‘The Flight Attendant’: Rosie Perez Reveals Difficulties in Creating the Tone: ‘I Was Confused’
Rosie Perez is an Academy Award-nominated actor who has appeared in a variety of roles over the last three decades. But with her role on the HBO dramedy The Flight Attendant, Perez admittedly faced a few challenges when trying to find the right tone.
Rosie Perez didn’t have a clear idea of what ‘The Flight Attendant’ would be at first
The Flight Attendant is loosely based on Chris Bohjalian’s 2018 novel of the same name. It follows Cassie Bowden (Kaley Cuoco), a flight attendant who goes on a date with a wealthy passenger in Bangkok only to wake up next to his dead, bloody body the next morning.
Perez plays Megan, Cassie’s colleague and overly aggressive friend who finds herself selling national secrets to North Korea. In the finale, Megan goes on the run when she realizes the Feds are on to her.
The HBO series doesn’t fit into one specific genre. It’s a combination of mystery, comedy, drama, and action. So when Perez and other cast members first started working on the project, they didn’t know exactly how to frame their characters.
“Initially, it was difficult for all of us to really solidify what the tone would be,” Perez told Awards Daily. “At the first read-through, it became clear. I thought that some of us, including myself, were going for the comedy, and then some of us were going for the straight drama. I thought I had the tone wrong.”
But after their first reading, executive producer/director Susanna Fogel told Perez she nailed the tone. “[Susanna] said that my comedy was understated enough and then I walked away thinking, ‘What the hell?’” the star recalled.
“I was confused,” Perez continued. “When I got on set and I had my first scene with Kaley [Cuoco], it clicked immediately. I got it. That was the most important thing of the whole show.”
Despite showrunners’ reluctance, ‘The Flight Attendant’ star insisted she know Megan’s whole story
When Perez first took on the role of Megan, showrunners only gave her bits and pieces of the series’ entire story. But the actor insisted they tell her everything. Many actors appreciate knowing their character’s full backstory. Some will even create their characters’ histories themselves so they can deepen their acting.
In Perez’s case, the producers eventually caved and revealed most of Cassie and Megan’s storylines — without giving away the identity of the killer.
“I went, ‘Oh, my God, it’s so good.’ I loved it,” Perez told Collider. “When they finally told me the entirety of Megan’s journey, there was this gasp. My mouth dropped and I went, ‘I love it! I love you guys!’ We were all jumping up and down and hugging, and I loved it. It’s a really nice role to play.”
Rosie Perez returns for ‘The Flight Attendant’ Season 2
The Flight Attendant Season 2 trailer confirms Perez, whose performance in Season 1 earned her an Emmy nomination, will return as Megan. When viewers last saw her, she was boarding a train as a fugitive while Cassie was being recruited as a C.I.A asset.
In the teaser for the new season, Megan and Cassie are seen getting off a swanky private jet together. But according to showrunner Steve Yockey, in season 2, Megan is still very much on the run.
“Season 1 was very much [about how] she wanted to be seen and valued,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “Now in season 2, she’s trying desperately not to be seen and not to be discovered, because the grass is not always greener on the other side. To just keep beating a dead horse with these [idioms], sometimes you can’t go home again.”
The Flight Attendant Season 2 release date is April 21.
