Home TV News ‘The Baby’: Michelle De Swarte To Star In Dark Comedy For Sky/HBO

‘The Baby’: Michelle De Swarte To Star In Dark Comedy For Sky/HBO

by Dave Elliott

‘The Baby’: Michelle De Swarte To Star In Dark Comedy For Sky/HBO

Actor/comedian Michelle De Swarte has landed the leading role in Sky/HBO’s wonderfully weird-sounding upcoming dark comedy The Baby it has been announced.

Michelle De Swarte (‘The Duchess’) plays Natasha, who is the friend who’s never made long-term plans. So when she is unexpectedly landed with a baby, her life of doing what she wants, when she wants, dramatically implodes. Controlling, manipulative and with violent powers, the baby twists Natasha’s life into a horror show. And as she discovers the true extent of its deadly nature, Natasha makes increasingly desperate attempts to get rid of the baby. But while she doesn’t want a baby, the baby wants her.

“Natasha is an emotionally arrested, flawed and 100% relatable character that I find it hard not to fall in love with as I read through the scripts,” comments De Swarte. “To be able to play someone I not only understand but am rooting for is a dream come true. Siân has written someone with depth, honesty and an authenticity that is as hilarious as it is heart-wrenching. I feel extremely blessed to be working with so many kick ass women on a project that is deliciously female centred.”

Joining De Swarte on the series is Amber Grappy, who makes her acting debut as Bobbi, Natasha’s younger sister, a children’s magician and a ball of joy. Bobbi is everybody’s favourite. There is nothing Bobbi wants more than to be a parent, to give love and to receive it. She couldn’t be more different to Natasha if she tried. So when Bobbi sees her sister with the thing she wants most in the world – a baby – she is blinded by jealousy and unable to see the danger they are all in.

Also joining the cast is Amira Ghazalla (‘The Rhythm Section’, ‘Sense8’) who plays Mrs Eaves, the 73-year-old enigma who has spent the last 50 years living out of her car. She seems to be everywhere the Baby is. But who is she, and what does she want with Natasha’s new arrival.

Questioning who gets to choose and who doesn’t, ‘The Baby’ is a funny, raw examination of motherhood as an institution: a set of unspoken and often horrifying rules that affect women differently depending on how they’re viewed by society. If you’re not scared by that, you should be.

Written by debut screenwriter Siân Robins-Grace (‘Kaos’, ‘Sex Education’), ‘The Baby’ is is co-created by Robins-Grace and Lucy Gaymer (Production Manager on ‘Gangs of London’, ‘Liar’). The eight-part series is produced by global content company SISTER (‘Giri/Haji’, ‘Chernobyl’, ‘Gangs of London’) and Proverbial Pictures. Stacey Gregg (‘Here Before’, ‘Little Birds’) joins the production as the director for episodes two and three, alongside Faraz Shariat (‘No Hard Feelings’, ‘Druck’) for episodes four, five and six and Ella Jones (‘Back to Life S2’, ‘Enterprice S2’) who is confirmed to direct episodes seven and eight.

“Our Casting Director Aisha Bywaters has done a phenomenal job in bringing together Michelle, Amira and Amber these three incredible actors to helm the cast, add show creators Siân Robins-Grace and Lucy Gaymer. As soon as we met them it felt like the roles were written for them. We’re very excited to be working with Stacey, Faraz and Ella as directors across the show – brilliantly talented directors who will bring the episodes to life.”

The Baby‘ is filming now, and will air on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK. HBO will air the series in the USA.

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