3 days Ago By Asia Features
It’s a really fun, exciting, smart and fascinating show set around the US State Department, and the life of these diplomats and ambassadors who we know so little about. It’s a show about people in very powerful positions with important jobs, but they’re really clumsy and doing embarrassing things. It’s got great humour, great drama and such great writing from Debora Cahn.
I just love how human she is, despite the world she finds herself in. Kate is a problem-solver. She’s ruthless at what she does, but she is also uncomfortable in her surroundings.
She’s a fish out of water. She makes mistakes, says or does the wrong thing, and that often causes problems for the people around her, which is part of the reason she has never been the boss. She’s a fascinating character to play.
First of all, it means we must have been doing something right and that people want to see more. Secondly, it means we have done our job in setting up this world no one is supposed to know about. This season is six episodes whereas the last one was eight, so the pace has picked up.
It’s more dynamic. There is so much going on. There is still a lot of that, which I love.
At the end of Season 1, Kate was maybe weighing up her options and deciding which way to go next, but because of what happens to Hal, she has had no choice but to go home and carry on. She is the one making sure everyone is safe. Hal needs her because he knows he can trust her, in the same way Kate needs Hal, despite all their issues as a couple.
Rufus is an absolute joy to work with. He is so talented, so generous and so much fun. He is perfect as Hal, and any scene I get to do with Rufus is always just the best.
Not so much, because it’s not a world we are supposed to know much about. I have learned that to be an ambassador is to give up any kind of normal life. These highly intelligent and brilliant people have to be able to work anywhere at any time.
They speak multiple languages and have to be able to deal with all kinds of situations. It’s tough. It’s a lot of diplomatic speech, but the language is a huge part of the show and the character.
There are so many facts and figures, acronyms, complicated names and everything else. It’s a challenge to make it all sound like you know what you’re talking about. It’s also a challenge not to just start laughing.
That happens a lot. I wouldn’t say it’s based on her, but I learned a lot from Jane Hartley, who is a real American ambassador working in London. I got to hang out with her, and to see how brilliant she is, and how people in her position really have to be so perfect at everything they do.
It’s like everything is easy for them—the way they dress, remember everyone’s names, how they know exactly what to say and what not to about whatever world issue is raised. Kate is a version of that, but of course it is behind the scenes that all the chaos and the drama takes place, for Kate especially. It’s a long way to come for someone who has three kids who are still at school.
It’s a long time away, but I love it. We all love it. My husband (actor Matthew Rhys) is Welsh, so it’s great family time for us.
We get to visit a lot of his family there. Oh, it’s up there. It’s so well written and the people I get to work with are just so talented and brilliant.
I have been lucky to have been involved with some amazing projects, and then this one came right out of the blue, when I was least expecting it. I remember reading the script for the first time, and I knew I had to somehow do it. I’m so glad I did.
I just remember how much fun it was. My first day shooting was me jumping off an exploding building strapped to Tom Cruise (laughs). It was so weird.
I was looking at JJ (director JJ Abrams), and he was laughing so hard. But, of course, Tom does all his own stunts, which meant I had to too. It was terrifying but fun.
I love JJ. I would do anything with him. I was so happy to be a part of Star Wars, and I would love to do something else with him one day.
I’m hoping he’ll do a romantic comedy next (laughs)..
