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Spoilers ahead for The Racquet, episode two of season one ofBlindspotting.
They gave her a call, and she immediately agreed to do the series.
Though projecting strength, Ashley is devastated, especially because shes found an engagement ring among Miless things.
Why shit only happen to me?
while laying the hotel room to waste.
This was one of them.
But it also showed right at the beginning of what Ashley is capable of.
Deep down, the anger and pain and sadness that she has, thats where shesat.
Shes hiding a lot of it, but this is truly how she is.
It was day two of filming.
In each room, I only did two takes of the entire sequence.
People forget that so many things happen during filming; its not just the actor.
The light was leaving us.
Lets shoot right now.
And thats when we shot it.
That was an emotional day for me.
Thank God Id prepared it so well.
I knew that verse so well in the back of my head.
It was very challenging in that way.
Even though I was fully supported, I felt a lot of pressure to get it right.
How do you prepare for an emotionally intense scene like that?I had my own little room.
We stayed in the hotel the whole day, up on one of the floors.
I had a lot of time to myself.
I know a lot of people like to listen to music and get pumped up.
I like to be very calm and collected before I do something insane.
]Im almost in a meditative emotional state that allows me to go where I want to go.
Ashley often has to hold in her anguish to support the other characters.
What was it like to let it out?Ashleys dealing with a bit of depression.
Shes having all this rage and sadness.
She finds out hes away for five years.
Shes at her job where she gets mistreated.
And I think shes just had enough.
Just working at the hotel, this is real.
So many times Ive heard my sister at her job talk about how people talk to her.
Ive been through it before.
I definitely channeled that, for them.
Weve all done theater.
Its a very theatrical way of storytelling.
Even the choreography resembles choruses in a Greek play.
I tackled verse by looking at it as a Shakespearean monologue.
Thats what I wanted.
I didnt want these verses to feel like this grand performance and take you out of the show.
I wanted it to seem like this seamless, honest, purest moment of expression.
I think its such a beautiful way to express ones feeling.
It pushes your mind to put the thoughts together.
The visitation process was agonizing and terrible.
It was important for us to talk about it as a love story.
Ashley and Rainey are both struggling with the shock of Miless sentence.
Rainey is still looking at Ashley as the younger woman, and theres a generational gap between them.
Theyre going at it.
But just like family, theres so much love there.
Helen and I had to establish those moments.
We were in constant conversation, because it constantly goes back and forth.
Is this the moment where were going at it, or is this the moment where we breathe?
Were learning so much more about Ashley now that shes centered inBlindspottings narrative.
Thats why she still sees him even though hes not really there.
I didnt want to make her very angry at the beginning.
I wanted people to see many sides of her.
And thats such a strong, admirable thing to do.
Its what makes her a great mother.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
