Where else have you seen Esmé Creed-Miles, apart from The Sandman 2? Notable works of the actress who plays Delirium revealed

Promotional poster for The Sandman Season 2 | Image via Netflix
Promotional poster for The Sandman Season 2 | Image via Netflix

Esmé Creed-Miles appears as Delirium in The Sandman season two, and suddenly a lot of people want to know where they’ve seen her before. There’s something familiar about the way she moves through a scene. Not overly polished. Not trying too hard to fit. It just clicks. Kind of subtle, but then again, not really. She fills the screen without pushing for it.

The thing is, this isn’t her first major role. Far from it. The path she followed wasn’t built on loud premieres or big names on posters. She’s been choosing roles that pull in another direction. Not necessarily easier, but different. Smaller budgets, quieter scripts, more room to breathe. The kind of work that doesn’t rush to explain itself.

First steps on screen

The first time Esmé Creed-Miles showed up on screen was way back in 2007. The film was Mister Lonely, directed by Harmony Korine. She played a young version of Shirley Temple. It wasn’t a big part, nothing that demanded much attention. Just a brief appearance, almost easy to miss. Still, it marked the beginning.

Then came a long gap. No major roles, no headlines. For a while, it was quiet. Until 2017, when she returned in Dark River, a British drama with a heavy tone. This time, she played the younger version of the main character. Again, not a huge role in terms of lines or screen time, but there was something in her expression. The kind of stillness that holds more than it says. Without needing to say much, she held the screen. There was a tension there, quiet but firm. The kind that doesn’t fade once the scene ends.

Breaking through with Hanna

The real shift came in 2019. That’s when Hanna premiered on Amazon Prime. Esmé took the lead, playing a girl raised in isolation and trained to survive. TThe show was based on a film, but this time the story had room to breathe. And she had space to show more than just fight scenes.

She trained for hours every day. Martial arts, discipline, focus. It shows in the way she moves in the series. But the most surprising parts had nothing to do with the action. It was how she played silence. How she let discomfort stay on screen. A glance, a hesitation. The anger didn’t always explode. Sometimes it just sat there.

There were moments in that show where the emotion didn’t rise or fall. It just hovered. And that’s not easy to pull off.

Esmé Creed-Miles - Hanna | Image via Prime Video
Esmé Creed-Miles - Hanna | Image via Prime Video

Choosing less obvious roles

After Hanna, Esmé Creed-Miles could have aimed for something bigger. Something loud and glossy. Instead, she returned to smaller films. In Pond Life, a coming-of-age story set in the 90s, she played a girl named Pogo. The film didn’t have a complicated plot. It followed a group of teens during one long summer. Nothing huge happens. But that was the point.

The scenes took their time. Long pauses, quiet tension. Conversations that trailed off. Esmé Creed-Miles didn’t fill the silence. She stayed with it.

That same year, she appeared in Undercliffe, another British indie. It didn’t make much noise, but again, her performance added something. No big speeches. Just small gestures, stillness, and presence.

Taking the camera into her own hands

In 2020, Esmé wrote and directed a short film. Jamie told the story of a teenager living with depression, eating disorders and a deep feeling of disconnection. It wasn’t polished — it wasn’t meant to be. The editing had a raw quality. The dialogue wasn’t trying to sound perfect. Some parts were even hard to watch. And maybe that’s exactly why they mattered.

The short was selected for Palm Springs ShortFest. Not because it wrapped everything up neatly. But because it didn’t. It just showed what it needed to show and stepped back.

Esmé Creed-Miles - Pond Life | Image via Prime Video
Esmé Creed-Miles - Pond Life | Image via Prime Video

More recent appearances

By 2023, she had joined the cast of The Doll Factory. A limited series where she played a character named Mme. Cotton. That same year, she was also in Silver Haze, a film dealing with trauma, memory, and grief. Different tones. Same approach. She brings a slightly unpredictable edge to her roles. Something a little fragile, a little unstable.

Outside of acting, she doesn’t post much. Interviews are rare. When she does speak, the focus isn’t on promotion. She talks about feminism, personal space, sometimes music. She doesn’t seem interested in turning herself into a brand.

A pattern in the kinds of characters she plays

Looking back, most of the characters played by Esmé Creed-Miles share something. They’re unsure. Not in a weak way, but in the sense of holding something heavy inside. These are girls who’ve seen too much or know things they don’t know how to say. They move through stories quietly, but they leave marks.

Even in a role like Hanna, where the action takes center stage, Esmé Creed-Miles keeps that undercurrent of uncertainty. It's not about being strong or soft. It’s about holding both at once.

Esmé Creed-Miles - The Doll Factory | Image via Paramount+
Esmé Creed-Miles - The Doll Factory | Image via Paramount+

Why Esmé Creed-Miles is the right choice for Delirium

Delirium, as a character, isn’t linear. She doesn’t follow rules. Emotions change fast. Reality slips. That needs an actor who can hold chaos without making it feel like noise. Someone who can float, but still stay grounded enough to make the viewer care.

Esmé Creed-Miles brings that. Not because she’s trying to be eccentric or whimsical. It’s just there in her rhythm. She plays confusion like it’s part of the air. Her reactions don’t always land where expected. That’s exactly what Delirium asks for.

What’s ahead

Filming for The Sandman season two wrapped in 2024. The episodes are expected sometime in 2025. With Delirium entering the story, things will likely shift. The tone. The pace. Maybe even the color palette. Delirium doesn’t arrive quietly — she bends the story just by showing up.

That kind of character needs space to spin, pause, break pattern. And the way Esmé works, she’s more than ready for that.

Closing note

Esmé Creed-Miles didn’t rush into fame. She followed a different path. Slower. Less obvious. The roles she picked gave her time to explore rather than perform. That’s what makes her work feel real. Playing Delirium isn’t a departure. It’s a continuation. Another step in a line she’s been drawing from the very beginning.

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Edited by Sezal Srivastava