This article contains discussions of attempted suicide and sexual assault.
The deeper she digs, the more Sophie discovers that everyone has harrowing secrets, including her former self.
Producing and acting at the same time
“Surface” is your first credit as a producer.
What was it like producing and acting?
Did it change the experience for you?
I was involved from an incredibly early stage.
It was such a treat [and] such an incredible, stimulating experience.
It was really a great collaborative team to work with.
What was it like playing a character who knows so little about themselves?
It was interesting because usually, when youbuild a character, you make choices about their backstory.
It was all about stripping away, initially.
You had information about your character that she didn’t have at different points in filming.
What was that like for you as the actor bringing Sophie to life?
Luckily, as I said, most of it was in order.
Do I know this yet?
Do I not know this?
Have I met this person yet?"
It’s a complex roller coaster.
Did you draw in your experience with Jane to get into Sophie’s head?
I approached this in a very different way.
I was already working on “Surface” while I was shooting “The Girl Before.”
I approached them very differently.
It’s very much created from Veronica’s imagination, it’s a completely original idea.
I was very muchstarting freshwith Sophie, as I do with all my characters in creating who she is.
Having this incredible cast to work with was such a treat.
Everyone is so well cast.
Everyone brings such unique qualities and intensity to their role.
It was great to be surrounded by that energy.
So, how is Sophie exploring the gray areas of humanity?
When we first meet Sophie, she seems like this innocent fragile person.
Sometimes, are secrets necessary?
What do you tell somebody for their protection, or is it to control them?
Are these choices of these secrets done and made out of love or out of selfishness?
There’s a lot of gray areas there in terms of what you choose to reveal to somebody.
If you had a blank slate, would you make the same choices again?
Would you be the same person?
What was it like to play a character who tells a completely different kind of #MeToo story?
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available.
Do you see her as the villain or do you think it’s more complicated than that?
[Laughs] Of course, I see it as more complicated!
That’s how I see the world.
You have to see them as a person and understand them.
If you’re able to understand somebody, thennobody is ever completely villainous.
Everybody makes choices for a reason.
Nobody is intentionally … very few people, the few exceptions are intentionally bad.
A lot of people are doing the best they can in really difficult circumstances.
“Surface” premieres on Friday, July 29th onApple TV+.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
