Heather Lind – TURN: Washington’s Spies

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) At the moment, I’m working in New York at the Manhattan Theatre Club called Incognito and it is a new play by Nick Payne. It’s a multi-character exploration of human beings and neurological discoveries. It’s a really interesting collage play with just four actors. I did a movie about a year and a half ago called Demolition is in movie theaters now. That was a joy to work on!

Q) You got to star with Jake Gyllenhaal in Demolition. What was it like working with him?

A) It was awesome! He’s a real professional. He’s been doing it for so long and he’s very generous. A lot of the work I did on the movie was improvisational because the script was brilliant and what we took from the director Jake & I kind of explored it a little bit beyond what it was written. So, we tried to create a semblance of a married relationship. Since I never met him before or worked with him before, I felt it was important to develop an intimacy. I felt like I got to dive in and work closely with such an amazing experienced actor. It was wonderful!

Q) We are seeing you on the show “TURN: Washington’s Spies” right now. Please tell us how Anna Strong was originally described to you?

A) That’s a great question! When I first read the script, I remember thinking, “I’m so intrigued by her!” In the pilot, there isn’t a lot of explanation about her. We know she works in the tavern and we know that she is Selah’s wife. We also intuit that something happened between her and Abe (Jamie Bell). But we don’t know what her participation will be with the spy ring and historically that’s also sort of unclear. So, when I first read the script I just thought she has so much integrity. I could just sense that her moral compass was really strong and her willingness to do whatever it takes was really present. I’m always drawn to characters who are strong, silent types. I really wanted to know what was going on underneath her façade and I wanted to know as a woman how she could contribute to the cause. No one descried her to me until we were a little bit farther along in the process and working with the director and producers a little bit to bring her to life. So, really from the beginning, I relied on my instincts about what was beautifully written on the page.

Q) What kind of research did you do to prepare to portray Anna?

A) I researched it and read Alex Rose’s book called Washington’s Spies and I read that a little bit, which has some information about her. Then, I read some other books that were about that period. I actually read some poetry that was written about that period. I wanted to get as much historical information as I could, but then I knew there is so many holes in the history that I wanted to make sure I sort of expanded the facts a little bit and tried to create my own imaginative character. So, I think we did a great job with what she could have been doing in historical context and then just expanding her to be a full, whole person that is unpredictable and imperfect and all of those. I tried to read as much as I could, but a lot of the development of the character happened on set with the other actors and directors. It was really a lot of fun.

Q) From doing that research, what did you add to the role that may not have originally been scripted for you?

A) I’m a big believer in scripts. I come from a theatre background and I just think that the script really is The Bible of any character. I think what a character does and says is really the touchstone so anything you add on to that really has to come from the text in some way. So, I suppose the things that I added to Anna were things I already saw written into it and maybe things that I intuited about her based on what she said and her actions. I think any time an actor takes texts and makes them into a person you have to add breath, air and imagination and sort of relate to it to your own life in a way and make magic. Not really magic, but I think it is a sort of a chemical process that happens. But everything I needed was right there in the script. I think Craig Silverstein and all the writers on the show are just amazing.

Q) Was there instant chemistry when the cast began working together?

A) I had a really good feeling about everybody when I first met them. I had met Samuel Roukin (who plays Simcoe) before through a friend so I knew a little bit about him, but not much. Everyone else I got to meet through working on the pilot. I haven’t done that much television from the ground up, but I was just so happy to find everyone was so generous, thoughtful and respectful. It was such a great ensemble. Everyone supports one another and doesn’t want to cause a lot of drama. It is just a really good group of people and at this point it feels like a family. We’re all relying on each other and challenging each other. It’s wonderful.

Q) How do you get into character?

A) The costumes are incredibly helpful. They give me a sense of history. The feelings of the fabrics and the corset and all of that gets me a lot of help. I would say as well that I’m always interested in the voice and the breath that are tools that I find very helpful as an actor. My voice isn’t quite as low and tired as hers is so I find that is a really useful way in. Sometimes I use torturous images that I think that sort of inspire me for certain episodes. I like to take it by a case by case basis and see really what I need. An acting teacher once said to me that the preparation (the research and the prep and memorization) is just fervor to make you feel less alone and scared. So, I think sometimes if you’re about to do a scene and you’re not particular worried about it or afraid then it is good to rely on your own instincts. Then, there are other scenes that feel really challenging and I try to just use outside sources and tools to make me feel safe.

Q) What keeps challenging you about playing Anna Strong?

A) I think what is interesting is all those things I said about what drew me to Anna (her strength, moral righteousness, commitment to her beliefs) have been interesting all along. I have been learning about the sort of underside of all those qualities. What she presents is strength, but the other side of that is fear or vulnerability or sadness. So, I think interestingly I had to start with a lot of those bold characterizations of her and now I’m slowly learning the other side of that. The writers, especially this season, have been giving me a lot of unexpected things to deal with. I’ve been finding the soft, mushy part of Anna – what makes her crack and feel lost. How she deals with sadness. I think those things have been really interesting to discover this season.

Q) How will dynamics shift for her this season?

A) Her life has always been in constant upheaval and I love the writers for doing that. This season, (I keep saying it) she really loses everything! You’ll find out soon, but she decides to go to a new place. She goes off on adventures she probably wouldn’t have done before. I think she is unmoored at this point of the show and this season she gets shifted around even more and I think really loses her sense of home, purpose and community. She really gets isolated in this season and we have seen her really as somewhat of a black sheep before, but I think this season really challenges that even further. It’s been really thrilling to try to land somewhere with that. It really reminded me how difficult life was back then for anybody, but particularly for a woman who is not married and can’t own property. It was a really unique position to be in.

Q) Anna was one of a small number of female spies in the war. Does that give you a sense of pride in portraying her?

A) Yes! It absolutely does! I think any time I can learn more about history I gain a huge perspective. Especially with women’s history, so much of what came before me socially in terms of gender and politics has brought me to the piston I’m in now. I think it is important to pay homage to the people who came before me and built the structure in which I can be free, live and happy. Then, it’s also useful to see how things haven’t changed. Some gender politics haven’t really changed at all. I always feel lucky to be an actor and be trusted with other peoples’ stories because I like to think that Anna Strong, somewhere, appreciates the story has been put out there and there are people that know a little bit more about her. Maybe that’s not always heroic, but I think that any education for us can help us live our own lives better.

Q) What do you think it is about the show that has made it such a fan favorite?

A) I just love the show because it shines a light on the complex changes that were taking place that didn’t happen overnight. It was an accumulation of many people working together to accomplish something and how exciting to get to see those untold secrets come out.

Q) What would you like to be sure fans know about Anna Strong?

A) I always want to honor people’s bravery. I think Anna’s bravery was exceptional. And I think that everybody is brave to different degrees. I just think I want people to be able to think of her as somebody who took a lot of risks and did so for something bigger than herself. I don’t think her or any of the spies in the Culper Ring were doing it for ego. They did that by design and I just think how incredible to think of all the people doing something right now for a cause or movement that they believe in, but won’t get credit for it. And will never get credit for it. I just think that’s noble and it causes really positive change. I also want people to know she is imperfect. The things I like to discover about her are all her contradictions. I think her relationship to Abigail is a really interesting, complex relationship that isn’t easily categorized. It’s not right. It’s not wrong. It’s this really human, complex relationship. I think we find out more about that this season. I think the most important thing is that people remember that she was a real person and she existed in all the ways you can exist. I admire imperfection. It makes me feel more okay with mine.