In “Paradise,” Hulu’s twisty sci-fi political thriller from creator Dan Fogelman, Julianne Nicholson plays Samantha “Sinatra” Redmond, a self-made tech billionaire and the mastermind behind the underground utopia that’s constructed after a doomsday event. Ruthless and power-hungry, Sinatra stops at nothing to accomplish her mysterious endgame: Ordering murders, blackmailing enemies and kidnapping family members are just boxes she checks off her daily to-do list.
But beneath Sinatra’s icy exterior is a woman far more complex than viewers are initially led to believe. It’s all by design. “I don’t want her to be a traditional villain or bad guy, but a more layered person — one who has put one foot in front of the other and gotten to this place,” Nicholson said.
The 53-year-old actress, who won an Emmy in 2021 for her supporting role in HBO’s “Mare of Easttown” and is also a contender for her comedic guest role as Dance Mom in Max’s “Hacks,” said Sinatra is “unlike any character” she’s played before. “To be acting for close to 30 years now and still get to find new characters to play is the dream.”
How much did you know about your character and the story when “Paradise“ first came to you?
I was sent the first four scripts. I knew that Dan had written it. They told me James [Marsden] was the president and Sterling [K. Brown] was his Secret Service [agent]. That was as much as I was aware of, so it was great to go in cold. At the end of the first episode, I was already sort of grabbed. When you get that twist in the end and realize where we are, oh my God, whole new worlds open up — quite literally.
Then I read the second episode, which was Sinatra’s backstory. I was very moved by this woman, her experience, where she started from and where she finds herself in present-day Paradise. I’ve never read or seen episodes that are solely dedicated to learning more about one of the characters in an ensemble like that.
I remember watching the first episode thinking it’s just a show about who murders the president and then it transforms into something entirely different by the end of that first hour.
Dan is such a bold writer. He’s clearly so good at the drama and the personal relationships, but it’s very brave when writers start going out of their comfort zone. And in Season 2, he goes even more in those directions. It’s really exciting to watch it unfold, especially because he’s so good at bringing it all back together. I’ve heard him say he doesn’t want to leave people hanging in a massive way, like he wants to tease people. But you want some closure at the end of a season, while enticing [them] a little bit more. I just think he’s the master at that.
Sinatra is a fascinating character because in the present day, she’s cold, emotionless and almost untouchable. She’s also quite scary. But the second episode, like you said, fills in a lot of blanks about what led her to become this way. Was that episode the biggest one for you from Season 1?
Yes, for sure. In the different periods of her life where we meet her, she really goes through a range of experiences and it’s a layering of one thing on top of the other. The tragedy of losing her son is the biggest thing in her life and the thing she can’t move past, make any sort of peace with or have any understanding around. And it informs every decision that she makes from then on out — trying to protect her family and what she has left. I felt very lucky that that episode came so early in the season because it was very informative for me. I thought it was helpful for the audience to have that different understanding of her, to feel maybe more empathy for who that person is: the character you love to hate.
What is her endgame?
Dan has said that we have this three-season [plan], so I have no idea where she’s going. I’m learning about her with each script also, which is kind of exciting. I love playing Sinatra, so I can’t wait to get back in there because you learn more about the character with every scene that you film. I feel like my understanding of her grows and that’s really fun.
You have several intense confrontations with Sterling. How did you play those out on set?
We basically gave each other space. I have so much respect for Sterling as a person and as an actor, and so we kind of kept to our separate corners and we would meet each other when the cameras were rolling. [The final showdown] was great direction and editing, and Sterling coming in with such power and intensity, and me trying to meet that and knowing where the stakes are at that point in our story. It is like a little ballet; it’s a dance where everyone has their steps.
One of my favorite storylines throughout Season 1 is charting Sinatra and Jane’s mentor-protege dynamic, especially because of where things end for Sinatra. She really should’ve just given Jane the Wii like she wanted.
She didn’t really know who she was getting into [bed with]. Just give her the Wii! It’s not yours anyway. Who cares? I think from now on, if it comes up again, just give the person whatever they want.
Sinatra is in bad shape after Jane shoots her. There’s concern there.
There sure is. I know I’m sort of intrigued. I love that her big bad is a lovely young woman, right? I feel like that’s a fun and interesting misdirect, and Nicole [Brydon Bloom] is so great and so talented, so it’s fun. I’m looking forward to Season 2 and hopefully having stuff to do together.
What are you most looking forward to in Season 2? We know there will be new faces coming in, namely Shailene Woodley.
I’m really excited. It’s fun having some distance now from Sinatra, having done the work and seen the show. You sort of plant that seed and you water it, and now that little plant is growing. It’s going deeper. It’s having a deeper understanding of who she is. And Dan has planted little seeds about where she’s going and some of the things she needed to do to make Paradise happen. I can’t wait to see what she gets up to.
A version of this story first ran in the Drama issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine. Read more from the issue here.
