Kari Matchett has lived a hundred lives. From heartfelt rom-coms to superhero shows, she's portrayed a variety of different characters, and in Netflix's unexpected hit showThe Night Agent, she takes on a new role: President of the United States.
"I have to express how incredible it was to be able to pretend to be the president," she says. "I imagined what it would be like to do good with that power. And that was so exciting to even fantasize about."
In The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk, the book that inspired the series, President Travers is actually a man. Matchett instead turned the character into something brand new, allowing her to dream about what a world we haven't lived in yet. "It was very exciting to imagine that that kind of change or positive change would be possible in that position," she says. "I do feel like whether you're the President of the United States or you just do whatever you [do] in your life, you do have the choice and the power to do good."
To bring that dream into her real-life, she had to expand her approach to character work. While she usually listens to music or watches projects with a similar tempo, she focused on the President's thoughts and motivations for The Night Agent.
"There was, for me, the necessity of having a very strong internal life," she says. Since the President isn't in every scene, Matchett needed to know every detail of the character, including what she was doing before walking into the room. "I had this whole other hall of her life happening internally, and that helped me prepare for [filming], to know what had come before, what was coming after, and what was going on within me personally and politically."
That internal work does more than bolster any individual scene — it shines through the whole series, especially in the scenes shared with the other women.
Instead of taking a one-dimensional or male-dominated approach, the series is full of complex female characters, like Luciane Buchanan's Rose, Hong Chau's Diane, and Eve Harlow's Ellen. The women differ in everything from personality traits and motivations to fashion choices.
"When I read the script [I] was thrilled that these women were in these incredible power positions in the story," she says. Creator Shawn Ryan and his team of writers took it upon themselves to highlight the power of these women, and how they're making their own way in the world.
As someone who's spent over 20 years in the entertainment industry, Matchett understands the ins and outs of making her own way in the world. "The only thing that I come back to over and over and over again is how can I continue? What do I want next? What do I want that I'm not getting and how do I get it?" she says. "And I think the answer that comes up over and over and over again is if I want to continue doing it. And I do, and you just don't give up."
Growing up, her father (who she credits as a "very, very wise man") always reminded her that any professional, award-winner, or Olympian only got to that point because they never gave up. "Everybody's on a different trajectory. Some people have massive success right out of the gate. Some people don't start working regularly for ten years. It doesn't make one person better than the other, it's just how their life unfolds."
In those periods of waiting, or the moments when you're struggling, it's important to hold on to your why. "Sometimes there are things you can do better [or] differently, sometimes there's not. But the key thing is you just keep doing it. And somehow I think that decision breaks down of all that inevitably. [It] presents itself at various points in your life."
Rapid Fire With Kari Matchett
Image via Angelo Kritikos
B+C: Your Instagram bio says that you're a water baby, and I would love to know if you love the beach or the lake?
KM: I grew up around lakes in Saskatchewan and in Canada, [and in the winter] it gets so cold and it's like deep, deep freeze. And then the summer hits and everybody goes to the lake...So I love I just love being by the water and in the water and then being in the ocean. I surf a little. I love being surrounded by the waves andI feel at home when I'm by the water. It's just my place in the world.
B+C: What's your favorite recipe to make?
KM: If I ever go over to anybody's house for dinner, I am always the designated salad person. So if I were to ever open a restaurant, it would be a salad restaurant. I believe in the power of salads. I'm particularly in love with arugula [and I love] different variations. So a little bit of olive oil, the best sea salt, [and] a squeeze of lemon juice. You can do no wrong.
B+C: What's your best productivity hack?
KM: Exercise first. Oxygenate your brain. Before I do anything — before I go to set, before I begin any day, almost every day. And I say almost because there are days that it just doesn't quite happen. But almost every day I wake up, I do yoga, I breathe [and] it sets my body straight. It sets my mind straight. It clears me.
B+C: What is your comfort movie?
KM: My favorite comfort movie is Ratatouille. It makes me so happy...I have to drink a glass of red wine when I watch Ratatouille.
B+C: What is your favorite candle scent?
KM: I like lemongrass. Like a soy candle. I like it. I only like natural sense of something from an essential oil...I love like a kind of a woody, sandalwood patchouli that kind of woody sense as well.
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This interview has been edited for clarity.
Lead image via Angelo Kritikos
