For nonbinary actor Mason Alexander Park, starring as Desire in Netflix’s epic fantasy series The Sandman — based on the classic comic books by Neil Gaiman — was a moment of truly coming full circle. Like so many queer and gender nonconforming kids, they looked all throughout the media they consumed to find someone like them, someone who existed outside the gender binary, and, more importantly, someone who could help make sense of what they knew to be true about themselves inside. For Park, they found that in Desire, the nonbinary member of The Endless. These god-like beings are the human embodiments of the aspects they’re named for, be it Dream, Death, Despair, and, of course, Desire.
This week, Park’s story is set to repeat itself for a new generation of nonbinary kids who’ll have the opportunity to see them take on the mantle of Desire in live-action and the nonbinary representation that comes with that. The weight and power of this opportunity aren’t lost on Park, who tells PRIDE they would have loved to see someone like Desire on their TV as a child.
While they first discovered The Sandman as an adolescent (Park and their father collected comics together) it was actually as they got older that they began connecting with the character on a deeper level. “I was kind of starved for representation,” Park says. “And I looked for characters in literature and in comic books that identified as nonbinary, or gender fluid, or trans, or queer in any way, and Desire is one of the most prolific examples of that.”
Naturally, when Park caught wind of a live-action adaptation of The Sandman being greenlit by Netflix, they knew they wanted to be a part of the production. How they went about turning that desire into reality was both unconventional and utterly punk. “I was shooting another series in New Zealand called Cowboy Bebop for Netflix and we were in quarantine,” they recall. “I was very tired and a little delirious and I knew it was being made. Neil had recently been tweeting a lot about it because it had just gone back into production. So, I decided that instead of asking my agents, because it was about 4 in the morning in New Zealand, maybe I’d just tweet him for more information.” Park said they wanted to know if Desire was making an appearance and, if so, who was casting the series. Much to their surprise and delight, Gaiman replied. “I was very grateful that he got back to me within 15 minutes and sort of gave me all the info and it was really, it was very cool,” Park remembers. “Very exciting.”
It was a bold move, but for a role like Desire it was worth it — and the gambit paid off. Like desire itself, the character is highly complex, exploring both the positive and darker aspects of the emotion, and getting to play a character that nuanced was a dream come true for the actor. From some perspectives, Desire is an antagonist in the series, but like every other character in the series, it’s not that black-and-white. While that makes for extraordinarily rich characters for the audience to follow, as an actor it’s especially exciting, particularly in a time when queer and trans characters are pigeonholed into a handful of stereotypes. “What a thrill to be treated like a cis actor for once,” jokes Park. “What a thrill to be given the opportunity to paint with all of the colors that any other actor is given, as opposed to having a limited scope of, well, ‘this is our idea of a trans person, and they have to be good.’”
“What [The Sandman] does better than pretty much anyone that I’ve seen is the the massive amount of queer representation that is so present in the show without comment, without plot points that are specific to sexuality or gender,” they share. “And I think it’s really groundbreaking, the way that those characters are also portrayed as deeply complex. There are both heroes and villains, and neutral and everything that surrounds all of those things.” Park is also thrilled to, as Desire, be a catalyst for much of the action.
While Park’s road to the role of Desire was winding and full of surprising turns, it’s now hard to imagine any other actor fulfilling it. The wicked smiles, the effortless grace, and the pathos that is so deeply ingrained in the character? Park nails it all. They’re the perfect addition to an extraordinary series that’s set to delight longtime devotees of the comic and make new fans of both The Sandman and Park themselves.
Watch our full interview with Park where we discussed Desire’s relationship with other characters, their incredible costuming, and why they always dreamed of being Bette Midler growing up. The Sandman premieres August 5 on Netflix.
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