When executive producer Shawn Ryan calls, you answer. Even if you’re Hong Chau and you’ve been busy having a baby and stealing scenes filming four back-to-back-to-back-to-back movies, one of which would garner your first Oscar nomination. So when Ryan, creator of The Shield, asked Chau to join his new action thriller The Night Agent, “it was a really easy yes,” she tells Tudum. 

“I was already a fan of Shawn Ryan, of his previous shows,” Chau says. And, with The Night Agent, Ryan was expanding into new territory: a high-octane spy drama. “I've just never gotten a chance to play in this genre,” continues Chau. 

The Night Agent is the Six Flags of espionage theme parks. The 10-episode series has it all: kidnappings, double-crosses, schemes and car chases as protagonists Peter (Gabriel Basso) and Rose (Luciane Buchanan) race to uncover a conspiracy nestled within the highest echelons of government. Chau stands in the center of the mayhem as presidential chief of staff Diane Farr, a silver-haired pragmatist wielding the full power of the executive branch — and no apologies as she enacts her mysterious agenda.  

Those familiar with Chau’s recent work in The Menu or The Whale will be forgiven if they don’t recognize her at first thanks to the aforementioned silver hair, her own aesthetic choice. “Farr has a certain gravitas to her. I needed to do something that would serve the character,” says Chau. So she sent Ryan a photo of her friend and “total fox,” Trust Exercise novelist Susan Choi. “She has this beautiful striking hair,” Chau says. “I think Shawn was a little taken aback when I sent that photo.” 

But the showrunner agreed to the look, understanding that it’d help create Farr’s commanding presence. So what else does it take to build a woman like this, whose allegiances — and schemes — are always hidden behind a determined glance and smart planning? Keep reading to find out just how Chau pulled it off. 

You didn’t do a traditional audition for The Night Agent — just had a conversation. What were your first talks like with Shawn? 

I read the book [the series is based on] prior to talking with him. I wanted to know why he chose this story and what he wanted out of the show. He said he wanted to explore the dynamics between men and women when they work together — what that looks like when they disagree. And what happens when they do agree and work towards a common goal.

Farr isn’t afraid to disagree with anyone really, particularly very powerful men.

Something we talked about a lot was the fact that, because she’s the chief of staff, she’s not on camera a lot. She doesn’t have to do a lot of interviews, so she doesn’t have to worry about being nice or presentable. She’s not this picture perfect and nonthreatening character. I got to show that in her scenes with many of the guys.

She had a different relationship with Peter. She had sort of a mentor-mentee relationship. It was interesting to get to see a woman nurturing someone else, but not in the typical way that we think about it. Diane Farr doesn’t have family. She doesn’t have a significant other. She has no personal life. Her work is the only thing she has, and she’s unapologetic about it. She loves it and it fulfills her. She doesn’t need anything else. 

So what motivates her to give everything to this job? Is it ambition? Loyalty to President Travers [Kari Matchett]? 

The best answer that we came up with that we all agreed on was that Farr truly believes in the president, her agenda and that it can make the country a better place. This goes beyond just loyalty to a singular person because they went to college together or that they’re friends. It’s really about the nation and service to it. Farr’s not a soldier in the typical sense. How she maneuvers is a little bit more cerebral. She’s about handling people, handling personalities.

You really slip into the role of Farr. What was it like working with the hair and makeup team? 

Caroline Dehner, our hair department head, was totally game. She’s a wig master, so she was able to come up with this piece that was really nice. I know it fed me. I felt like a different person when I put that wig on. 

It was also a nice way to pay tribute to all of the women that I was seeing around me who were letting their natural, graying hair color come out during the pandemic. Nobody was dyeing their hair. It just looks so beautiful to me. I guess I just wanted to be one of them.

And her power suits suggest she’s not a person to be questioned. 

When we talked about the wardrobe, I said to Carla Hetland, our costume designer, “I think Diane hired a stylist who went to Bloomingdale’s and just picked out 10 suits for her. She just wears that on rotation.” Farr doesn’t have to think about what she puts on in the morning. But she is stylish and elegant. 

Farr is your first big role to come out after your Oscar nomination. How does it feel to go from an intimate film like The Whale to an explosive series like The Night Agent? 

I love that it’s just so different from The Whale and The Menu. I think I’ve had a really wonderful track record of working with filmmakers who have a very singular voice. When I’m working in television, I like to work with very strong showrunners. Shawn Ryan is definitely a person who has a tremendous track record. 

Farr’s ending is left pretty open in Season 1. What do you think that means for her? 

I don’t know. I loved working with Shawn and everybody involved. So I guess it’s up to the audiences. 

This interview has been edited and condensed. 

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