Black Mirror Star Says Boney M Costume Provided a 'Real Sense of Power'

Demon 79 is one of the first Black Mirror episodes to be set in the past and it was certainly terrifying and nostalgic at the same time. But for Paapa Essiedu, dressing as Boney M member Bobby Farrell provided him with "this real sense of size and power."

Paapa Essiedu Opens Up About Dressing as Boney M Member in Black Mirror Season 6

In Demon 79, a sales assistant named Nida finds an ancient talisman and accidentally unleashes a demon named Gaap. Although Gaap initially looks monstrous, he quickly takes on the appearance of Bobby Farrell from Boney M.

Credit: Netflix

That meant white fur coat, afro, and platforms for Paapa Essiedu who told GamesRadar that the costume helped him truly feel powerful in the episode.

"It influenced me in a such a big way, actually," Essiedu said. "We went through a lot of different options before we landed on the one that we did."

"From the start, it changed the way I used my hands, even," he added. "I had these long, black, claw-like nails, which were fun to put near Anjana [Vasan]'s face to mess around with her."

"But yeah, the hair, the shoulder pads, the platforms? It gave me this real sense of size and power," Essiedu continued. "It was cool."

Although the costume made him feel powerful, walking around the Northern English streets in the platform shoes wasn't that easy for Paapa Essiedu.

"There was this one day where I had to chase after Nida down an alleyway, near a canal, and I was trying to do it in these heels and I've never felt more at one with, you know, the girl that's fallen out of the club at two in the morning," he admitted.

"Your boy was struggling, your boy was struggling in a big way," he added with a laugh.

Demon 79 is one of the few Black Mirror episodes set in the past. It is also the first episode under the Red Mirror label, which will feature stories that are not necessarily technology-based.

All five episodes of Black Mirror Season 6 are now streaming on Netflix.

Related: Black Mirror Star on Returning in Season 6 After First Appearance 7 Years Ago