel more authentic in your performance and supported by everyone around you.
She added knowing the cast and crew was mainly made up of women led to her feeling “very held [and] understood” and reactions to the production process suggested they were “telling the right stories authentically.”
“There have been many beautiful stories about women written by men but they just can so rarely capture the experience because it is so vastly different and think a lot of men just don’t know for lack of experience,” Jameela said.
“We aren’t trying to push people away, we’re trying to pull people in to be able to see our experiences and, similarly to the Hulk, hopefully stand alongside us.”
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law streams exclusively on Disney+ from Thursday August 18.
READ NEXT:
- 'Devastated' dad's tribute to daughter, 18, who had a 'beautiful soul'
- Arriva buses could return this week as crunch strike vote held
- Exclusive sought-after estate home to football legends and millionaires
- Faces of 23 criminals jailed in Merseyside this week
- Exact time Met Office says thunderstorms will hit Liverpool
