Joel and Mireille spoke with Collider during a set visit in Budapest, Hungary, wherein they discussed their characters’ relationship in Hanna and how it differs from what fans are used to in The Killing. Here’s a snippet:
“I think some people are gonna be a little disappointed, you know, because I know that there are a lot of people that really loved our relationship on The Killing and are very excited to see us play again,” Kinnaman told a small group of press. “I think there’s going to be an automatic longing to sort of see a similar kind of dynamic but there’s not going to be any of that. It’s very different.”
Enos echoed Kinnaman’s sentiments. “There’s no crossover, there’s none,” she said, plainly and simply. “There, we were partners with, like, a completely non-kind of romantic relationship. So we had each other’s back and we were not interested in making out. And here, we are enemies with, potentially, a history. So it’s like the polar opposite which has been fun!”
While the relationship that plays out between the two in Hanna is vastly different — Kinnaman plays Erik, Hanna’s vengeful father and former employee of Enos’ Marissa, who, for all intents and purposes, is the villain of the series — the actors were quick to acknowledge the natural chemistry that came with working together again … even if Erik’s goal is, according to Kinnaman, “securing the future and safety of Hanna.” How can he accomplish this task? “Marissa has to go down,” the actor explained.
For the duo, playing this different antagonistic dynamic has been a breath of fresh air and thoroughly enjoyable. “I wondered going in, what’s it going to be like to play this different dynamic with him because there are scenes where we end up talking about the past and stuff,” Enos revealed. “It was so fun. It’s just like a dance.”
This dance partner analogy is something actors are familiar with. When in a scene, you’re only as good as the partner you’re working with, which shows that even if the characters being played are on opposite sides, this sort of behind-the-scenes teamwork is essential. With that said, Kinnaman thoroughly agreed with Enos’ assessment, going so far as to use the same exact analogy.
