Emma Myers Learns a British Accent for ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’

SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers for “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder,” now streaming on Netflix in the US and BBC iPlayer in the UK

Emma Myers is best known for her role as sidekick Enid in “Wednesday,” but in “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” the actor takes center stage as teenage super sleuth Pip Fitz-Amobi. She also has a British accent for the first time, Myers says Varietyshe managed to master it in just two short weeks.

Before the show debuted on Netflix, Myers sat down to talk about injuries on set, the differences between the book and the show, and how Pip is more like her than any character Myers has played before.

How concerned were you about a British accent?

Yes, to be honest, I was very hesitant to take on the role because the time from signing up to starting filming was only two weeks. And I thought, “Oh, I don’t know how well I can do a British accent with just two weeks of dialect sessions.” But I had a great dialect coach. I also had an all-English crew and cast. So I told everyone, “It won’t hurt my feelings if I say something wrong and you want to correct me, please correct me!” So there were also people who cared for me in that way, and that was good. I needed that. But yeah, it was a little intimidating, but it was fun.

Did you identify with Pip as a character?

I’ve never played a character like Pip before. Pip is a lot more like me and I haven’t really played many characters that are closer to my personality, so I thought that would be fun. Most people assume it’s easy to play a character that looks like you, but it’s actually much harder and I wanted that challenge. Moreover, I liked the story so much because Pip is only looking for the truth. She really loves people and wants to help people and when she gets into it, she can’t let it go. And I get about the same when I’m in the middle of something and I just have to get it done. So I was totally excited to play her.

Fans have spoken out about how the book is different from the show. What do you think of those changes?

I think because we only have six episodes, the book is big and it’s hard to fit in every detail that isn’t important to the plot. Because you only have a certain amount of time. Poppy did her best and fit in what she could. Obviously there were some things left out that weren’t specifically related to the Season 1 storyline, as I heard a lot of people talking about Stanley not being in it. But Stanley is more important in Book 2 and isn’t really present in Book 1, so I understand why he was cut out to save time for more important details in the plot. I loved seeing the scenes they kept and I completely understood the changes too. Because it is always difficult to adapt something from book to screenplay. I mean, sometimes things just don’t work out, especially since the book is often written in police reports and Pip’s diary and notes and stuff. So it is certainly difficult to adapt. But I think it was done in the best possible way.

Was there anything from the book that you especially wanted to see on screen?

I was very happy with the bribe muffins. I’m so glad it got in because I love that scene so much. It’s so much fun.

I loved the star costume. Was it comfortable to wear?

No! You can’t sit in it because the points are lower than your hips. So when you sit, you sit a little hunched over. And to go to the bathroom, you have to detach yourself from it and then step out. They had to buy me a special stool to sit on, because I couldn’t sit on a bench, it didn’t fit. But it was a great costume. I liked it so much.

What was it like shooting the scene where Pip is almost killed?

That day was a lot of fun. I always like it when you get really nasty. I was covered in fake dirt and sweat and all kinds of things. And me and Carla [Woodcock, who plays Becca] are really good friends so we were chatting all day, had a lot of fun dragging me through caves and two seconds later we got a cup of tea at the tea table.

Was it painful to be dragged around the bottom of a cave?

I’m wearing a back pad – it will fit under your costume. It didn’t hurt at all. The most annoying thing was that you got stones in your hair.

Did you suffer any injuries on set?

Not really on set, but one day it was raining and I fell out of the makeup trailer, which is like, it’s a five-foot fall! I slipped down the stairs and immediately fell out. That hurt very much. But I survived! Thank goodness nothing broken.

The camping scenes gave me goosebumps. Was it scary filming in the woods at night?

It’s strange because you feel fine when it does [production] lights around, but then there’s a part of the scene where Jude [Morgan-Collie] who plays Connor takes off and I’m going to chase him and so we had to run until you couldn’t see the camera anymore and until they shouted ‘Cut’. The more we ran, the further you get from everyone and the lights and we’re like, ‘Oh, can we stop now? It’s going to be scary running that far into the woods!” But yeah, it was so much fun. I like night shoots. Since I’m staying up late anyway, I might as well work and be productive.

If the show is renewed for a second season, will you return to play Pip?

Yes! I would like to see the story finished. I think season 2 will be even crazier.

Are there any scenes you’re especially looking forward to?

I like death scenes. I like crazy, weird scream and cry stuff, so I’m excited about me and Stanley’s stuff.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.