Killing Eve returns to BBC iPlayer on Monday 13 April and will air from Sunday 19 April on BBC One

Where do we meet Eve at the start of series three of Killing Eve?

Eve is in a place of recovery, trauma and trying to heal herself. You see her back to her roots, back to safety and comfort. It’s a new place that we’ve never seen her in before. But she’s also in a place of great strength, even though it might not look it. Weirdly, for the first time, she’s truly independently taking care of herself and doing something specifically for herself.

What’s happened between the end of season two to the beginning of this?

Between the time we last saw Eve in Rome lying on the ground, shot, to the moment we see her in the beginning of season three it’s been about six months. She and Niko no longer live in the house, and they’re not living together. Niko is recovering from his own trauma so they are separated but you see how she’s trying to care for him.

Did the series take you to all sorts of exciting locations once more?

We shot in this beautiful Romanian village called Viscri. It’s a Unesco Heritage site which Prince Charles helped set up and they actually have a residence there. I would walk to set, down the street and go through Prince Charles’ house because our production office was there.

The next place that Eve gets to spend much of her time in is the beautiful village of New Malden! I honestly had no idea that the largest Korean population in Europe is in New Malden. That’s a bit of a giveaway but it was very exciting for me to be closer to Korean food.

Can you tell us about some of the new faces that Eve is involved with?

Near the beginning of the series, Eve meets a new group through Kenny and they end up being her people. The group offers the vehicle, the means and the technology by which she’s able to continue doing her job, searching for The Twelve and Villanelle. They work for a website called Bitter Pill which is based on Bellingcat, the independent website news organisation. They’re a team who do completely independent investigative reporting.

How do you get into the mindset to play Eve?

Every season there is a certain amount of chaos in our job, in trying to make a television show and make it good. It’s a very mysterious thing but when challenging chaos is present, somehow I’ve been able to use it creatively. Eve’s own life is consumed by chaos - she’s trying to find her way through the mystery of The Twelve and deal with the tremendous chaos and loss that she has undergone. You don’t have to step very far to make something creative from that.

How have the actions of Villanelle affected Eve over the last three seasons and how has that changed her?

So much has affected her relationships. I think the characters, the Eve/Carolyn relationship, the Eve/Villanelle relationship, the Eve/Niko relationship, have really deepened and evolved. Because of my relationships with these specific actors, there’s a lot that happens that is not on the page. That’s a magical part of our show and I give credit to the cast because of how we approach each other. Many of us are similar types of actors in how it costs us to tell the truth and I really admire that. Jodie and I don’t actually spend that much time filming together so it makes the scenes between Eve and Villanelle quite powerful. Jodie and I trust each other very much and we both have our deep understanding of the characters. It’s wonderful when you’re surprised, when everyone thought the scene was about this and then something different happens between the actors.

What can fans expect from season three?

Fans can expect a lot of change in Villanelle. It’s quite remarkable where she goes. And for Eve, so much loss. You’ll see what happens when someone is pushed to such an extreme.