Exclusive Interview: Naveen Andrews Discusses His Role in The Cleaning Lady Season 2

Naveen Andrews is a dynamic storyteller who is best known for his performances in projects like Lost, The Dropout, and Sense8. This fall, he joins the second season of the critically-acclaimed series, The Cleaning Lady.

The crime drama follows a whip-smart Cambodian doctor who comes to the U.S. for a medical treatment to save her son, but when the system fails and pushes her into hiding, she uses her cunning and intelligence to fight back, breaking the law for all the right reasons.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Naveen to discuss his role in The Cleaning Lady Season 2 and what fans can expect from his character.

PC: You’re joining Season 2 of The Cleaning Lady. We know you can’t say too much, but what should audiences know about your character?
Naveen: There’s no other way to say this, but he isn’t anything other than a malign influence on the other characters. He can’t help but be that.

PC: You have brought so many dynamic characters to life on the screen. What about Robert and this particular project attracted you to it?
Naveen: The project had this visceral punch. It has heart and soul, which the actors brought to it. That’s what I first reacted to. The character of Robert is someone who is ostensibly human. He’s a human being—flesh and blood. But there’s a supernatural force to him that’s so dark.

PC: Is there more freedom when you’re playing a character who is so different from you? Is it more or less challenging?
Naveen: I’m a parent. I have children. That has changed me as a human being in a good way. To explore the mind of somebody who’s utterly self-obsessed and incapable of empathy is interesting. There’s a psychosis there.

PC: It’s interesting when you’re joining a project that has a season under its belt and you’re playing a character who has a history with two other characters. What was your preparation like as you stepped into Robert’s shoes? What can you tease about that dynamic and tell us about working with Eva [De Dominici] and Adan [Canto]?
Naveen: I was very happy to be able to talk with Eva about our backstory. It was almost like a rehearsal. Even if you don’t see it on screen, there has to be this sense that these two people have a shared history. It has to be there. It was very important that we had that before we actually shot any scenes together.

In terms of Robert’s influence on the other characters, he’s so incredibly manipulative. It’s an insidious quality that’s hopefully there without having to force it. It’s insidious in the way he inserts himself into events and people’s emotions. It was important for me as an actor to know that I was making a contribution to the story because he’s a piece of this puzzle.

PC: This show is known for creating moments that stay with audiences. Is there a particular scene or episode that you’re really excited for audiences to see when Season 2 drops?
Naveen: Oh, God. That’s hard because in every episode there’s a shift that moves the story forward in a way that you haven’t quite anticipated. In a general sense, the drama reaches new depths. It’s rather twisted, which is interesting to watch.

PC: Family is such a huge theme within the show. How were you able to build that bond with your fellow cast members?
Naveen: The fact that they’re all great people. There’s an easiness and relaxation on set, which you don’t normally have. I think that’s what makes the working process somewhat easier than normal.

Season 2 of The Cleaning Lady premieres on September 19 at 9/8c on Fox.

Photo Credit: Jeff Neumann/FOX