Collider: When it came your way, what was it that most appealed to you?
Was it something about the story?
Was it something in the character that you hadnt gotten to play before?
OLIVIA COOKE: It was both.
My character reminded me so much of my sister, back in 2019, when we shot the movie.
Youre the lone woman among the men in this story.
Image via Screen Media
What was it like to find where you fit among all of these guys?
That was really lovely, straight off the bat.
It was really easy.
Image via Screen Media
Theyre just lovely lads, Bill included.
It was really, really fun.
The set was really joyous.
Image via Screen Media
Also, the sets were completely real.
It wasnt a New York movie that was shot in Montreal.
It felt like we were living and breathing the film as well.
Image via HBO
Was that something that really helped you with the character?
Was there anything you specifically wanted to do with her?
COOKE: Lea is a bit of a peacock.
Image via Screen Media
I wanted her jewelry, her hair, the makeup, and the nails to feel like armor.
The nails were like mini knives that she was pointing at people, at all times.
It really helps you embody it.
How much of that fuller picture do you need, as an actor, to play a character?
Otherwise, it feels a bit flat and a bit pointless for m to not have an emotional compass.
We really get to know her when she finds herself stuck between these two men.
And we get to see how she is with each of them.
How different were they, as scene partners?
COOKE: Very different.
Theyre very different people, energy wise, but also the characters are so completely different.
The scenes with Ed were fun and chaotic.
I was constantly surprised at what he was gonna do next, which was really fun.
And then, the scenes with John playing Casi were much more tender.
They were very, very different, both of them, but still loads of fun.
I was very lucky to have them both as my scene partners.
COOKE: I dont know.
Ive got a few friends like this, where things just happen to them.
Im like, What did you do this time?
And theyre like, I dont know.
I would be a mess.
I wouldnt leave my house, if that was me.
How was the experience of doing this with somebody like Chase Palmer, who was a first-time feature director?
How did he approach working with the cast throughout this production?
Was it very collaborative?
COOKE: It was really collaborative.
He always knew what he wanted.
Even if he didnt, he filled you with confidence that it was what he wanted.
He never felt like he was Bambi on ice.
We know that youre doing theGame of Thronesprequel,House of the Dragon.
Is it just totally bizarre, or does it help that the story is set hundreds of years prior?
COOKE: It does help that the story is of a hundred years prior.
What am I doing?
This is mad."
Without spoilers, what can you say about the kind of woman that youre playing?
COOKE: I dont know if I can say anything without really giving it away.
Shes very complex and I think people are gonna want to see the worst in her.
COOKE: I think it will take some time.
You just dont know what youre gonna get with these characters.
Its very complex, and its not black and white at all.
COOKE: Just the amount of people it takes to make a show like that.
The crew is a hundred strong.
The artistry involved is mind blowing.
The sets that have been created are fucking gorgeous, and the costumes.
You also shot the Apple TV+ series,Slow Horses.
Have you always secretly wanted to play a spy, or was there more to it than that?
They have to sit there doing admin work.
To play out the mundanity of being an agent was really fun.
It has this wicked sense of humor throughout.
And seeing Gary Oldman at his best, doing what he does, was amazing.
Ive grown so much, as an actor and a creative.
Im so lucky for that.
A lot of my choices are knowledge mixed with gut instinct.
Selfishly, I dont wanna repeat myself because I feel like Id get bored.
At the end of the day, I dont take it too seriously because I am playing pretend.
Im waiting to get the hook and get yanked from set.
What did I just put myself through?
But its fun and its all within safe parameters.
It means you care.
That first one is a write off and itll get better.
Naked Singularityis in theaters and available On-Demand.
