Warning: There are major spoilers ahead for From season 4, episode 1, “The Arrival.”The Man in Yellow (Douglas E. Hughes) is back in From season 4, and his return means more shocking twists ahead for Sophia (Julia Doyle).
In the From season 3 finale, the unsettling Man in Yellow makes his presence known when he suddenly emerges in the forest, warns that knowledge comes at a cost, and swiftly ends the life of Jim Matthews (Eion Bailey). Season 4 begins in the immediate aftermath of this, as Jim bleeds out, time-traveling Julie Matthews (Hannah Cheramy) disappears after being unable to save her father, and the Man in Yellow revels in what comes next for the Township’s residents.
What comes next is the Man in Yellow transforming into a pastor’s daughter named Sophia, who is first seen in the Township as she and her father’s (Rhys Bevan-John) car crashes into the post office. The end of From season 4, episode 1 reveals that as Sophia, the Man in Yellow pretended to be a lost individual stranded on the road; the pastor gave her a ride out of the kindness of his heart, and she is most certainly not his daughter.
After causing the car accident and fooling Kenny Liu (Ricky He) and other From characters, Sophia later wakes up the unconscious pastor and, before killing him, teases that she will now get the residents to tear one another apart. With Doyle as a series regular and Hughes as a recurring actor this season, Sophia has been set up to be the Man in Yellow’s primary form for the near future. This disguise can be used to manipulate the residents while pushing them closer to self-destruction and betrayal.
Ahead of the premiere, ScreenRant‘s Tatiana Hullender interviewed Doyle about her important and unique new role in From season 4. Doyle discusses how Sophia presents herself differently to each character, why her performance differs compared to From‘s original monsters, and hints at her favorite Sophia twists that will occur later in the season.
The Man In Yellow’s New Form Explained By Julia Doyle
ScreenRant: Watching Sophia’s interactions with the townfolk made me wonder if there’s any capacity for empathy to evolve in your character? Are your opinions locked, or do plans and motives change based on your interactions?
Julia Doyle: I don’t know all the details, and they haven’t told me everything, but I would say [the Man in Yellow] is very present in the moment. As much as they know they have power and are ahead of the game, they also stay present each moment to moment. Each person I interact with gets a different interpretation of Sophia.
ScreenRant: There was a moment in the season 4 premiere when the Man in Yellow says to Jim, “What happens next is my favorite part,” and then you repeat that in episode 1 to the pastor, but expand it with, “This is when they tear themselves apart.” Would you say that’s information gleaned from previous cycles, or does the entity you represent have future knowledge as well?
Julia Doyle: In my Julia Doyle opinion, who is not the writer of the show, I would presume the latter. There’s a reason why I’m not being like, “Hey, Tabitha! What’s up, girl?” Sophia’s like, “Maybe I’ll stay with Kenny. I’ll stay with Kenny.” He seems not as on guard.
ScreenRant: Given that we don’t know much about this entity, what did you take from the other From creatures, including the Man in Yellow, that we’ve seen throughout the seasons when deciding how to present Sophia? After all, your character is clearly not like them.
Julia Doyle: They definitely informed my performance in a way, but I didn’t want to base my performance off them or put too much energy into watching other people. Sometimes that becomes a caricature rather than an actual lived-in, inhabited person.
I don’t ever want to be a cliché version of an evil character. Sometimes I feel like I’ve referred back to characters in the past where I’m like, “Maybe I should bring some of this character in it,” then all of a sudden you bring all those characters together and it’s the most basic version of that character ever.
ScreenRant: Why do you think the Man in Yellow chose a pastor’s daughter as this new identity? What does her faith or that veneer of innocence say about his plans?
Julia Doyle: I think it’s about the veneer of innocence and also of being sheltered. If she acts weird or does something strange or uncanny valley, it’s okay. They’re like, “I guess maybe she’s homeschooled.”
I feel like I could blame things on my religious upbringing if, for example, I have too much empathy or not enough empathy. Also, there are a lot of bad people who use religion as a shield.
Julia Doyle Teases Sophia’s Biggest Twists Still To Come
ScreenRant: Sophia obviously shakes up the dynamic among the Township this season. Is there a character that you had the most fun engaging with or is there an episode that you’re most excited for everyone to see for your character?
Julia Doyle: Episodes 9 and 10 are when I start interacting with someone I have not interacted with before. I was really happy about that and the other actor was too.
ScreenRant: We see the Man in Yellow pick up Sophia’s items. Do you think Sophia was a real person in any way or were they created by the entity?
Julia Doyle: I think that’s a question I cannot answer and you’ll have to watch!
How Julia Doyle Landed The Role Of Sophia & Immersed Herself In The Character
ScreenRant: Did you know when you first read for the role that you were going to be much more than a preacher’s daughter?
Julia Doyle: I knew that I was going to be more than a preacher’s daughter but I didn’t know that I was going to be the monster. I knew that I was a bad girl but I didn’t know that it was for the show From. I got dummy sides and everything so I just thought it was for this random new haunted hospital MGM+ show that was coming out. So that was definitely strange!
ScreenRant: You’re stepping into this Big Bad role in season 4 of a show that we now know is going to be 5 seasons long. How does it feel to act as this linchpin among a set family that’s already been in the works for some time?
Julia Doyle: Oh it feels so lovely. It’s really nice because everyone is already so established with each other and comfortable with each other that it does feel like you’re joining a family.
Everyone knows each other’s names and for the first two weeks I was like “My God this is so stressful!” No one’s wearing a name tag because everyone knows each other but I don’t know anyone’s name. I had to learn a hundred names in one day! But it’s been wonderful.
ScreenRant: What has been your favorite thing about being a part of the world of From?
Julia Doyle: I’ve acted on high school sets and I’ve acted on summer camp sets but I have never had this experience and never acted on a set like From. That is totally singular and it’s something I’m so happy about. It not only makes me happy but I feel like it’s also really great for my performance because I’m feeling those emotions but I’m sure my character is also feeling the excitement of “Ooh I’m in the town.”
ScreenRant: Speaking of that excitement I love the smile that you give when your plan is working or especially because Sophia’s like “Oh this is so horrible.” And then you turn your face. Did it take a while to get to that smile down perfectly or was it just instinctual?
Julia Doyle: Oh it’s instinctual. I genuinely love being creepy with my friends. I love playing around and I’m that type of friend that lies for fun sometimes. I’ll say “Oh my God this thing just happened it’s so crazy,” to shock them. I don’t know why! It’s really fun.
I’ve always just loved being a creep and just staring in the washroom or being like “How creepy can I get?” And then being like “Wait I’m kind of creepy myself out.” Then I’m turning on the lights again.
From season 4 releases new episodes on Sundays on MGM+.
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