LOU LLOBELL TALKS PASSENGER AND FOUNDATION

Lou Llobell is an actor whose work spans film and television.

Best known for her role as ‘Gaal Dornick‘ in Foundation, Llobell has spent four seasons navigating one of television’s most ambitious science fiction worlds while continuing to expand her screen career.

She now stars in the horror thriller Passenger, bringing a layered portrayal to a character confronting fear, uncertainty and difficult personal truths.

Llobell reflects on her journey so far, the lessons learned from genre storytelling and the characters that continue to shape her as an artist.

Please introduce yourself …
Lou Llobell. I’m a Capricorn. I’m half Zimbabwean and half Spanish. But I’ve grown up between Spain and South Africa, and when I was 18 I moved to the UK. So my life has been split into thirds.

Describe your life in one word or a sentence …
Whirlwind, rollercoaster and very, very lucky. I’ve been travelling so much since I was a kid, and being mixed-race, I’ve been exposed to so many different cultures; it’s been amazing. Because they’re so contrasting, we’ve managed to create an amazing synergy.

Why are we here?
We’re here because I’m starring in the just-released film, Passenger, and I’m also in a show called Foundation, which we’re currently filming season four of. And if we’re going to get philosophical, I don’t really know why we’re here. I’m not sure I want to figure it out either. I’d rather enjoy the ride for what it is and make the most of every day.

At the heart of every great horror story is a deeper fear or truth. What do you think sits at the centre of Passenger?
It’s interesting because the story is about a couple who reach a fork in their relationship. They have to decide what they want to do and whether they’re willing to commit and sacrifice certain things to accommodate one another. The passenger gets in the way of that forcing them to make a decision. When you work together and come together with the people you love, you can overcome anything. That’s a little cheesy, but beautifully cheesy for this film.

What made you say ‘I need to play Maddie‘?
I read the script and immediately connected with the characters. I really enjoyed the story, and the stakes were so high in every single scene, which is just the nature of being in a horror film. I’d love to do more horror films.

Maddie is constantly questioning what’s real and what isn’t. As an actor, how do you act out that feeling of ‘Am I going crazy?‘ without overdoing it?
I think it’s about playing the truth of it. As women, we have intuition and a sixth sense that we often ignore. You know that feeling of, “Did I see that person look at me funny, or did I not?” Even as a woman of colour, you sometimes get an eerie feeling because you can sense that people see you as different. That’s the feeling I lean into. There’s a beautiful scene in the film; it’s actually my favourite scene. It’s a one-take sequence where I’m walking through a parking lot, with several threats around me besides the passenger. One of them is this creepy guy, and I have my headphones in. Without it being scripted, I instinctively look around and show a certain awareness of my surroundings. As an audience member, you’re thinking it’s going to be something, and then it isn’t. I think that’s just an inherent feeling many women experience. But I also think it makes us 100 times stronger and, ultimately, really intelligent.

⁠The horror in Passenger often relies on tension and what’s unseen or half-seen. What was it like working with André Øvredal to build that atmosphere?
Andre has obviously done several horror films, and I think there’s a different process to making a horror film than a more conventional movie. A lot of the tension is built in the edit; it’s created by how things are put together, through the sounds, the silences, and the pacing. That’s not necessarily something we’re playing in every scene as actors. We also shot a lot of long takes focused on reactions. There are a couple of scenes that I would perform from beginning to end almost like choreography. This gave Andre the freedom to cut everything together in the edit and add whatever silences, pauses or sound effects he needed.

Despite the horror elements, Passenger is really driven by Maddie and Tyler’s relationship. How did you and Jacob Scipio build that dynamic?
Underneath the horror, is a story about a couple. He wants one thing, she wants something else. They try giving each other what they want for a while, but ultimately they have to face the truth and be honest with one another. We were able to create a genuine sense of history between Maddie and Tyler because there’s no preamble you pick up with them exactly where the story begins, about two or three years into their relationship. It was really easy working with Jacob to build that relationship. We get along really well and have become close friends, so there was already a natural comfort and trust between us. It was wonderful creating our connection so effortlessly, which doesn’t happen all the time.

⁠Audiences also know you as ‘Gaal Dornick‘ in Foundation, someone navigating destiny, knowledge and survival on a much bigger scale. What has living with Gaal over multiple seasons taught you creatively?
I’ve done more on Foundation than I ever thought I’d do in my entire career. I’ve been on wires, filmed underwater, done stunt sequences and fight scenes. I’ve had the opportunity to act alongside people like Jarred Harris, Lee Pace, Terrence Mann, Cherry Jones and Troy Kotsur.
Even being cast by David S. Goyer was incredible. And he wrote The Dark Knight; my mind was blown. It’s been a continuous learning process and an experience that has taught me that anything is possible.

Horror and science fiction both explore fear and uncertainty in extreme ways. What do those genres reveal about people that realism sometimes misses?
I think when people are fighting to survive, you see who they really are and what they truly want. That’s the essence of stories like these.
Foundation is sci-fi, set in this massive world that’s far beyond our own, and the characters experience things on a hugely heightened level. But at the core, they’re still dealing with emotions and situations that we experience in our everyday lives. It’s amazing to be able to relate to someone’s extreme reactions and think, “What would I do in that situation?“.
It’s the same with horror films. You’re watching and thinking, “Don’t walk down there!” or “Don’t open that door!” That feeling, that adrenaline, is what excites us. Whether it makes me cry, feel sad, happy, excited or exhilarated, I want to feel something. I think that’s what great storytelling does. For however long you’re watching, you can completely immerse yourself in that space and really give in to it.

We’re seeing more female characters who are intellectually complex, emotionally messy and hard to categorise. Have you noticed a shift in the kinds of roles being written or offered?
It really depends. I’ve been fortunate enough to play a character like Gaal, who has evolved so much over four seasons. I was especially excited after season three because it was the first time we got to see her make mistakes and do things that weren’t necessarily heroic, kind or even particularly likeable. Being able to add that darkness and complexity to her character was a lot of fun. It’s fascinating to explore both sides of a person. Maddie is interesting in a different way. She’s quite shy and reserved compared to her bubbly boyfriend. He’s very much the golden retriever type, while she’s more contained, which can sometimes come across as standoffish. In reality, though, it’s rooted in insecurity. It’s fun to bringing out the flaws, vulnerabilities and contradictions in characters.

A character flaw you had to come to terms with in Maddie in Passenger and Gaal in Foundation?
Maddie is a terrible communicator. She gets there in the end, but honestly, it’s like, “God damn, girl, just say something!” She doesn’t speak up, and she doesn’t share what she’s seeing until she’s absolutely forced to. Part of her backstory is that she grew up in foster care. The film touches on it, but you don’t necessarily need to know that as an audience member. It’s more relevant to me as an actor and to understanding the bigger picture of who she is. People who have that kind of upbringing don’t always grow up believing their voice is important, and Maddie is a bit like that.
With Gaal, her flaw is almost the opposite. She has this overwhelming need to save every single person, and that drive can become her downfall because it’s simply not possible. She learns that very quickly over the course of the series. Sometimes she has to make difficult decisions to save more people, even if that means not being able to save everyone. Those would be the two main flaws: Maddie’s inability to communicate and Gaal’s inability to let go of the responsibility she feels for humanity.

Was there one scene in Passenger that stayed with you or challenged you the most, personally?
That one-take scene. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve had the opportunity to do in my career. I’ve always wanted to do a long one-take sequence, and I think I’ve got the chance to do some on Foundation now as well, which is really exciting.
For that scene [in Passenger], we spent four hours rehearsing. It was like a dance, with the timing of the stunts, the lighting cues, the emotion, the silences; everything had to be perfectly choreographed. I don’t want to give away all the little tricks behind it, but it was beautiful. The final result was exactly why I was happy to spend four hours rehearsing it. We were also working with a relatively small crew. There weren’t loads of elaborate special effects, and we weren’t shooting on a soundstage. It was all filmed out on the road at night.
Even when the van had to shake and move around, it was the crew physically doing it. There were no crazy tricks involved. It felt raw and real, and that was amazing.

Do you think your identity and lived experiences inevitably shape the way you approach a character?
Yes, of course, 100 per cent. I consider myself very Spanish, Black and African. All of those things equally. I’m incredibly proud of every part of my identity. Society often tries to force people to pick a lane, but I’ve always refused to do that because my parents never raised me to think I had to. That’s one of the greatest gifts they’ve given me. However, they perhaps could have prepared me more for some of the realities that society and the wider world can expose you to.
If you grow up believing that the colour of your skin doesn’t change anything, you eventually realise that, sometimes it does or doesn’t. For example, the script for Passenger didn’t change because I was cast in the role. But did the context change because both Jacob and I are people of colour? Maybe. Some viewers might interpret it differently because of that, but it wasn’t the intention.

I think that’s part of the reality of being a person of colour. You don’t walk around constantly thinking, “I’m obviously brown.” But your experiences are inevitably shaped by it, whether you intend them to be or not. As an actor, I draw from my lived experience. I don’t actively approach a role by asking, “What would a black woman do differently from a white woman?” Could there be differences? Absolutely. But in this particular story, I think gender was the more relevant common ground. It was more a question of what a woman might do versus what a man might do in these situations. That’s reflected in the dynamic between Maddie and Tyler. Tyler, Jacob’s character, tends to run towards the problem, whereas Maddie approaches things with caution first. I suppose that can be interpreted in a number of different ways, but that’s how I saw it while playing her.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU …

If not this, then what? I’ve asked myself that question a bunch of times, probably something still in the industry, maybe producing, directing, but I can’t imagine not being in this world.

What’s made you sad, mad, & glad this week?
 Glad? The weather changing. I’m a big summer girl; sunshine makes me happy, and when it’s not sunny, I get a bit sad. Sad? I’ve realised today that it’s already been a week since the release of Passenger. It’s bittersweet because it’s been a whole year of waiting for it to come out, and now it’s finally here and already moving on. Mad? Looking at my schedule for season four of Foundation. I still have two months of filming left, and I’m pretty much working every day. That’s been a little overwhelming. But it’s all good. I can’t really complain.

What are you watching?
 I don’t have the capacity in my brain to really engage in other dense TV shows and movies. I’m trying to get out to the cinema a bit more. I know that I have Project Hail Mary to watch, but I’m a really big BRAVO fan. I love reality TV, and at the moment this week is very poignant; it’s the Summer House reunion and if you watch BRAVO it’s a very important week because it’s a very dramatic season. This whole Ciara, Wes, Amanda debacle is like a real thing, and I’m saving it for the weekend.

What are you reading?
 We’re getting new versions of the scripts every week, so at the moment I’m really just trying to keep my head down and focus on the work.

The last film you watched?
 It’s either Marty Supreme or Sinners one of the two.

The last play you saw?
 I went to watch Hercules The Musical; it was beautiful. It’s a bit different to the film, but I enjoyed it; musicals are my favourite thing in the West End.

What’s currently on your playlist? It’s a bit of a weird combination, but at the moment I’m listening to a lot of Rosalía and Bad Bunny. I’m also obsessed with one particular Minnie Riperton album (Come to my Garden) that I have on vinyl. It includes the song La Fleur, and that’s become my fun, springtime, getting-back-into-the-swing-of-things song. It’s full of sunshine, good energy and happy vibes, which is exactly what I’m enjoying right now.

Which podcast are you listening to? I love true crime. There’s a pair of women who host a podcast called Crime Junkie, and they’re such great storytellers. I’m obsessed with it; it’s actually what I listen to when I’m falling asleep. They also have another podcast called The Deck, which is really cool. I’ve been listening to that a lot as well.

What’s on your bucket list?
 I’ve always wanted to jump out of a plane, but I’m too scared, so that’s still on the bucket list. I’d also love to do a big trip around South America, or spend three weeks travelling through Italy, starting in the north and making my way all the way down to the south.

Where’s your happy place? Anywhere on the beach, near the ocean or Sea.

Celebrate someone else … I think Rosalía is having a real moment right now, and she’s changing the way people think about music. What she’s done with her albums is incredible. She blends so many different genres into what feels modern, sexy and beautiful, while still being musically rich and authentic. It never feels like she’s selling out or compromising her artistry. She’s also an incredible performer. I never got the chance to see her live, but I’ve watched clips from her concerts, and they’re genuinely works of art. She’s amazing. If Rosalía ever wanted to be my friend, I’d welcome that with open arms. Desperately, honestly. I’d absolutely love to be friends with her.

Celebrate yourself … I grew up in a very small town. When I was eight, I moved to Pietermaritzburg in South Africa, and from a young age I always wanted to act and do all these things. My mum was incredibly supportive. She would take me to plays and rehearsals, pick me up late at night, and somehow balance that with me playing sports, going to school and doing everything else that comes with being a kid. Last week I went to the cinema to watch Passenger, bought myself some popcorn. I’m planning to go again to a different cinema. My mum still lives in the town where I grew up, and she went to see the film at the same cinema I went to many times as a kid, imagining how amazing it would be if one day I had a film playing there. And look where I am now.

What’s next?
 Hopefully a lot of different, amazing projects where I get to explore new characters and genres and work with with amazing filmmakers. I want to expand more and more every time I get to do something.

Where can we find you? LouLllobel pretty much on everything.

Where can we watch you at work? Passenger is out in cinemas now, and Foundation S4 is on its way.