Laura Linney shines in Netflix series ‘Ozark’

EVEN with an entire first season behind her, Laura Linney is not 100% certain how she would describe her Netflix series, Ozark.

Linney (54) plays Wendy Byrde, the mother in a suburban Chicago family forced by some bad people to move to Missouri to start a moneylaundering business.

‘‘It starts with family, and then it goes cultural, and then it goes psychological thriller. It’s crime. Suspense. It’s sort of all braided together with the emphasis sometimes on one thing and then sometimes on another,’’ Linney says. ‘‘It’s also a strange look at America and the strange cultures that are in this very, very large country.

‘‘It feels like a lot of different things.’’

Season two follows Marty Bryde (Jason Bateman) and his family as they navigate life while dealing with a drug cartel. The crime syndicate sends their ruthless attorney, Helen Pierce (Janet McTeer), to shake things up as the Byrdes are finally getting settled. Marty and Wendy struggle to balance family interests while facing more dangers presented by their partnerships with the Snells, the cartel and their new deputy, Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner).

This is the first starring role in a series for Linney since The Big C, the drama that ran from 201013. Over the years, Linney has bounced between feature films and television productions. Her formula for taking on a role starts with what she considers a good amount of luck and then requires her to pay attention to the kind of work she’s hungry to do.

It also helps that she’s been working on TV and in films since 1992, which has given her the experience to know if a role is right for her. Linney was correct in her assessment of the Netflix series, because it has enough different strong elements that she would have no problem playing the character for years.

‘‘There is so much there,’’ Linney says. ‘‘She [Wendy] really doesn’t know herself. She doesn’t understand herself or really understand other people. There’s room for real growth.’’

A big part of Linney’s excitement for playing Wendy Byrde is having Bateman portray her husband. One big thing Linney learned while filming the first season is she is the happiest when she’s working with people she likes. The chemistry she has found working with Bateman comes out of a sense of respect, safety, fun and freedom. Once she finds those parameters and feels safe working with her fellow actors, the performance comes much easier, even when the events are as intense and dramatic as in Ozark.

The second season of Ozark is available to stream via Netflix.