From show creatorGraeme Manson(Orphan Black), the TNT drama seriesSnowpierceris back for its second season, with the survivors of the revolution trying to pick up the pieces and figure out what comes next. With the train’s classes now merged and with Layton (Daveed Diggs) as their leader, they must also navigate what the return of Mr. Wilford (Sean Bean) means and just how dangerous their power struggle will become for the fate of humanity.
During a virtual press day to promote Season 2, Collider got the opportunity to chat 1-on-1 withJennifer Connelly(who plays Melanie Cavill, the previous leader of the train before Layton took control) about shaking things up after the first season, the collaborative relationship with the show’s creative team, what makes Mr. Wilford a delicious bad guy, and the Melanie-Layton dynamic. She also talked about how much fun she had onTop Gun: Maverick, the legacy ofLabyrinthand the announced sequel, her desire to be in aStar Warsmovie, and her experience onRequiem for a Dream.
Collider: What did you most enjoy about returning to this character? When you stepped back into this role for Season 2, were there things that you hadn’t realized you missed about her?
JENNIFER CONNELLY: I liked the direction she was going in. We just scratched the surface with her in Season 1 because she was playing all of these different parts. We were just getting to meet a more authentic version of her, by the end of the season, and we go further with that in Season 2, which was a lot of fun for me.
Everything has been really shaken up for this season.Everyone was finding their footing and figure out who they were, and then it all got tossed into the air. What did you most enjoy about the changes that came about, after the end of the first season, and getting to explore some of these other sides of her?
CONNELLY: She’s reunited with her daughter and she’s also reunited with Wilford. These are two really interesting and complicated relationships that she now explores. That’s the impetus for her to go further on this journey that she had started in Season 1, of taking stock of where she’s been and her past, and reconciling that to whatever extent she can, so that she can then, in an authentic way, go forward with her original mission and get back to herself, in some way, and to the more important task at hand.
What sort of relationship do you have with your showrunner and the writers? Over time, are you someone who likes to give input and suggestions for your character, or do you find yourself trusting them more and putting yourself in their hands? Have there been ideas that you’ve had for her that have managed to work their way into the show?
CONNELLY: I’m definitely someone who likes to collaborate and yes there have been some ideas that we’ve talked about that have worked their way into the show, but they’re not mutually exclusive. I trust them and admire their work, and I have a great relationship with Graeme [Manson] and the other writers. I think we have a really open relationship and I personally love discussing material. I feel like it only helps me become that much more invested. When I have that clarity on a character and her intentions, I’m that much more invested and able to really surrender into what I’m doing. I really appreciate that process of going through the scenes with the writers, and they’ve been incredibly indulgent with me. I’ve really enjoyed that process with them.
What’s it like to have someone like Mr. Wilford, and Sean Bean as the one embodying him, looming over the season? What do you feel like that adds to your character’s story, especially seeing how complicated that dynamic is?
CONNELLY: I think he’s a really delicious bad guy. He’s a great adversary. You think we’re going one way, and then there’s this whole other situation that they have to deal with. Part of his danger is his motives, but also the fact that he’s so effective because he’s so damn charming. He’s a great showman and he has incredible support on Snowpiercer, so he’s really able to foment incredible upheaval on the train and, of course, also with Melanie.
What’s it like for her to see the effect and the influence that he’s also had on her daughter (Rowan Blanchard)?
CONNELLY: I think it’s devastating. She’s so relieved and overjoyed that she’s alive, but Melanie was under Wilford’s tutelage from a pretty young age, so she knows what kinds of things her own daughter may have experienced and that’s devastating for her. She’s frightened for what she may have experienced, while being so grateful that she is alive and well.
One of the things I love about this show is the dynamics between Melanie and Layton. It’s so interesting to see the back and forth between them, especially with how that’s evolved this season. Does it feel like she sees herself in him, at all? Does she understand where he’s coming from, in a way that nobody else on that train would?
CONNELLY: I think it’s really easy to make assumptions about them, as characters. In the beginning of Season 1, one assumes that they must be diametrically opposed. She’s coming literally from one end of the train and he’s coming from the other end, but in reality, she knows they really aren’t that far apart in what they might believe. She’s done things that she doesn’t necessarily believe in, out of practicality, because her larger goal was always just to sustain life and to get to the next place. She didn’t like the things that she was doing. She didn’t believe in them. She did them anyway, so she’s still guilty, but in a lot of ways, it’s a huge relief to her to abdicate power because I don’t think she ever really wanted to be in that position of leadership. I think she has a lot of admiration for Layton. He was really a catalyst for her, and she really believes in a lot of what he believes in. It’s a nice evolution of their relationship, as you said. They become unexpected allies.
How have you found the experience of working with Daveed Diggs? How does he challenge you, as a scene partner?
CONNELLY: He’s so great. He’s such a lovely, kind person, and he’s so smart and so articulate and positive and prepared and professional. He does such a great job embodying this character, so it’s just been a joy working with him.
You’ve taken on such a wide variety of characters throughout your career. Is there still a genre or a type of character that you feel you haven’t had the chance to do, or that you haven’t gotten to do enough of?
CONNELLY: It was really fun to doTop Gun. I feel like my character was a really optimistic and happy person. I don’t play a lot of really happy people in a lot of lighthearted fair. That was really fun. More lighthearted, comedic material might be a nice, new horizon.
How was the experience of joining something likeTop Gun: Maverick? Ho how do you find and carve out your place alongside all of that male energy?
CONNELLY: I’ll say I did things on that, that I never thought that I would do. There was one moment where I was sitting with Tom Cruise and he said, “So, have you done much aerobatic flying?” And I was like, “Aerobatic flying? No. That’d be a no. That’s be a big whopping no. Why? Will I be expected to?” There were some pretty new experiences for me, and I think for people watching the film, there’ll be some pretty new experiences for them too.
Are you involved, at all, with the recently announcedLabyrinthsequel?
CONNELLY: I’ve had conversations about it. I’m not really sure where that’s gonna land.
What are your thoughts on that film and its lasting legacy? It’s something you did early on, so what does it feel like to see a sequel being done now?
CONNELLY: It’s so funny, it’s a movie that I feel like over time, has slowly gotten this following over the years, bit by bit. I’m always surprised when people say, “My favorite movie of yours isLabyrinth.” I’ve gotten that a bunch of times. It was pretty special, I have to say, working on that movie. That movie is really special to me. I loved Jim Henson so much. I think he was such a genius and a man of such towering creativity, with the sets, the characters, the fantasy of it, the creativity of it, and David Bowie. It’s just great. For me, working on it was such a joy. It was a really joyous experience in my life, so it’s a really special movie for me. We don’t really make so many movies like that anymore.
You’ve also dipped your toe into the Marvel world, with doingHulkand doing a voice forSpider-Man. Would you ever want to jump back into the MCU, in some way?
CONNELLY: Yeah, sure. If Kevin Feige has a part from me, I’m there.
Do you have a secret fantasy of getting to be in a big superhero movie?
CONNELLY: They’re making great movies. They’re making really imaginative, good films and shows. I got a sneak peek ofWandaVision, which my husband happens to be in, and it’s so creative and imaginative. I love those kinds of movies. AndStar Wars. If I could ever be in aStar Warsmovie, my kids would love me a lot more.
Requiem for a Dreammade a life-long impact on me and your performance in that will always be a stand-out. How do you view your experience on that film?
CONNELLY: I read that script and I was so moved by it. I thought it was so brilliant and I loved it so much. I fought so hard to be in that movie. It was really meaningful to me. When we made it, I was just so excited because it was such an opportunity. It just felt like such a creative project and it engaged me, on so many levels. I felt like we had room to explore. So much about it was innovative and it was exciting to be a part of that. What Clint Mansell was doing with the music and what Matthew Libatique was doing with the cinematography, and of course Darren [Aronofsky], there were so many people who were doing such pioneering work. It was really fun and it was so nice to be a part of. It wasn’t an easy watch, but it was certainly impactful.
