Kat Sandler’s play, Yaga, is a retelling of the legend of Baba Yaga, the Slavic supernatural figure who eats children’s bones. The supernatural thriller is now a TV series starring Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid, and Clark Backo. But the casting that has generated the strongest buzz is Hudson Williams, the star of Heated Rivalry. In a conversation with Hindustan Times ahead of Yaga’s India premiere, Kat acknowledges Hudson’s role in popularising the show and says it allowed them to go bigger while addressing relevant issues.
On Hudson Williams’ impact on the show
Yaga is set in a small town where two detectives try to uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of a young man (played by Hudson). Kat reveals the actor was cast right around the time Heated Rivalry was taking off last year. “Hudson signed on right when it was starting to become clear that Heated Rivalry and Hudson were going to be so huge,” she says.
Since the show’s teaser dropped, the original play found new fans. Kat admits that ‘lot more people’ have now read the book. There were reports of stagings of the play selling out due to the TV series after Hudson was announced as a cast member. And Kat is only too thankful for that. She says, “I’ll say it forever that I’m so thrilled that he signed on because he brought so many eyes to this project and that meant that we had the platform to discuss these bigger women’s issues.”
‘Never a diva on set’
Kat praises Hudson for never overshadowing the story and the narrative despite his growing stardom. “He’s so good at redirecting the story back to women, back to the female-driven storyline, and back to the story,” says Kat. “It’s been amazing to be part of the legend of Hudson Williams, but he’s also part of our legend. He wouldn’t have gotten to go to TIFF if we didn’t get into TIFF. So, that’s like a really beautiful symbiotic relationship.”
Calling Hudson ‘sweet’, Kat says he was never a ‘diva’ on set. She adds, “He’s the sweetest, smartest guy. He’s a great actor, and he showed up to work. He’s never been a diva even once, and he made the show sexier, bolder, and weirder. It’s been a joy to work with him, and I’m so grateful that he brought so many eyes to a project that is about women and women’s stuff.”
Yaga’s India release
Yaga premiered on October 23 on Crave. The series comes to India on Lionsgate Play on November 6. Yaga stars Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid, Clark Backo, and Hudson Williams in the lead roles.