has taken a long and winding track to becoming a hit for TNT in its first season. The sci-fi drama based on Bong Joon Ho's 2013 movie about the last remnants of humanity living aboard a constantly moving train on a frozen Earth, first went into development in late 2015. After changing showrunners it premiered May 17 to strong ratings — and became eerily relevant in a world where protests for racial and economic justice have become widespread.
Jennifer and Daveed, the show's depiction of class differences and the somewhat authoritarian structure of Snowpiercer seem strikingly relevant at this moment. Can you discuss Melanie and Andre's different viewpoints on the system that's set up on Snowpiercer? How are those themes resonating for you two right now?| The structures mimic our own, and all the structures are in place.
Jennifer, your character is all about maintaining control and order on Snowpiercer, or at least the appearance of it. When you have to show a poker face a lot of the time as a result, how do you convey what she's thinking or feeling at any given moment?| I think order is a byproduct of her primary concern, which is the survival of the train and its passengers. That's really what she's fighting for.
He's both been a cop and been Black long enough to understand the way those things are at odds sometimes. I think once transferred to Snowpiercer, he is constantly trying to be pretty democratic with the way that he does things. But he's also just good at some things, so eventually he ends up becoming a pretty reluctant leader in a lot of ways.