Melanie Lynskey Shares Her Thoughts On Her Latest Project, Candy

What was it like working with Jessica Biel? How did you figure out how the dynamics and relationships between your characters would unroll?

It's all in the script. The scripts were so detailed in all the moments. Robin [Veith] is a writer who knows how to let the awkward moments and the silences breathe. She knows how to write actual human dialogue in a way that's fascinating to play as an actor. 

And Jessica is somebody who is surprising — I was always taken aback at the choices she was making. It was always something that felt fresh and interesting. She was very in the moment. It's all you can ask for as an actor, a scene partner who is going to go wherever you are going, and surprise you in the moment, and be present. She's all of that; she's so talented. I really loved working with her.

The other interesting relationship is the relationship between Betty and Allan Gore. What were your thoughts about that? What was it like trying to portray that relationship?

Oh, it was such a sad one, because it felt like there were basic things that Betty was looking for from her husband — it was love, affection, intimacy ... and it was missing. It's really heartbreaking. She was doing her best, but she was married to somebody who was not an open person. She didn't feel great about herself, he didn't make her feel great, and it's a very human story. I felt for everybody involved in the story. I was lucky to have such a great scene partner in Pablo [Schreiber], who is such a wonderful actor. It was a pleasure.

"Candy" will premiere on Hulu on Monday, May 9, kicking off a five-night event leading up to the finale on Friday, May 13.

This interview was edited for clarity.