How would you describe Human Is?

The most striking part of the episode is what makes someone human and the search for a human connection between people.

How would you describe your character, Vera, and her journey in this episode?

Vera Herrick is a powerful woman who is in charge of the Intergalactic Intelligence Agency. She is married to Silas Herrick, who is in the military, and in this future world they live in they are in an uncomfortable, disrespectful marriage. They have been coupled up by the state and they are at a point where Silas doesn’t respect her. She is trying to get the state to negotiate with other planets for their resources but they chose not listen and then her husband almost dies in war and when he comes back he is a changed man. But Vera is very mistrusting of his sudden attention, kindness, gentleness and respect.

What do you think the episode has to say about what it is to be human?

I think it’s a really interesting parallel story to how we live - and who we are in the world now -because there are plenty of humans who just want to take whatever they can get and save themselves. But there are the humanitarians who are about negotiation, care, kindness and respect. I think even more succinctly, Human Is is about love and feeling heard and respected.

How was it to star opposite Bryan Cranston?

Bryan is lovely and very open and I have been a big fan of course so it was pleasure to work with him.

Bryan essentially plays two different characters, what was that like?

Bryan is two Silas’s and it’s like acting with two characters. One is nasty and cold and extremely derogatory and the other is loving, kind and goofy.

Would you say Human Is has a happy ending?

I think Human Is is a hopeful story, even though the end of the world is nigh it’s about saying yes to love. And even if the end of the world is upon us we are going to try really hard to make it better for ourselves and worth saving and being here for.

What would you like the audience to take away from the experience of watching Human Is?

I think audiences will see clearly the parallels it has with the world now and I hope that they don’t let Earth get to that state of destruction. I also hope that they hear that often negotiation and sharing resources - and not being frightened of other countries or planets - might be a more peaceful and profitable future.

From what you’ve described, it sounds as if the episode is rooted in the notion of the characters rather than the science fiction of the world they live in, would you agree?

It’s a love story that happens to be set in a world that has unusual differences to the world we live in now – it’s in a very organised and contained dictatorship - but I think essentially it’s a love story and I hope that people will recognise themselves inside of it.