You probably know her as the terrifying, chic, and somehow lovable assassin Villanelle. Or maybe you saw her command the stage in Prima Facie until she literally didn't have a voice left. But for a huge chunk of the planet, the first time they actually met the whirlwind that is Jodie Comer was through a pair of cool sunglasses and a leather suit in a video game world.
Jodie Comer in Free Guy wasn't just another "actor in a blockuster" moment. It was a weird, risky, and surprisingly melodic pivot for a woman who, at that point, was mostly known for being really good at killing people on TV.
Honestly, it's easy to dismiss Free Guy as just another Ryan Reynolds "guy-cracking-jokes-while-things-explode" movie. But if you pull back the curtain, Comer is actually doing the heavy lifting. She’s playing two versions of the same soul, and she’s doing it while navigating the cringe-inducing world of gaming tropes.
The Dual Role of Millie Rusk and Molotov Girl
Most actors get one character per paycheck. Jodie got two.
In the real world, she’s Millie Rusk. Millie is a bit of a mess—not a "Hollywood mess" where she has one stray hair, but a real, gritty, "I've been screwed over by a corporate tech giant" kind of mess. She’s a programmer. She’s brilliant. She’s also incredibly frustrated because her life’s work was stolen by a guy who wears too much eyeliner (played by Taika Waititi).
Then there’s Molotov Girl.
This is Millie’s avatar in Free City. She’s the badass. The leather-clad, gun-toting, "I don't have time for your NPC nonsense" version of Millie's internal ambitions.
What’s fascinating is how Comer distinguishes them. It’s not just the wig or the clothes. It’s the posture. Molotov Girl moves with this hyper-efficient, digital smoothness. Millie? Millie slumps. She fidgets. She feels the weight of the world in a way her digital self doesn't have to.
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Why the Accent Mattered
If you’ve ever heard Jodie Comer speak in real life, you know she’s a Scouser. Her native Liverpool accent is thick and wonderful. In Free Guy, she had to pivot to a standard American accent for Millie and a slightly more "heightened" version for Molotov Girl.
Some fans actually complained. They thought she sounded "too American." But that was the point! Molotov Girl is an avatar. She’s supposed to sound like a character in a game produced for a global (mostly US) market.
"I wanted you to believe that this girl had sat at her computer and made this woman herself," Comer told The Mary Sue during the film's press run.
She wasn't trying to be a man's fantasy. She was playing a woman's version of her own power. That's a subtle distinction that usually gets lost in big-budget movies.
That Mariah Carey Cover (Yes, She Really Sang It)
Here is the thing that still trips people up: the music.
The movie uses Mariah Carey’s "Fantasy" as a recurring theme. It’s the song that bridges the gap between Guy (the NPC) and Millie. But there is a specific, stripped-back version that plays during a pivotal, emotional moment in the film.
That’s actually Jodie Comer.
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She isn't a "singer" in the professional sense, but director Shawn Levy convinced her to get into the booth. The result is this haunting, raw cover that sounds nothing like the 90s pop anthem. It grounds the movie. In a film filled with CGI explosions and Star Wars cameos, her voice is the thing that makes it feel human.
The Chemistry Problem (That Wasn't Really a Problem)
A lot of people went into Free Guy expecting a standard romance between Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer.
And look, they have great chemistry. It’s fun. It’s light. But the real "twist" of the movie—and the part Jodie sells so well—is that the romance isn't really with the blue-shirted Guy.
The movie is actually a love letter from Keys (played by Joe Keery of Stranger Things fame) to Millie. Guy is just the medium.
Watching Jodie Comer realize that her "perfect man" was actually a bunch of code written by her best friend is a tricky emotional beat to hit. If she overplays it, it’s cheesy. If she underplays it, we don't care. She finds that sweet spot where you realize she isn't falling for a computer program; she's falling for the person who understood her well enough to write it.
Action Is Harder Than It Looks
Comer has admitted in interviews that the stunts were the biggest hurdle. She’s used to the "scrappy" violence of Killing Eve, but Free Guy action is different. It’s choreographed. It’s big.
She spent three hours a day with the stunt team in Boston before filming even started. She did as much as she could herself, though she’s always been quick to credit her stunt double, Haley Wright, for the truly insane stuff.
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The "Paycheck Movie" Misconception
There’s a segment of the internet that thinks Jodie Comer did Free Guy just for the money.
Sure, it was her first big Hollywood leading role. And yeah, the money was probably great. But if you look at her career path, it makes sense. She had just finished a run of very heavy, very dark projects.
Sometimes, an actor just wants to eat some bubblegum ice cream on screen and shoot a digital harpoon.
But even in a "fun" movie, she didn't phone it in. She brought a level of sincerity to Millie that honestly, the script might not have even deserved. She made us believe in the stakes of a digital world. That’s not a "paycheck" performance; that’s an actor who can’t help but be good at her job.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Actors
If you're looking at Comer's performance in Free Guy as a blueprint, here are a few things to take away:
- Physicality is a Language: Notice how she changes her walk between Millie and Molotov Girl. You don't need a costume change to show a character shift; you just need to change how you hold your shoulders.
- Don't Fear the Pivot: Moving from high-brow drama to "popcorn" movies isn't selling out. It’s versatility.
- Skill Accumulation: Comer’s ability to do accents isn't just a party trick; it’s what allowed her to be cast in a massive US blockbuster without being "the British girl."
- Collaborate on the Vision: She worked closely with costume designers to make sure Molotov Girl wasn't over-sexualized. She wanted her to look like a programmer’s creation, not a marketing executive’s dream.
If you haven't revisited the film since its release, go back and watch it specifically for Millie's facial expressions when she's in the background. While Ryan Reynolds is doing his (admittedly hilarious) thing, Comer is building a whole second movie in the margins.
To really appreciate the range, watch an episode of Killing Eve right after. The fact that it’s the same human being is honestly a bit terrifying.
Next Steps:
To see more of Comer's incredible range beyond the gaming world, you should check out her performance in The Last Duel or watch the recorded stage version of Prima Facie. Both show the "real" weight she's capable of bringing to a role when the CGI is stripped away.