s i n k [or] s w i m: a tale of lady pirates and merfolk
a collaborative effort by @stephanierabig and @zombeesknees featuring:
natalie dormer as captain harriet “harry” roberts:
harry went to sea years ago because she'd always longed for adventure -- and to find the sister snatched from her. as captain of the sappho, she's constantly biting off more than she can chew, dueling men and rescuing slaves, castaways, and abused women at every turn. a hot-head and a fighter, her heart is always in the right place and she fully embraces the rowdy life of a pirate.
gina torres as first mate josephine "jo" duveau:
harry's lifelong and long-suffering friend, jo is most definitely the level-headed half of the pair. the more dangerous things are, the more stoic she gets, but she's very kind and caring beneath her gruff demeanor, and just as invested in finding harry's stolen sister, her first love.
jason momoa as kaimana:
sweet, curious, and a little silly at times, kai lost his pod years ago and lived in seclusion until the sappho found his island during a typhoon. the merman is immediately taken by the crew, particularly their wild captain, and leaves them a number of gifts before finally revealing himself.
alicia vikander as agnessa:
this refined beauty abandoned a noble life of privilege when she demanded to join harry's crew -- luckily, she's skilled beyond tea services and curtsying. thanks to her twin brother alvar's tutelage, she's one of the finest helmsman at sea, able to navigate the most dangerous reefs and blockades without batting an eyelash.
q'orianka kilcher as mad maddie:
maddie may be one of the youngest on the sappho, but what she lacks in age and wisdom she makes up for in wild energy and bravery. in fact, she goes quite berserk in battle, proving just as dangerous to her crewmates as to the enemy. no one knows much about her childhood or what makes her quite so mad, but everyone is very fond of her regardless.
luke pasqualino as francisco "lucky franky" cardinelli:
franky hasn't always been so lucky: when harry and jo first found him, he was a castaway-turned-slave with a very cruel master. but after harry won his freedom in a duel, he became an eager addition to the crew. as free with his physical charms as he is with his smiles, franky is a shameless flirt and womanizer, but he and maddie have a particularly strong bond in spite of it.
ruth wilson as wilhelmina:
she may have only one leg, but that doesn't keep will from her scientific pursuits. an amateur botanist and firm believer in mr. darwin's crazy theories, she frequently engages in heated intellectual debates with the more religious or superstitious members of the crew.
gwendoline chistie as katherine:
the muscle of the crew and covered in tattoos, katherine is as good-natured as she is strong. she's also quite the lover, with a man (and woman) in every port.
fan bingbing as hope:
the sappho's resident mystic, hope is superstitious enough to make up for all of harry's doubt and jo's religious certainty. always dressed in red to ward off the evil spirits, hope has a talisman for every situation and any number of ceremonies to keep her crewmates safe.
arden cho as silence:
a siren is nothing without her voice -- or so they say. so what does that make silence? her muteness is the result of a sister's betrayal and a deal with one of the most unscrupulous pirates on the waves, but she has since found shelter on the sappho and companionship with another blighted soul.
rosario dawson as isabelle:
when a woman is thrown overboard and drowns, she sometimes becomes a mermaid. in isabelle's case, the process didn't go smoothly: her tail fused in a way that prevents her from swimming properly. she now relies on silence for her mobility, and acts as the siren's voice in exchange.
melissa jaffer as miss euphemia darling:
harry's crew is more literate than most, but they still need someone to handle the bookkeeping and longer words: enter miss euphemia darling, a retired schoolteacher who woke up one day and decided she wanted some adventure. she can be quite the character, reciting poetry at the oddest moments and wearing elaborate dresses regardless of the weather.
caterina murino as zora:
a former bar wench who grew tired of being ill-treated by drunken customers, she jumped at the chance to join harry's crew. an incurable collector, she weaves coins, beads, shells, and charms into her skirts and necklaces and has a habit of dancing when she's been at the rum.
christina hendricks as tessa:
unlike her lover zora, tessa has no desire to go to sea. instead, she works at the sappho's favorite bar at their favorite port and provides information every time zora pays her a visit.
dichen lachman as junia:
unwilling to stay behind when her husband became a sailor, junia donned a disguise to join him. but when the crew found out and threw her overboard -- killing her protesting husband in the process -- she was rescued by kai and brought to the sappho. now she obsessively collects swords while plotting her revenge against the ship that so wronged her.
margot robbie as aveline roberts:
aveline was going to meet her secret lover -- jo -- when she was snatched by slavers. harry tried to stop them and was nearly killed in the process. now no one can be sure whether she's alive or dead, though there are rumors she was sold to a vicious pod of mermaids who may have turned her into one of their own because of her beautiful singing voice.
mads mikkelsen as captain wrath drew:
once an ally, now a hated foe. wrath betrayed harry and almost sank the sappho in the process. when the full extent of his crimes becomes known, harry vows she'll stop at nothing to see him hanged and his ship, the charon, sent straight to the bottom of the ocean.
