Imposter syndrome, wetsuits and killer runs – The Real Magazine sits down with Naomi Yang to discuss her latest role in hit series Under Salt Marsh.
A grizzly new thriller is set to hit British screens with the Sky Original series Under Salt Marsh. Set amid a rural Welsh town, a detective-turned-teacher is forced to investigate the murder of an 8-year old, uncovering unsettling truths in the process. Under Salt Marsh has a star-studded cast of Kelly Reilly, Rafe Spall, and Jonathan Pryce. The Real Magazine talks with the brilliant actress Naomi Yang, who plays detective Jess Deng in the series, to uncover some truths behind the show.
You’ve worked on some amazing shows – I would love to know more about you as an actress. When
did you first get into acting?
I had a very non-traditional route into the acting world. I studied sciences at University and knew when I graduated that it wasn’t the world I wanted to go into. I spent a few years trying different things and then in 2012, when I was working an admin job at a charity, I found out about an open audition for this indie feature called Lilting. I had never acted before but for some reason felt like I should give it a go. I ended up getting the job and the film did really well, getting nominated for a BAFTA and from that, an agent contacted me about representation. She’s still my agent all these years later. I made a promise to myself that I would try it out, and if I didn’t get a job within a year, I would quit. I didn’t get a job but I also didn’t quit! I used to feel a bit insecure and have imposter syndrome about the fact that I hadn’t been to drama school but now I see it as a strength. I feel so lucky that I’m somehow still getting to do this incredible job.
Under Salt Marsh is looking like a real nail biter, yet we only see a small glimpse of your role from the trailer. Tell us more about the character you play.
I play Jess Deng who is a recently promoted detective arriving in the Welsh town of Morfa Halen to work on the Cefin Hill case. She’s the only person that is a complete outsider to the town and wants nothing more than to find out the truth. Jess quickly finds herself getting caught up with the dynamics of the community and their secrets.
She’s someone that has a strong sense of self but she’s forced to challenge those beliefs with the increasing tension and pressure of the case and the impending storm. She’s also got a lot of fight to her which you see as the series goes on.
How has this role been different from your previous work?
I’ve worked on a few crime dramas but what makes this one unique is the environmental backdrop of the impending storm. It adds an intense time pressure to the story, threatening not only to wash away evidence of the case but also a community and its identity. There’s a strong emotional undercurrent and Claire Oakley’s writing is so incredible – she’s written this community and fleshed it out with these vivid characters and I love where Jess fits into the whole story. She has such a journey throughout the series and you really see her come into her own.
The location for the show looks gorgeous – but cold! How did the scenery, setting and weather affect filming? Were there any wild moments that made filming difficult or particularly gruelling?
If it wasn’t raining, we were making it rain! The conditions were pretty brutal but you know what, I had a lot of fun. Maybe type two fun though. For a lot of the scenes, because we were getting fully drenched, I had a full wetsuit on under my costume which definitely made certain movements more difficult! I remember on one particularly wet day, during a break between takes, me and Mark Stanley went to warm up by the heaters and we were literally steaming from head to toe. We looked like angry cartoon characters.
Considering the show revolves around some dark and unsettling themes, what practices or steps do you take to separate rehearsals and filming from your own personal life?
I think it often happens this way but when a show has certain aspects that are quite dark, the atmosphere and dynamic between cast is often quite light to consciously counteract the tension. You end up bonding more perhaps because of it. That was definitely true for this job. But generally, I find moving my body helps to add a sort of physical transition between work and personal. On this job, I got really into trail running, one because the views were just stunning (it makes you want to run for hours), and two because it helped create that separation.
Skirt and top: Simkhai
As an audience, we are naturally drawn to the macabre. Does Under Salt Marsh bring awareness around victim trauma, or does the show lean more into hitting those thrill notes that watchers want?
I think we are really drawn to human complexity -the good and the bad. I think what Under Salt Marsh does so well is that it makes you lean into every single character and see the light and shade so that when we are exposed to the darker elements in the show, there’s a curiosity there rather than a moral judgement.
What milestone has Under Salt Marsh reached for you as an actress?
Having worked in the industry now for over a decade, I’ve been on a lot of sets, but this was definitely one of the longer jobs I’ve had. I think being on set every day for six months and being away from home really taught me how capable I was and I had this real confidence throughout shooting. I’m now on another long shoot, feeling the same way, and I think what I’m taking from that is that I’m feeling less imposter syndrome and more belonging.
Under Salt Marsh is available to stream now on Sky.
Follow Naomi on Instagram @imoanyang
Photographer: Craig Gibson @craighgibson
Styling: Sarah Harrison @styledbysrh
Hair: Sophie Sugarman @sophie_sugarman
Makeup: Min Sandhu @minnie_mua
