Londoner Wallis Day swapped Hollyoaks for Hollywood, and is taking US TV by storm

TELL US ABOUT YOUR KRYPTON CHARACTER, NYSSA-VEX…

She starts off being the villain, but grows and develops, exploring a completely different side. Personally, it was a multi-dimensional character to play – and there’s a killer twist!

HOLLYOAKS MUST HAVE BEEN A GREAT PLACE FOR YOU TO DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS?

It definitely was. It was a taste of what this career path would be like. I did it before I went to drama school, so it meant I could implement the skills I learned and apply them to life on set. It was an essential part of my journey. I had a fun time.

SO YOU ACTUALLY LEFT HOLLYOAKS TO ATTEND DRAMA SCHOOL?

Yeah! I knew Hollyoaks was never a long-term project, but I was dying for the experience. I had always wanted to go to drama school and being on a set, I realised how little I knew and how much I’d underestimated working while I was acting… It was scary, but a long time coming.

HOW MUCH DOES GUT INSTINCT DRIVE YOU WHEN MAKING DECISIONS?

A huge part – I just follow it. Obviously you need to put a bit of brain into things, but I’ve found my gut has always been right and if I ignore it, it doesn’t go away.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR BALANCE?

Spend time outdoors. Krypton is a studio show but even before this, I think we spend too much time indoors with technology, looking down. For me, the perfect balance is being out in the open air and looking around. The ocean, mountains, camping, looking up at night… I just love being outdoors, especially if a bit of adrenaline is involved. I love abseiling, for example. In fact, I abseiled down Table Mountain. My mum killed me!

Wallis Day appears in season one of sci-fi series Krypton, Sundays at 9pm on E4