Collider: First of all, I have to say that your work in this series is just terrific.
This whole story is so fascinating, and these characters are very intense and full-on.
Did you know that it was going to be like that, when you signed on to do this?
ANDREA RISEBOROUGH: Its difficult to anticipate that kind of thing.
I knew it was going to be epic because we shot it in five different places in the world.
We originally shot in New Orleans, and then we went to Mexico City and Calabria, in Italy.
Image via Amazon Studios
And after that, we went to Morocco, to the desert, and then we went to Senegal.
I look at it now and Im just in awe of what they achieved.
Roberto Saviano wrote the bookZeroZeroZero, and hed also writtenGomorrah.
Image via Amazon Studios
And playing Emma was so freeing.
Shes chosen to operate in the world, as a man.
She follows in her fathers footsteps, and shes seen him do that, her whole life.
Image via Amazon Studios
Shes a very pared down, androgynous, driven, logical, strategic woman.
RISEBOROUGH: Certainly, it is its own character.
Its the unspoken baby.
Its an almost impossible feat, and shes frustrated.
Its also this incredibly precious thing that they must not let fall, at any cost.
Through it, theyre connected to so many different humans, across the world.
You see how it affects every single one of them.
What was it like to have Gabriel Byrne and Dane DeHaan to explore that with?
It was such an extraordinary cast, across the globe.
There are so many brilliant actors in this.
There are 120 roles in the entire piece, which is incredible.
For the core family, it was wonderful working with Gabriel and Dane.
There was a tongue-in-cheek, dry humor that we all had, amongst ourselves.
What do you see as her greatest motivation, in all of this?
RISEBOROUGH: She wants power.
She wants not to be vulnerable.
Her mother died when she was young, and it was an apocalyptic thing for the family.
She doesnt want any part of that.
She wants to be impenetrable.
She wants to fly.
She wants to be respected.
Its very feral and very human.
Were you aware of that going into this?
RISEBOROUGH: Yes, thats absolutely what it was, and thats what it came to me as.
This is a story without any real moments of lightness or levity.
RISEBOROUGH: I signed onto this, at the end of 2017.
That gives you an idea of how long this has this been going on for me.
And I was with that shipment, the whole way.
I actually made two films in the middle of makingZeroZeroZero.
I shotThe GrudgeandThe Kindness of Strangersduring the shooting ofZeroZeroZero, when we were on relocation breaks.
When I finished, it was cathartic.
I think I grieved it, more than anything.
I missed being Emma.
And then, I went straight back to work.
I went and did a film calledLuxor, which was in competition at Sundance just now.
And then, I didPossessor, which was also in competition at Sundance at the same time.
Do you know what youre doing next?
RISEBOROUGH: There are lots of things.
Ill be in the Dominican Republic, at the beginning of [March].
Im doing a film calledGeechee, with a really brilliant new director called Dubois Ashong.
He is just really an extraordinary, wonderful guy.
I really liked him, and I really think hes going to make an interesting and unique film.
Its not been announced yet, so I cant quite say what it is, but thats really exciting.
Thatll happen in New York.
At this point in your life and career, what is it that attracts you to a project?
RISEBOROUGH: Innovation of some sort.
Sometimes that means there is no script.
I think experimentation is really beautiful, and not something to be overlooked.
I want to push myself forward.
ZeroZeroZerois available to stream at Amazon Prime on March 6th.
