Exclusive Interview: Katherine McNamara Talks ‘Air Force One Down,’ How She Trained for the Role, Reuniting with Director James Bamford, and More

Katherine McNamara is a powerhouse in every facet of her career. Whether she’s delivering immersive performances on screen as an actress or breathing life into compelling narratives as a producer or director, Katherine’s talent knows no limits.

Her latest role as Agent Allison Miles finds her reuniting with director James Bamford for the action-thriller, Air Force One Down. On her first assignment aboard Air Force One, a rookie Secret Service agent faces the ultimate test when terrorists hijack the plane, intent on derailing a pivotal energy deal. With the President’s life on the line and a global crisis at stake, her bravery and skills are pushed to the limit in a relentless battle that could change the course of history.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to catch up with Kat to talk about Air Force One Down, training for the role, and how that physicality allowed her to tap into her character’s essence. We also discuss reuniting with James Bamford, the head-in-the-clouds moment with Shadowhunters that will always stay with her, and more.

PC: You’ve done it all throughout your illustrious career. What was it about Air Force One Down and this character in particular that resonated with you?
Katherine: There were a few elements to this that just felt meant to be. First of all, James Bamford (the director), with whom I worked very closely on Arrow and have the utmost respect and admiration for. I also studied under him in the directing sphere a bit, so to see him now in this realm directing films and witnessing his career skyrocket as well, I’m like a proud daughter sitting there, so it was the opportunity to get to work with him again. Also, with a script that’s so action-heavy, I knew that having a director who is well-versed in action and goes above and beyond to create action that’s moving, intense, but brutal at the same time, that’s his specialty, I knew I was in good hands.

Also, I haven’t gotten to play a character like this in a very long time. She’s very no-nonsense. She knows her job and she does it. I really wanted an opportunity to have my Atomic Blonde moment. In the film, I’m doing all but six shots. All of that action is me. I was really, really lucky to have an opportunity to retrain and show my skills in that realm as well.

PC: Throughout your career, you’ve jumped so seamlessly between film and television. In TV, you learn more about your character as the series goes on. But in film, you know where your character’s story starts and ends. As an actress, how different is that film experience and character development process for you?
Katherine: It’s really interesting. I’m excited about both mediums. In TV, one of my favorite things is living with a character for so long, growing with her, and discovering different things about her as I get more scripts over the years. But in film, it’s almost more interesting and at times, more creative, because I have to make up most of it, and it doesn’t matter what I make up in my head as long as it works for me and still serves the story. There can be a million different backstories in different people’s heads, but it’s exciting to get to fill in the blanks from A to Z on my own. But this film, in particular, was really wonderful because, yes, it’s an action film, but it was one where the emotional beats still felt very grounded and soulful. It has both of those aspects, and that juxtaposition is really well done.

PC: When Agent Miles first boards Air Force One, you can tell how much it means to her. When you look at your own career, what’s been that head-in-the-clouds moment for you and why?
Katherine: I think it’ll forever be the first time that I went to New York Comic Con for Shadowhunters. We had just wrapped Season 1 the night before. Alberto [Rosende] and I wrapped and literally went straight to the airport. The rest of the cast was there. The next morning, we were at New York Comic Con, and we hadn’t seen any of the show. No one had. It had been kept so secret. We walked into the hall where our panel was going to be. It was standing room only at that point. The show hadn’t even come out yet, but it was already full to the brim, and we could hear the excitement of everyone waiting to watch it. They played the first seven minutes of our pilot episode for the whole audience. Getting to watch it on this giant screen from behind, we saw it from a mirror image but it still worked out, and we got to hear the audience’s reaction live for the first time. I’ve never experienced anything so electric.

PC: Your character is such a trailblazer in her field, similar to yourself. What did you learn about your own craft playing her?
Katherine: [laughs] I learned about my physical limitations. I hadn’t taken on such a physical role in about seven years. It caught me by surprise because I dove back into training with only about three and a half weeks to prepare. When I arrived in Bulgaria, I had five days to train, ten hours a day with the stunt team. That stunt team was one of the most fantastic groups I’ve ever worked with. They’re absolutely fantastic artists and people. They assembled an amazing team where not only did they take a chance on me and allow me to demonstrate that I could work alongside their stuntmen, but I also felt safe the entire time. Safety is crucial when actors are involved in numerous stunts throughout filming.

PC: How does that physicality allow you to further tap into Allison’s core? Was there a particular sequence that you were really excited to film?
Katherine: There are a few sequences. When I’m portraying characters like Clary, Mia, or Allison, where physicality is integral to their identity, it’s crucial for me to be as involved as possible in those stunts. Of course, they wouldn’t allow me to be hit by a car or go through a wall or jump out of an airplane, but when it comes to combat, I was able to perform the majority of it. It was incredibly gratifying for me because it adds depth to who she is and her journey through this process.

There are two fights that I was really excited about. I wasn’t trepidatious, but I worked very hard to ensure that they would go well. One of them was a seven-minute sequence consisting of one-and-a-half-minute oners, where she’s fighting her way through this tower of a cement building. Working with the whole team and dispatching everyone about three times in the fight was great fun.

But I think my favorite fight, and one of my favorite days on set—and if you ask Bam, I bet it’s his favorite day as well—is the scene where Allison is fighting the assassin on the plane in the President’s office. I got to work with one of the most amazing stunt performers I’ve ever worked with. His name is Max Kraus. He’s absolutely incredible. He’s worked on just about everything. But not only was he a top-notch performer, but he’s also so kind. We just had fun. It’s like two assassins playing chess at that point. We both knew the fight so well. We’ve spent so much time rehearsing together that we just got into a flow. It’s similar to when you’re acting with someone that you really connect with on an emotional scene; you just lock into that zone. I had that with Max for that fight scene. That was so important. That moment really means something.

PC: Agent Miles and President Edwards’ relationship is about not judging a book by its cover. That dynamic undergoes such a great transformation throughout the film. What was it like getting to work with Ian and bring that journey to life?
Katherine: I love Ian so much. I’ve known Ian for nearly ten years now, and we’ve never worked together. Finally getting the chance to play on screen, it’s such an amazing feeling when you get on set with someone and realize, “Oh, we actually work in a very similar way.” We just instantly clicked. We had a very similar idea of what we wanted to accomplish with these characters and this story. Bam was so great about allowing us to play. We had time to try different things and really experiment with these characters to find the right journey for them. These characters were so clearly defined, yet we still had a chance to make them our own through the process.

PC: I also love the relationship between Allison and her uncle, who was very much a mentor figure to her. Who were the people in your own life who shaped the storyteller that you are today? Did you channel them into that dynamic?
Katherine: Bam has been a huge mentor in my career for several years now. After Shadowhunters, I jumped into Arrow almost immediately. Having someone who, similar to the stunt coordinators on Shadowhunters, saw what I could do, but not only that, he gave me a chance to shadow him as a director and learn from him in other ways as well. It really means a lot because at the time, I was twenty-one or twenty-three years old. When you’re a young woman who’s been an actor your whole career, people don’t always take you seriously when you say that you want to do something else and step up to a different plate. I’ve always been so grateful that he heard me out and gave me a shot.

PC: Have you found that the work that you’ve now done behind the scenes in directing and producing has impacted the way that you approach your work on screen and interpret characters and scripts like this?
Katherine: It’s interesting. Michael Goi, who’s an incredible cinematographer and director, worked on Shadowhunters ages ago. I had a very similar relationship with him as I do with Bam. I was asking him a bunch of questions, and he really was mentoring me in that regard. He stopped me one day and said, “Do you realize you’re asking all the questions a director would ask and not the questions an actor would ask?” I had never seen it from that perspective before. I always approach a story from not serving myself or my character in the story, but serving the story as a whole through what I can provide. I guess that’s the vision of a director. It’s creating a perspective and serving the story through your creative view. It’s something that affects things both ways. But now I’m aware of my instincts as a director and a producer, I see how they influence my work in both directions.

PC: As you were saying earlier, James has such an illustrious background in stunts. How does that expertise allow you to build trust between actor and director and also allow you to have the freedom to play and improvise?
Katherine: It’s so great. He’s worked with actors in the realm of stunts. He’s also been on both sides of the camera for decades. When you have someone who not only has been behind the camera and seen what works and what doesn’t, but he’s also been a stuntman who has had to do a hard fall 37 times because you didn’t get the shot, he’s so aware and sensitive to everyone’s safety and energy levels, and what is going to serve the story best. The best thing that I will say about him is he has a very, very high standard. If we don’t get the shot, we will go again. But as soon as we get the shot, we’ll move on because he wants to conserve everyone’s energy levels and capacity for safety for the next shot and the next shot and the next shot. He will always finish his days. He will always get everything done and done right. When you’re working on a film that can be very fast-paced and tough and go, or when you’re throwing things together and haven’t had a lot of time to train, it means a lot when somebody is over-prepared for any situation.

PC: There are so many lessons that you can take away from this film. With it out now digitally, what do you hope audiences take away? Was there a lesson that you learned?
Katherine: My biggest takeaway from the film is that when you think you’re completely tapped of every resource, you still have a little bit in the tank. There’s always a bit of reserve there that you can draw on from your inner strength, whether it be physically or emotionally. I hope that’s what people take from the story: if the odds are stacked against you, there’s always a way out. If you’re backed up against the wall, punch through the wall behind you. Find another way out and get creative. Don’t let anyone judge you by how they perceive you and what they can expect of you.

PC: Outside of Air Force One Down, what’s next for you? What’s left on your bucket list?
Katherine: I have so many irons in the fire right now. Now that the strike is over and we’re coming out of the pandemic, work-demic, and everything is rolling again, I’m excited to see what is going to go first. I’m playing that game of spinning plates right now and seeing if the film I’m going to direct is going to go first or something that I’m producing or developing, or if it’s something that I’m meant to act in that I’ve been on hold for eight months. It’s about seeing what trigger gets pulled first. But there are definitely some creative ventures that I am truly excited about and I think will be a new chapter in a lot of ways.

To keep up with Kat, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Air Force One Down is out in select theaters and on VOD.

Photo Credit: John Russo