[This story contains spoilers from the first three episodes of Paradise season two.]
Nicole Brydon Bloom understands if you don’t like her character in Paradise — but she’s actually loving every minute of playing a psychopath.
The 31-year-old who found performing and telling someone else’s story on stage “very freeing” from a young age, followed her passion into college, deciding to study acting. After grinding for several years in Hollywood, she eventually landed one of her more well-known roles as Maud Beaton on The Gilded Age.
But it was her role as Secret Service agent Jane Driscoll in Hulu’s post-apocalyptic political thriller that really captured audiences’ attention. Especially after it was revealed that her seemingly innocent character was actually a cold-blooded, psychopathic assassin in season one, and is already looking quite unpredictable in season two, which released the first three episodes of the new season on Monday.
“If she truly is a psychopath, I don’t think I would play it very differently than if she’s playing a part right now. She’s studied people and she knows how to behave,” Bloom recalls telling creator Dan Fogelman early on about how she would play the two sides of her character.
Below, Bloom opens up to The Hollywood Reporter about getting into Jane’s headspace and what fans can expect from the rest of the eight-episode second season, while also sharing industry advice she gets from husband Justin Theroux, talking motherhood and more.
Going back to the beginning, what made you want to pursue a career as an actor?
My parents put me and my twin sister in community theater as an extracurricular when we were little, and soccer wasn’t really my thing. I played tennis, but I tried violin for one summer and that didn’t go well. Then suddenly theater was perfect. I got to dance and sing. You still feel like you’re part of a team and a community working toward a common goal. I was 7 and I just fell in love. I loved being on stage. I was more confident in that space than I maybe was in my own life.
I lost my dad when I was little, and even at that young age, I very quickly recognized the themes of grief and loss and healing that’s present in music and plays. That was very healing for me and cathartic. Everything from Annie to August: Osage County sort of captures those themes. Being able to step into a character and tell someone else’s story felt very freeing and healing and exciting. I just continued to love it as I grew up.
Following all the praise that season one of Paradise received, how excited were you to return for another season?
It feels amazing. I’m incredibly proud of the show. We have such a fantastic team of writers and directors and our showrunner, Dan [Fogelman] is so brilliant and warm. It felt great to have the first season be so warmly accepted, and it was really fun stepping back into Jane’s shoes for season two. It is kind of funny, though, because I’m not met with a super warm reception. A lot of people like to joke when they see me. They’re like, “Oh, watch out. What’s she going to do?” But I think it’s a character people love to hate, and that’s so much more enjoyable.
The way she presents in the beginning, I was like, Oh, OK, I don’t really have to stretch for this. It’s kind of a comfortable, playful spot. She’s smart and admiring of her coworkers, and then suddenly you realize she’s a psychopath. It made it a lot more interesting to work on that arc, and we certainly dive into that this season.
Nicole Brydon Bloom in Paradise season two.
Disney/Ser Baffo
The second season doesn’t pick up where the first season left off until episode three, “Another Day in Paradise,” when viewers return to the bunker and finally start to see Jane’s crazy gameplay again. How does that episode set up the rest of the season?
The first two episodes introduce us to Shailene [Woodley] and Thomas [Doherty’s] storyline, which is so fantastic. We see Sterling [K. Brown] on his journey out in the real world, which everyone’s clamoring to get a glimpse at. But episode three, the return to the bunker, is very interesting. It does pick up where we left off, and things are kind of in chaos. A big question at the end of season one was, where does Jane go from here? Is this dynamic with Sinatra a power play? What motivates her? We don’t get that answer right away, but we definitely explore it more in the second season.
What have you enjoyed most about taking on such an unpredictable and complex role, and how do you get into her mindset?
One of the directors at one point was like, “Can you do sweet Jane [in] this scene?” And it was harder to go back to Jane pretending because now everyone knows. The other characters haven’t picked up on it, but knowing that the audience knows sort of got in my head more than it did in the first season.
There’s a childlike quality to Jane, even when she’s completely herself and maybe cold and hard. She loves the Wii and she likes pretty dresses. She’s sort of stuck at a certain age, but then is also very intelligent and is studying the people around her and sees a lot more that’s happening than even some of the smartest people in the room. So playing Jane was a lot of studying other characters and watching Sinatra giving a speech, how’s this person reacting and what did that facial twitch mean? That helped me get into the focus and stoicism of Jane in those moments where it leans crazy. If I just tried to play crazy, I don’t think that would be successful.
At the end of season one, Jane tells Sinatra (Julianne Nicholson) that she’s no use to her dead, which is why she didn’t kill her. In that moment, it seemed like Jane went rogue, but then in season two, it seems like she’s somewhat protecting Sinatra. Can you unpack that?
What we see with a lot of these characters, particularly the ones who are sort of in control — Sinatra, potentially Jane, even Dr. Gabriela (Sarah Shahi) — is that there’s often a larger plan and a larger goal. Jane looks up to Sinatra and is sort of admiring of her, maybe wants to be her, wants to get her approval. And the reason for that becomes a little more apparent [later this season]. The female characters are strong this season, and I’m really proud to be one of them. I think we’re going to see a lot of different colors in Jane and Sinatra and Gabriela.
Julianne Nicholson and Nicole Brydon Bloom in Paradise season two.
Disney/Ser Baffo
What have you enjoyed most about working with such an incredible ensemble on the show?
It’s such a dream come true. I’ve always loved this genre, so it’s cool to be a part of it for that reason. Sterling’s hilarious. He’s such a great guy, such a good person and he sets a wonderful tone. So does Dan. They’re so open to collaboration and questions, and I’ve been able to ask Julianne Nicholson a million questions and watch her work, which is an incredible thing to see. I feel like I become a better actor when I’m working with her. Thomas and I were on set at the same time a lot, and he’s so funny. There’s something that happens especially on night shoots where I get slap happy when we’re shooting something super, super serious and we were just laughing the entire night which made it so fun.
With your character staying under the radar for most of season one, can fans expect to get more backstory on Jane this season?
There is going to be an episode that centers on a little bit more of her backstory. So Jane is an enigma and we definitely get some answers and then a lot of things remain unanswered.
Can you tease what fans can expect for the rest of season two?
Dan’s shows, as we’ve seen in season one, always takes a left turn when you think he’s going right. So I would say that no one should get too comfortable, but that the season continues to explore [what was revealed in] episode seven from season one, “The Day.” I actually haven’t been able to bring myself to watch it all the way through. When I read it, it made me so sad. [Dan] explores grief so beautifully, which, kind of full circle, really spoke to me when I read the whole season, but particularly that episode. He weaves so much more of that into season two. We did a lot of fight training. There’s a lot of action, but there’s also a lot of heart, and I think that’s what he does so beautifully and delicately in this season.
You also starred in The Gilded Age, which is a period drama and completely opposite from Paradise. What do you love most about getting to take on such different genres?
It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. How fun to get to dress up, particularly in The Gilded Age, and wear the corsets even though they’re uncomfortable; they give you that posture. And you get to study history and kind of understand how people spoke and walked and moved through life back then.
Gilded is so different. In some ways, my characters had a theme of presenting one way and then revealing that they’re not that person. I was nervous I wouldn’t get the role in Paradise because of that precedent from Gilded Age, but there’s not a lot of crossover (laughs). Gilded was so much fun. I made some really, really wonderful friends in that process, and I think that’s part of what makes our job such an incredible thing. This pocket in time, playing these very specific characters, but you’re living your life, and it’s like a little time capsule of those moments.
Nicole Brydon Bloom in The Gilded Age season three.
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO
When it comes to preparing for a role or running lines, do you ever lean on your husband, Justin Theroux, for advice or support? Or do you try and keep your work and personal life quite separate?
He’s so helpful with advice and he’ll help me run lines in terms of memorization. Every once in a while, he’ll have a thought if I have a question, which I always welcome. He’s been really encouraging. I think in life and in this industry, men have an easier time speaking up for themselves and advocating for themselves or their character. Sometimes when women do it, they’re seen as abrasive or difficult. I’ve been working on finding my voice in that space, and Paradise and Gilded Age have been so encouraging of that. We have really wonderful paths of communication, but anytime I’ve felt like, Oh, I want to say something, but I dunno if I should, [and] I run it by Justin, he’s like, “Absolutely say something.” You don’t have to be demanding, but you can have a voice, especially if you’re standing up for something with your character or anything in that vein; it is a collaboration. And just having someone who is so experienced and encouraging in that way in the household is incredibly helpful.
Also, huge congratulations on your pregnancy! What are you looking forward to most about motherhood?
I’ve always wanted to be a mom. I love kids. I’ve always been looking forward to this chapter in my life, and certainly Justin has been, too. So I think becoming parents together will just open us up in a completely new way, and it’ll have its challenges with going back to work and everything, but I’m just thrilled, very happy.
If you had to describe what makes Nicole Brydon Bloom, Nicole Brydon Bloom, what would you say?
Oh my gosh. I feel like just a slightly awkward sense of humor and being probably too optimistic, but I choose to see that as a strength instead of a weakness. And a lot of sweets! I have a sweet tooth, and I think that makes me me, and I’m not ashamed to say it (laughs).
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Paradise is now streaming the first three episodes of season two on Hulu, releasing new episodes on Mondays.
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