Netflix just brought back the dreamiest nightmare you’ve ever seen — and yes, Tom Sturridge is the dark, brooding heart of it all 😮‍💨🖤
The Sandman blends myth, horror, and fantasy into one surreal ride you won’t forget. He’s the King of Dreams. But when he’s captured and the world slips into chaos, the real nightmare begins…
👉 Thought you knew fantasy? Think again. Tap the link to see why The Sandman is haunting Netflix all over again.

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Sturridge exclusively tells PEOPLE starring in Netflix’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s comic series “was a baptism of fire”

Tom Sturridge had to be mentally, physically and emotionally prepared to take on the iconic role of Dream in Netflix’s The Sandman.

The 36-year-old actor tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s issue that starring in this project came with a huge sense of responsibility because so many people have loved and read Neil Gaiman’s comic book series, which mixes mythology with urban fantasy.

“Yes, I was terrified,” Sturridge admits. “Mainly because I’m one of those people. I became, during that process, such an insane fan of it.”

He continues, “I made the film of it in my head as I was reading it. And I know that everybody else has made that film in their heads. I felt the burden of wanting to do justice to those films that all the people who love it have made — and to surpass them and to surprise them. Yeah, it’s frightening, but it’s a privilege and that fear you have to channel into focus.”

Courtesy of Netflix

Sturridge also reveals that he had to get comfortable on set with the crew extremely quickly — one of his earliest scenes had him sitting naked in a glass sphere for an entire day.

“It’s as horrible as you could imagine it to be,” he tells PEOPLE.

“Because the thing about the glass sphere as well, is that you can’t have a blanket in there, for in between scenes,” the English actor says. “It’s a glass sphere and people would see if there’s a blanket in there.”

Liam Daniel/Netflix

However, being quite literally exposed prepared Sturridge — who shares 10-year-old daughter Marlowe with Sienna Miller — for the rest of the show’s scenes.

“You’re trying to be the leader of the thing, and you’re most vulnerable,” he shares. “But actually, once you’ve done that, then you can do anything. And although it was a baptism of fire, and was incredibly ridiculous, I felt like I could take anything on from then.”

The Sandman is now streaming on Netflix.