Netflix’s The Serpent has been a major topic of conversation lately. The series premiered on April 2 along with the Western drama Concrete Cowboy, and less than a week later, it has dominated the top of Netflix’s trending list in the United States.
The Serpent is currently occupying the third slot in the list of trending shows and movies, and number two in the list of trending television series.
The drama thriller follows the real-life events of the conman and serial killer Charles Sobhraj and his exploits, as well as the many attempts to catch him and charge him for his crimes. Playing Sobhraj’s neighbor Nadine Gires in this series is actor Mathilde Warnier.
Who is Mathilde Warnier?
Mathilde is a French actress, and The Serpent is probably her biggest role to date.
She has previously appeared in several small movie roles, and viewers may also know her from the French comedy-drama series A Very Secret Service, in which she played Sophie, and for playing Soizic in Spiral. She also had a role, as Louise Chartrain, in Kate Beckinsale’s series The Widow. You can find her on Instagram here.
How did Mathilde Warnier feel about playing the character?
In a press interview for the series, Warnier describes her character as “a young, quirky, brave and bored-by-life French girl who followed her husband to the crazy city of Bangkok.”
Nadine plays a pivotal part in the capturing of Sobhraj (Tahar Rahim), as she and her husband team up with the Dutch diplomat Herman Knippenberg (Billy Howle) to help acquire evidence. French actor Warnier explained that when she discovered the role, she was instantly drawn to it. She was “immediately touched by the courage of Nadine.”
Warnier went on to share, “I couldn’t help but wonder how I would react in her position. Would I have done anything at all? Because the story of Nadine could be anyone, she was only a neighbor in the wrong place at the wrong moment.”
What happened next?
The real-life Nadine Gires did an exclusive interview with Mirror back in January. She revealed that when she first met the serial killer, Charles Sobhraj, she was “taken in by his charm.” However, as his dangerous life became revealed to her, she was “terrified.” Gires told Mirror that she used to sleep with a baseball bat under her bed.
After Sobhraj’s capture, he turned his arrest and trials into a spectacle— even escaping from his prison cell at one point. However, as of now, he is currently serving a long sentence in Kathmandu, Nepal, and isn’t expected to be released anytime soon.
Reflecting on his capture, Gires shared that she celebrated once the madness ended. She shared, “When Charles was arrested I celebrated with a bottle of champagne. I don’t feel guilty because I know I did everything I could to put a stop to the murders. And I can tell you it was a good lesson. Now I am very careful with the people I meet.”
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The Serpent is currently streaming on Netflix.