Sophia Michaels
The world of “Shadow and Bone” is full of incredible powers, from bursts of light that shoot from characters’ hands to ancient swords that can cut through seemingly indestructible shadows. In this universe, these abilities are referred to as the “small science,” or the art of manipulating matter, and those who practice it are called Grisha. There are three main categories of Grisha — the Corporalki, Etherealki, and Materialki — and each is broken down into subsets.
The cast of “Shadow and Bone” have different opinions on which powers they would most like to possess. Patrick Gibson, who stars as Sturmhond, would like to be a Durast, as they can “make stuff” like a 3D printer. Lewis Tan, another season two newcomer, would like to be a Heartrender, as it allows him to “suss people out.” Jessie Mei Li, who stars as the powerful sun summoner Alina, would like to be a bit feistier like her character. Ben Barnes, who plays the shadow-summoning General Kirigan, would like to have Kirigan’s “calm authority when public speaking.”
The cast members have also noticed a bit of the show’s magic slipping into their own lives. Anna Leong Brophy pulled a tarot card before shooting started and felt it was a good omen. Danielle Galligan feels connected to her granddad who passed away and finds coins in difficult times. Calahan Skogman says the whole experience of him landing the part was straight out of a storybook.
The cast also has a lot of affection for one another, which is perhaps one source of the magic that shimmers throughout the show and sometimes finds its way into their offscreen lives. “Shadow and Bone” season two is now streaming on Netflix.
