Carrie-Anne Moss

News broke earlier this fall that a fourth installment of The Matrix is officially a go, sending the franchise’s fervent fan base into a frenzy with word that Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are reprising their career-catapulting roles. The mind-bending sci-fi films may have launched Moss into the cultural zeitgeist, but she has solidified her staying power with turns in feature films such as Memento and series such as Marvel’s Jessica Jones. Moss headed to Norway to take on the part of FBI agent Maggie Griffin in the Scandi crime drama Wisting. The Viaplay original is one of Norway’s biggest drama productions—and rumored to be among the most expensive it has ever made.

WS: What initially appealed to you about Wisting? Was it the script, the character, the auspices attached?
MOSS: It was a combination of all of that. The script and the writing were really strong. I have a soft spot for Norwegian [culture], so that was a huge draw. My manager had spoken to the [creative team behind the project] and was super excited about it. She articulated that excitement to me, and I then spoke to them, and we went and shot it. It was such a great experience. I absolutely fell in love with Norway.

WS: How did the experience of working on a Scandinavian TV project differ from what you’ve found in the American system?
MOSS: It was very different than the culture of acting and production in the United States. It’s a totally different system, even regarding the actors. We would rehearse together at night and all hang out in one room. It felt very community-based, which I loved. That was a treat.

The crew is much thinner than an American crew, so there’s an intimacy. There’s a humanity to the way that they tell stories that really resonated with me. There’s a humbleness to it; that’s even reflected on-screen—when I watch it, it feels humble and yet it’s also super rich and layered.

WS: Were you a fan of Nordic noir prior to Wisting or familiar with the nuances of the genre?
MOSS: I knew enough about it to know that it resonated with me—the palette for visual storytelling, the expression of the way it’s shot and the acting style. I loved the feel.

I actually don’t watch a lot of TV unless I’m working. When I’m home and with my family, I don’t have a lot of time—it’s the plight of motherhood. It’s when I’m shooting on-location that I become enraptured with a show and end up staying up way too late watching it.

WS: Wisting has a very cinematic look and feel. Did you approach it more like a feature film than a TV series?
MOSS: I had all of the scripts to work with, so it did end up feeling like a big movie. Normally, with television in the States, you’re getting your scripts every week or every two weeks. This gave it a different context, since I knew my complete arc. That allowed me more room [to explore the character] versus approaching it week to week.

WS: Did the dual-language scripting present any challenges at first?
MOSS: That was one of the reasons my manager was super excited about it; she loved the idea that it was using dual language in that way. I felt like it was quite effortless. I wasn’t sure at first how it was going to work. In times when [the Norwegian actors are] talking and [my character doesn’t] understand what they’re saying, I am having to remember that even though I know what the scene is about from the script, my character wouldn’t. So, in the way it was written, often they are explaining to my character what’s going on. The execution of it felt quite natural.

WS: Before filming, did you read Jørn Lier Horst’s crime novels that the series is based on, or do you generally prefer not to read the source material when taking part in a book-to-screen adaptation?
MOSS: I didn’t have time to read the books beforehand because it all happened pretty quickly. I do have them, though. Sometimes it’s good not to have a preconceived idea, but I’m open to however it plays out. In this particular instance, I just didn’t have the luxury of reading all three of the novels. I did meet the writer, who’s incredible; his storytelling is amazing.

WS: You’ve played an eclectic array of roles in your film and TV work. Is there a type of character you’re particularly drawn to?
MOSS: I really believe that every part that I do somehow is teaching me something about myself or humanity. Oftentimes it’ll be reflective of something that I’m going through.

What I’m interested in is the narrative and storytelling in general. I tend to gravitate toward dark things, which is interesting because I myself am not that way. But I enjoy the layers of psychology that happen within darker material.

I’m pretty open, though. I would never limit what’s coming for me by my limited mind. I don’t know what I’d love to do until I read it. The fun part of what I do is that I never know what is coming next, what character I’m going to be thrown into—I love that part of it.

WS: Looking specifically at television, what are the kinds of projects that appeal to you most?
MOSS: It depends on where I am in my life—what’s happening in my personal life and what’s happening with my kids. I look at things like, where is it shooting, how long is it shooting for, can I leave everybody to go do this? There are so many logistical factors! It’s so different than when I was single and loved living out of a suitcase.

A regular job in L.A., where my kids go to school, may not be the most creative [project] on the planet, but it would offer me a certain amount of stability in a business that is very unstable. But I very rarely work there. That’s the reality of my business. I do have the luxury of working a bunch, then getting to take time to be home with my family. You try to balance that, and it’s a challenge. Some things are just so great you can’t say no.

WS: Wisting is a prime example of how global the television market has become. As an actor, what’s your take on the opportunities presented in this increasingly international drama-series landscape?
MOSS: There’s definitely never been more amazing TV to watch from so many different places! It has sparked unlimited possibilities.

WS: Added to that is the fact that, for actors, the lines between TV and film are so blurred nowadays.
MOSS: Absolutely. I started out in TV and then had a film career. In the old days, if you were even thinking about going back to TV, it was like you were taking a step down. Independent films were the thing to do. I, like many people, feel like there are no more independent movies; everything has moved to television. The TV market is now more like what the independent-film world was.

It’s changing so much now, but things are always going to change and I think people forget that. I remember when, as an industry, everyone was trying to figure out how to deal with the internet as a potential [threat]. I remember hearing about Netflix and thinking, What the heck? Now it’s all so normal and I could not have envisioned it. I myself do enjoy [bingeing series] every once in a while, but sometimes it’s also fun to have to wait.

WS: Many people came to know you from the Matrix trilogy, which has ardent fans. Then you joined the Marvel universe, as Jeri Hogarth in Jessica Jones, which has its own level of frenzy behind it. Is having that sort of fan feedback exciting or more nerve-racking, in that you want to do right by their expectations?
MOSS: I’ll be at Whole Foods, and all of a sudden, this new generation of young people recognizes me—but from Marvel, not The Matrix. It’s so funny! I got so used to people saying, “Are you…” and I’m like, “Yeah, that girl from The Matrix.” And then suddenly it was like, “Are you…Jeri Hogarth?” [Laughs] To be honest, though, I’m not that plugged into the conversation; I really only see the fan base when I go to events like Comic-Con.