Kim Bodnia – Killing Eve

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) We were so excited to see you back in Season 2 of “Killing Eve!” Were you always set to return?

A) I’m happy like you! Definitely. It’s a great family and to me it is a great, great production. Konstantin, my character, was dying in episode six in the first season. So, I was hired in to do some episodes and then leave the show. But when we were shooting the first scenes with me and Villanelle (Jodie Comer), thank God that BBC America and our producers loved our chemistry and energy. I was very lucky they re-wrote it and wanted me in the whole series. When they were coming up with new scripts, I was so happy and so surprised at the same time. The developing of the story and the character was great for me. When they told me I had to be in the second season, it was an incredible opportunity to show more of Konstantin and his relationships. So, I was very, very happy.

Q) Talk about chemistry you share on screen with costar Jodie Comer.

A) Chemistry was like just what it is. That’s what we have together and the camera loves it. When we discovered it, we hadn’t spent a lot of time together. We had one big reading and a meeting. That was all. When found out we were just as surprised as everybody else. [laughs] That it was working so well. And Jodie is an incredible actor and person. So, when we are shooting together, we are building our chemistry, but we are not doing it privately. It’s only in work. So, it’s so professional like that. It’s incredible that we have that chemistry, but even with chemistry you can’t explain it. It just happened. It was just good luck, as they say. I always learned a lot about cameras and how it works. For me, it’s all about technical expansion and the knowledge that to be so open minded of the other person and the energy they are giving out and connect it with your own energy – that gives it a lot of help. And the sense and feelings we are working at, it’s like a deep relationship like father and daughter. That chemistry is very well for us to work with because our relationship is about that. So, we just follow all our instincts about what is possible for fathers and daughters.

Q) There is always so much gray area when it comes to “Killing Eve.” We saw Konstantin and Villanelle turn their relationship into pushing each other’s boundaries. But as they say no villain sees themselves as a villain. They see it as doing it for a greater good. How does Konstantin view Villanelle?

A) There is no doubt that if you go back to the novel that was written by Luke Jennings that it was very clear that Villanelle is so good at what she is doing. The way that she is following her own instincts and own way of doing stuff and why this and that – that is what Konstantin really loves about her. That’s why I actually choose this daughter-father relationship because that’s what you can do with your daughter – whatever she does you can always find a laugh because the love and respect is so deep. But Konstantin admires the way Villanelle is so good at what she is doing. Even training her and having to control the different characters she is playing then she has to have the ability to have the knowledge of these feelings even if she doesn’t have it for her own self personally. That’s also what he admires about her, that a person like Villanelle has that possibility. So, the game is to find out how deep an understanding I have as she is going into these feelings and how she is reacting to them as the person she is. It’s incredible to follow and it’s very funny for Konstantin to see that and to find out what is going on with her because that’s his profession is to train assassins to be better actors to play the parts they have to be in – to go into any kind of room or environment and you can’t see them. They just behave like other people and then they can react because they don’t have these feelings. So, he admires how good she is to do that.

Q) It’s hard to tell if he likes Eve and Villanelle together or if his connection to them is just strategy.

A) Yeah! [laughs] It’s very exciting to see what this is about. It’s also one of my favorite parts of “Killing Eve,” that it’s so full of surprises. You really never know what Konstantin thinks about it and what direction he wants to go with it. So, I prefer not to sell that out because that’s one of the goals of “Killing Eve.”

Q) Did you expect Konstantin to become such a fan favorite character instead of being hated?

A) [laughs] I don’t know! I mean, developing that with the writers is incredible fun. So, I’m always trying to find out the audience of how they are thinking and reacting to scenes. Because there are so many secrets, I’m allowed to do that. I’m allowed to change characters all the time and change the way he’s thinking. And it’s a big, big deal every time there are new writers coming. Are they going to be affected by what they have been seeing and then thinking what is the next move? There is always a price for me, as well.

Q) What can you tease for fans going into the Season 2 finale?

A) The tease is that if you’ve been following this incredible journey with Villanelle and Eve (Sandra Oh) there is nothing we need to tease about it because it’s so exciting what is going to happen in the last episode of this season. If you go back and remember what has been told and what has been said it is only more exciting for how it will go for these two being so close together and working together. It’s so incredibly exciting. I wish I could say something more, but I’m always just wishing that Villanelle isn’t going to die. That’s my always hope. [laughs] We can always hope that this love for Eve doesn’t kill her. She came so close to death.

Q) With Villanelle being such an intense character, what do you think it is that makes her so endearing to fans even though she’s a psychopath?

A) It’s always difficult to say what is the reason of that kind of success. But Jodie is a fantastic actor. First of all, that she is doing that kind of job that she can switch from any kind of person in the world and she can be a little girl and be an old woman and play with sense and feelings, it always helps to enjoy the character more. And the humor that she has is also helping a lot. It’s so difficult to say why people adore Villanelle. [laughs] I do, myself, when I see her. Maybe it’s just Jodie. I don’t know! She’s just incredible.

Q) What would you like to say to the fans and supporters of the show?

A) Personally, I am thanking them for the love they are giving to the show. I appreciate it because we do the work. We love the characters. We love the show. When we read about it and we see that it is integrated and they love all the details and they see the details and listen to the details – I love that. That’s the biggest success I can have. Thank you for taking it in and going into the mindset of all our details. I appreciate that a lot.