Brittany Snow in a tan blazer staring ahead in The Beast in Me.Image via Netflix
By
Michael Block
Published 42 minutes ago
Michael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts!
On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK.
In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.
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Every so often, an actor gets a series or two that dominate the airwaves, bolstering their resume and defining their career. Back in the day, TV performers tended to star in a single series to which they were tied to. Now, in the age of streaming, actors have more freedom to take on more projects. For Brittany Snow, the release schedule couldn't have worked out more perfectly for her. It’s safe to say that 2025 was a massive year for Snow.
She started strong with a guest role on The Night Agent. She shocked the world with The Hunting Wives and then played Mandy Matney on Murdaugh: Death in the Family, but she closed out the year with her best role yet, Nina Jarvis in The Beast In Me. The thrilling series follows an author who makes her mysterious neighbor the subject of her latest book. The deeper she gets into the story, the more the truth comes out. Snow takes on the second wife of Nile Jarvis. She plays a devoted wife who finally flips on him when she learns the truth, serving as the reason why Nile goes down in the end. Compared to her other roles this year, the depth in her character allowed her to tap into a wealth of emotional range, making her supporting role even stronger than her lead role in The Hunting Wives.
Who Is Nina Jarvis in 'The Beast In Me'?
Brittany Snow as Nina Jarvis stands in the doorway in 'The Beast in Me.'Image via Netflix
Though all eyes were on her this summer thanks to the raunchy and risqué The Hunting Wives, Netflix viewers were in for a treat thanks to her performance in The Beast In Me. On the surface, Nina Jarvis was the typical doting wife of a wealthy man with a dark past. Who she truly was and how she became his second wife were always on our minds, but the deeper the saga between Claire Danes' Aggie and Matthew Rhys' Nile unraveled, the less you began to think about Snow's Nina. Until she becomes a crucial player.
Nina started off as a kind neighbor and foil to her husband. Nile was aggressive in regard toward Aggie, especially in his hunt to get his running path, whereas Nina showed genuine care for her neighbor's wishes. In that respect, she was seemingly a secondary character. But as Nile’s story about his deceased wife came to light, Nina played a much bigger part; she wasn't just the wife any longer. She was the assistant to Madison Ingram (Leila George), Nile's missing wife, at the art gallery. Then, she literally took over both the role of gallery manager and the devoted wife. The latter was for her own safety. She took on a bit of a submissive role in the partnership, something she developed through marriage. By the end, when she becomes the reason why Nile gets arrested, having deduced that he killed Madison, she emerges as a powerful woman who is no longer afraid of the beast in front of her. It's a brilliant arc, crafted precisely and intricately by the writer.
Brittany Snow Brought Depth to Nina
As Snow told Tudum, "I do find that I get to play a lot of women who, on the surface, look and act a certain way, and then turn out to be something else. That always intrigues me." That was Nina to her core. She shared her intrigue that there was something behind the front of her character, finding ways to tap into that mystery by subverting the character and genre. In a sense, Snow made Nina a chameleon. She wasn't of that world, but she knew how to blend in. With Madison, she learned what a world of wealth looked like. When everything changed, she eased into that role, but still maneuvered through the world. She used her charm and sexuality in manners that benefited her without becoming manipulative, the definition of Nile. She can fight when she feels cornered, but it's not brutal like Nile. There was always sincerity in Snow's Nina, even when she revealed the truth about Madison's betrayal. Is she morally clean? No, but is any character?
It could have been easy to play with an obvious answer in mind, but Snow gave Nina great depth by making her a brilliant woman who, subconsciously, knew the truth about Nile, making the decision to not know. By driving into the psychology of the character, Snow's mission to go beyond the surface level of Nina provided a solid performance. Even though Nina comes to life in that latter half of the series, Snow drives the action at the same level as Rhys and Danes.
Easily one of the strongest moments of the series was her final shot in which she holds her child and fears that perhaps the beast tendencies are inherited. While the series centered around the beast inside Nile, he wasn't alone. Nina had shown subtle shades of this concept, so as much as she may be trying to protect her child from Nile, she might need to shield him from herself, too.
Related
Brittany Snow's True Crime Obsession Came in Handy for 'Murdaugh: Death in the Family'
Snow and journalist Mandy Matney, whose original reporting inspired the Hulu series, also discuss their early collaboration.
Posts By Carly Lane Nov 21, 2025Brittany Snow Is More Than Just a Utility Actress
Brittany Snow as Nina Jarvis looks out of the window on 'The Beast in Me.'Image via Netflix
Brittany Snow has had a wide-spanning career in film and television. Beginning as a soap star on Guiding Light, the young actress caught attention and led her to breakout role of Meg Pryor in American Dreams. Having a sweet and bubbly demeanor, Snow was cast in an array of parts, many of which featured her being typecast as sweet and innocent or the blonde mean girl. With roles here and there, including a trio of films from the Pitch Perfect franchise, Snow remained consistent. And then, 2025 came and proved that she was not only willing, but she was able to shed her previous on-screen persona for meatier roles with heft.
It's safe to say that she has become a dependable performer who can dive into the depths of a character. Don't let the beautiful, blue-eyed, blonde-haired image fool you. She can play characters with bite and bark. Snow's future is bright because she is more than just a utility actress. She can do everything. From leading an entire series to the top of the charts to appearing in a crucial guest role, Snow's process affords her the opportunity to take on any role in any genre. Whether it be drama or comedy, and even high-octane action thrillers with a gun, Snow's 2025 is what actors dream of. Snow may have been the lead in The Hunting Wives, playing a flawed woman trying to protect herself from herself, but her role in The Beast in Me proved to be Snow's best project of the year.
The Beast in Me is available to stream on Netflix.
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The Beast in Me
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Claire Danes
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Nile Jarvis
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