Sarah Desjardins Talks About The Success Of ‘Yellowjackets’ And ‘The Night Agent’

Sarah Desjardins is on a winning streak with roles in two of the top television series streaming now. She portrays teenagers with insufferable parents in Showtime’s psychological horror series Yellowjackets and the new Netflix spy-thriller The Night Agent, which premiered back-to-back to record-breaking numbers.

“I’m just over here pinching myself,” she said in a recent interview. “I’m in a state of gleeful shock. I’m just a Canadian girl learning how to process all these things that are being thrown at me. It feels like a new level in my career has been unlocked.”

She pauses when asked what she looks for when reading scripts and auditioning. “All I want to do are deep-layered roles, and I saw an opportunity to bring depth to both characters.”

Fans know Desjardins, 28, from her roles in series including Riverdale, Impulse, and Under The Banner Of Heaven. Currently, she’s portraying a young woman paying dearly for the sins of her father in one case; in another, her mother’s haunting past threatens to implode the entire family.

The Night Agent, produced by Sony Pictures Television Studios, premiered on March 23 and immediately reached Netflix’s Top 10. The 10-episode series debuted in the No. 1 spot on the English TV List with 168.7 million hours viewed, making it the most-viewed title in its first week. In addition, the FBI drama ranked No. 3 for the best premiere week of viewing across season one for any Netflix original and appeared in the Top 10 in 93 countries.

Based on Matthew Quirk’s novel, the series comes from creator, showrunner, and executive producer Shawn Ryan (The Shield, S.W.A.T.). The story centers around Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso), a low-level FBI agent who works in the basement of the White House, operating a phone that never rings until the night that it does. He’s immediately thrown into a conspiracy that leads to the Oval Office.

Desjardins portrays Maddie Redfield, the teenage daughter of the United States Vice President. His hands are dirty, and she gets caught in the crossfire. Netflix has already confirmed that a second season is in the works.

Desjardins also stars in Showtime’s mega-hit Yellowjackets as Shauna Sadecki’s (played by Melanie Lynskey) daughter Callie. It’s normal for a teenage daughter to have a complicated relationship with her mother. However, in this case, Callie’s mom and her soccer team survived a horrific plane crash in 1996, and fans are still discovering details of the atrocities from that time in the remote northern wilderness. “I’m so grateful I have more to sink my teeth into this season with Callie. I can’t wait for everybody to see it!”

The story follows their wild descent from normal teenagers into a savage, cannibalistic clan. The fallout from those days continues to haunt Shauna and her friends, who all have blood on their hands.

The Emmy-nominated, critically acclaimed thriller became Showtime’s most-streamed debut ever, with its second season premiering on March 24, hitting nearly two million viewers across all platforms. This marks the cable giant’s best season two premiere in over ten years and nearly doubled the series’ premiere audience. Yellowjackets was created and executive produced by Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson (Narcos), and fellow showrunner Jonathan Lisco. The ensemble cast includes Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, Tawny Cypress, Lauren Ambrose, Simone Kessell, and Elijah Wood.

Yellowjackets, which was renewed for a third season, is up more than 110 percent from the series premiere in November 2021, breaking Showtime’s record on streaming and on-demand platforms previously set by Dexter: New Blood. The second season is also up more than 40 percent from the season one finale in cross-platform viewing, and it’s the No. 1 season debut ever for the cabler on streaming and on-demand platforms.

Callie and Maddie are both contending with parents who have done some despicable things. “I can relate to Callie and the challenging dynamics within a family,” explains Desjardins. “With Maddie, when I read the breakdown for the character, I felt like I knew who this person was. She’s the Vice President’s daughter, so everybody looks at her, but nobody sees her for who she is. She doesn’t feel seen; I felt the same when I was younger. I felt like I didn’t have anybody who saw me for me. Once she meets someone she feels sees her, she follows that as I feel anyone would when that’s something you’re longing for. It sends her on a journey she didn’t sign up for.”

Her character in The Night Agent has no qualms about telling her scoundrel of a father precisely what she thinks of him. “Maddie is coming from a very vulnerable place. She’s looking for someone to want her for her, and that’s why she ends up in the situation she ends up in.”

Regarding Yellowjackets, she’s excited about Callie this season versus last. “I’m so grateful that we’ve gotten to delve more into what makes her the way she is. In season one, we see her attitude, but in season two, we get to see where that’s coming from on a deeper level. I mean, look at her parents,” she laughs. “Who wouldn’t have issues with parents like that? Callie is starting to figure things out herself, and we get to see what she will do with that information. She’s a voice of reason. She’s like, ‘What the f**k is going on?’ She’s the one calling everyone out on their bullsh*t. I like that.”