As Crystal Palace in Steve Yockey’s Dead Boy Detectives, Kassius Nelson has added another layer of intrigue to her acting career. She stars alongside George Rexstrew and Jayden Revri in the Netflix series, which has given her career a new lease on life. The supernatural dramedy isn’t the breakthrough role of the English actress who has been active on-screen since the early 2010s. She was first seen as Heather in Jordan Foster’s 2013 drama film Lone Rivers, before debuting on television as Jade Albright in Hollyoaks.
Also a stage performer, Kassius Nelson consolidates her growing reputation with her exciting interpretation of a complex character in Dead Boy Detectives. She plays a psychic possessed by a demon in a story about two ghosts investigating supernatural crimes. After the dead boys rescue Crystal from demonic possession, she joins the duo, using her psychic ability to aid their investigations. While at that, she struggles with her identity and a romantic attraction to one of the ghosts.
Kassius Nelson Is From Islington, London, Where She Began Her Career On Stage
The Crystal Palace actress was born on June 24, 1997, in Islington, north of Greater London, where her career journey began. She studied performing art at City and Islington College before debuting on stage as a professional actress. A member of the Islington Community Theatre, Kassius Nelson played the lead in the theatre’s production of In All The Minutes Ever, directed by Ned Glasier. This was in 2012.
She also played various roles in the community theatre’s production of Brainstorm (2015 – 2016) directed by Glasier and Emily Lim. Her work at the community theater earned her the Young Theatre Maker Award. Beyond the Islington Community Theatre, Kassius Nelson has featured in other theatrical productions across London. In 2014, she played Haringey at the Old Vic Theatre production of Housed directed by Alexander Ferris.
The actress also portrayed various characters in Bethan Dear’s What Will Survive of Us, performed at several National Theatre platforms. Her most recent stage work was in Stratford East’s production of Moon-stained in 2018. Nelson wrote the show, which she also co-directed with Segen Yosife.
She Made Her Feature Film Debut In 2013
Kassius Nelson brought her stage presence to the screen in 2013 when she pulled off her big-screen debut. She played Heather in Lone Rivers, a minor role that marked the beginning of her screen acting. Her next feature film roles came in 2021 when she played Cami and Sophie in Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho and Reggie Yates’ Pirates, respectively.
She has also starred in several short films, beginning with Eddie Sternberg’s 2015 comedy-drama Out of Body. After that, she played Frida in 2019’s Bush, a short comedy directed by Nadia Fall. In 2022, Nelson appeared as Amy in Re-live, another short film written and directed by Lotus Hannon.
Kassius Nelson’s TV Debut And Breakthrough Role
The English actress made her small-screen debut in 2015 as Jade Albright in Hollyoaks, a British soap opera created by Phil Redmond. She portrayed the character in 106 episodes of the daytime drama from 2015 to 2017. Kassius Nelson’s performance in the Channel 4 series introduced her to a wider audience, propelling her career to a new phase. The role earned Nelson two British Soap Awards for Best On-Screen Partnership and Scene of the Year. She shared both with Richard Linnell.
Since then, she has portrayed diverse characters in several TV shows, including Chloe Robinson in a 2017 episode of BBC One’s medical drama, Casualty. Kassius Nelson’s television resume expanded in 2019 when she played Fiona Widdershins in three episodes of Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. In 2020, she played Young Anna in White Lines, another Netflix series. Nelson portrayed the character in nine episodes of the mystery thriller created by Álex Pina.
After White Lines, Kassius Nelson disappeared from the small screen until 2023 when she appeared as Sheila Delaney in an episode of Grantchester. Playing Crystal Palace in Dead Boy Detectives has rejuvenated her career, but the actress doesn’t think of success in terms of the number of shows in her resume. “I think a lot of it is how you feel within yourself and security… having (the) choice and agency of yourself in your career,” she told TheDHK. Check out where you’ve seen the cast of Dead Boy Detectives.
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