Laura Donnelly on 'Werewolf by Night's' Practical Effects Magic and 'Sugar's' Neo-Noir Charm

Laura Donnelly, known for her roles in genre-rich series like Outlander and HBO's The Nevers, recently pulled back the curtain on two projects that let her live out childhood dreams: Marvel's Werewolf by Night and Apple TV's neo-noir Sugar. What truly surprised fans about Werewolf by Night, a Marvel Special Presentation, was its commitment to old-school horror. Donnelly revealed it was filmed "as if it was a little B-movie," eschewing heavy CGI for tangible sets and even a person in a Man-Thing costume. This practical approach gave her a real sense of those classic monster flicks, a refreshing move from Marvel's usual VFX-heavy fare.

Now, Donnelly channels that genre passion into Sugar, an Apple TV neo-noir where she plays Charlotte Fischer, a classic femme fatale. She was drawn to Sugar's dark, gritty LA setting and its homage to 1930s and 40s Hollywood cinema. For Donnelly, diving into that era meant fulfilling another dream. "That's the kind of world that I thought I'd be inhabiting" as an actress, she explained, reveling in the vintage costumes and the chance to play opposite industry titan Colin Farrell.

Farrell, who leads the series as detective John Sugar, also executive produces, setting a tone of grace and generosity on set. Donnelly praises his "complete truth" in performance, making it easy to react to his deeply inhabited character. Showrunner Sam Catlin's writing weaves together the harsh realities of LA with golden age Hollywood glamour, a blend Donnelly finds "beautiful." The collaboration extended to costume designer Christie Wittenborn, creating wardrobes that tribute the 30s and 40s while remaining modern.