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Tuuli Narkle 'IT FELT REALLY HUMBLING'

WHO

September 29, 2025

It can be quite daunting for an actor to jump into an established series, even more so when they're portraying the younger version of a much-loved character.

Luckily for 29-year-old Tuuli Narkle, she was well versed in the Mystery Road story before she took on playing Mary, the love interest of enigmatic detective Jay Swan (Mark Coles Smith), in prequel Mystery Road: Origin in 2022 - a role originated by Tasma Walton in the initial series.

"I, like so many, was a massive fan of Mystery Road long before I had the honour of stepping into the world," she tells WHO.

After scooping up the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama for the role that same year, Narkle is back for her second outing as Jay Swan's leading lady.

How did it feel to pick things back up for Season 2?

It was this weird feeling of coming home after being gone for a long while - the comfortable familiarity is there, but the air is different and everything feels slightly foreign. That's the only way I can describe it. I think this feeling was also solidified by all the returning cast and crew, and our decision to use all of Mary's costumes from the previous season, despite the darker, gloomier aesthetic of this one.