Sophie Nélisse Reveals What the Cast Really Eats in 'Yellowjackets' Cannibalism Scenes

The third season of Yellowjackets recently premiered, featuring several scenes in which the characters had to resort to cannibalism. Teenage Shauna Shipman actress Sophie Nélisse recently opened up about what they were actually eating in those scenes.

In an interview with The Direct, Nélisse revealed that jackfruit was used to imitate the flesh inside the bodies. The cast jokingly started calling it “Jackie-fruit” after a scene in Season 1, where they ate Jackie, a character played by Ella Purnell.

She also shared that rice paper rolls were used to mimic human skin, while tempeh and Beyond Meat were used for a general meat-like texture. Gelatin, the same ingredient used in gummy bears, was used for organs—such as when Travis had to eat Javi’s heart.

Initially, the cast found the cannibalism scenes disturbing, but they adapted over time. Nélisse mentioned that many cast members “tend to dissociate” when filming such gory scenes:

“When we were first doing cannibalism scenes, we were all freaked out, and we’re like, ‘This is so weird. It feels like we shouldn’t be doing this.’ And now they’re just bringing it, and they’re like, ‘Okay, here’s your little pieces of fake tofu or fake tempeh, and there you go.’”

As the seasons have progressed, both the Yellowjackets actors and their characters have become desensitized to the idea of eating human flesh. What once horrified them is now treated like a normal day on set.

The first two episodes of Yellowjackets Season 3 are out now, with the third episode set to release on February 21. The rest of the season will continue airing weekly through April 11.