
Season 4 of You is officially here, and with it, new characters.
Yes, Penn Badgley is back, and Joe Goldberg is still, well, Joe Goldberg, with the first half of season 4 following his effort to start over in London.
Following the shocking events of Season 3, the killer we all despise assumes the name of Professor Jonathan Moore in the capital, reverting to his origins as a bookworm but no longer the lovable bookshop manager in New York.
Instead, he’s leveraging his remarkable book knowledge to connect with his new audience and love interest (played by Charlotte Ritchie), though let’s just say his new identity hasn’t removed Joe from his past in the manner he would have expected.
Amy-Leigh Hickman, who plays Nadia Farran, joins Penn on the daring trip. She’s a literature major who wants to be a serious novelist and unites with ‘Professor Moore’ through their shared love of reading – but as the episodes unfold, so does Nadia, and there’s more to her than we first think.
So, let’s learn more about Nadia from the person who knows her best, Amy, as she discusses the character and what her connection with protagonist Joe may lead to…
Who is Nadia?

Nadia enjoys storytelling and all things murder mysteries, which is fitting given that the true murder mystery occurs around Joe in Season 4 Part 1.
When we first meet Nadia, we see that she is rather opinionated. She’s not hesitant to ask questions or express her opinions, and she knows what she wants. Unfortunately, she isn’t the most popular among her classmates.
However, she has made errors in the past, and as the truth about what occurred with her old professor is revealed, we see how desperate she is for assistance – even if it means turning to the wrong people (or person).
Amy tells us that she sees a lot of herself in Nadia and admires her ‘independence’.
‘She does things her own way and is quite instinctive as well, which we see more of throughout the series. She doesn’t really think about things, but she’s quite selfless. She does things just because she’s a good person and I really like that about her,’ Amy says.
Along with the parallels, there are distinctions between Nadia’s character and Amy, which inspired her to go above and above for the job.
‘I never went to university, and Nadia is supposed to be the smartest person in her class, so I had to read a lot of Agatha Christie and whodunnits, which was actually really, really fun because I wanted to make sure I understood why she loved this genre so much and I needed to know what I was talking about. I didn’t want to just memorise the lines.’
Concerning her connection with Joe, we’ve already seen him get protective of younger characters (his son, Ellie, Paco…), going out of his way to support them.
Amy feels Nadia is now this for him, but she also points out that because Nadia is significantly older and more aware, Joe may not feel as comfortable with her as he believes.
‘Nadia is that bit older and wiser, which makes things more dangerous. She’s not as vulnerable.
‘Because she’s so smart and she’s got great instincts, I feel like she’s the kind of person that would walk into a room and, after one conversation, she’d have everyone sussed out.’
Does this indicate she’ll figure out Joe’s secret life? Well, he’s also turning to her for assistance this time, which may not be the greatest idea…
Who is Amy-Leigh Hickman?
Amy is no stranger to the film, having originally appeared as Carmen Howle in Tracy Beaker Returns and The Dumping Ground before moving on to roles in EastEnders, Ackley Bridge, and Our Girl.
‘I enjoyed the show beforehand, I watched it all, and I never envisioned myself in it because I never believed it would ever come to London,’ she says of landing the role of Nadia. So when the audition notice arrived, I assumed it was for a separate show called You.
‘I was super excited, I just wanted to be part of it and I really liked the character as well, because she represents that more working class side of London and she’s very independent for such a young woman.’

Amy adds that the part allowed her to hone many of her acting abilities, and she felt successful by the conclusion of filming.
‘I feel so lucky. I kind of knew what was happening in the beginning, but there’s so much to unpack so getting a new script was like reading a new chapter of a book. It was so exciting.’
She also feels that her portrayal as Nadia may lead to further parts in darker films in the future.
‘I always want to keep challenging myself, but then I also never really plan anything because you just can’t in this industry. I would never have imagined myself in a show like this and it did happen, so I just take it day by day and keep doing work that I really care about, that’s my main goal.’
Part 1 of You season 4 is available to stream on Netflix.