Black Mirror showrunners were surprised Miley Cyrus agreed to join the series as they sent her the script on a whim since they had 'nothing to lose'
She's set to portray a pop-star-turned-virtual-assistant in Black Mirror's fifth season.
And Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones found it 'bizarre and quite surreal' that Miley Cyrus agreed to join the show, as they spoke about the show's return in an interview with Radio Times on Tuesday.
The singer, 26, is set to appear in the season's third episode, Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too, and the showrunners admitted they sent the script to her on a whim because they were looking for a 'Miley Cyrus type' and felt 'there [was] nothing to lose'.
Shock: Black Mirror showrunners were surprised Miley Cyrus agreed to join the show as they sent her the script on a whim since they had 'nothing to lose', they revealed on Tuesday
Charlie explained: 'We thought, "We're obviously not going to get Miley Cyrus — but there's nothing to lose by sending her the script."
'We sent her the script, it turned out she'd seen the show, and liked it, and then we got word back pretty quickly she was interested, and then we all hopped on a Skype call, which was bananas.'
The screenwriter added that Miley's 'self-deprecating' attitude and 'good sense of humour' meant she was keen to give her own suggestions for the story, and quickly said 'she wanted to do it.'
Why not? Charlie Brooker (L) explained: 'We thought, "We're obviously not going to get Miley Cyrus — but there's nothing to lose by sending her the script"'
The episode is inspired by Charlie's children and their reaction to the Amazon Echo he bought for the house, as he found it 'creepy' how they would be 'talking to this thing like it's a person.'
The episode will see a lonely teenager, Rachel, buy an Alexa-style voice activated doll of her favourite pop-star, longing to live the rosy life she thinks Ashley does.
In the trailer, Miley is seen promoting the new-age doll in a television show, and she's seen speaking directly to Rachel who's lying on her bed at home in awe watching.
Helpful: The screenwriter added that Miley's 'self-deprecating' attitude and 'good sense of humour' meant she was keen to give her own suggestions for the story
Out: Read the full interview in the new issue of Radio Times, which is out now
'It's really important to be who you want to be,' Ashley promotes like a well rehearsed script.
While the doll continues to tell all the girls to 'believe in yourself,' things appear to reach boiling point for Ashley, as her robot persona takes a dark turn.
The anthology series aims to tap into our collective unease with the modern world, with each stand-alone episode a sharp, suspenseful tale exploring themes of contemporary techno-paranoia leading to an unforgettable – and sometimes unsettling – conclusion.
Read the full interview in the new issue of Radio Times, which is out now.
Black Mirror season five will debut on Netflix on June 5, 2019.
Technology: The episode will see a lonely teenager, Rachel, buy an Alexa style voice activated doll of her favourite pop-star, longing to live the rosy life she thinks Ashley does
