Judd has sights set on second season
Missing attracts solid audience
TORONTO — Becca Winstone’s epic hunt for her kidnapped son has already been a roller-coaster ride of violence, betrayal and international intrigue. But Ashley Judd, the actress who plays her on TV’S Missing, promises fans the best is yet to come.
“The cliffhanger for the end of Season 1 (is) amazing,” she said in a recent interview at a Toronto hotel. “We all gasped when we read it.”
Missing chronicles the trials of Becca, a retired CIA agent pulled back into the espionage game after her son goes missing. With each episode, she falls deeper down the rabbit hole of her own dangerous past, and discovers more levels to the show’s central mystery. Missing also recently introduced a major game-changer: Becca’s longago-murdered husband, Paul, is actually very much alive — and linked to their son Michael’s disappearance.
The action-packed drama has been a ratings success for ABC and CTV, where it has averaged 2 million Canadian viewers per episode.
For those curious about what a major film star is doing on network TV, part of Judd’s answer is simple: adulation. The second part of the equation? The show’s themes tie into Judd’s passion for global humanitarian work.
“When the creators came to me, and very flatteringly said that I was their inspiration and they wrote the show for me — which is a great way to get an actor to do a show, to tell (her) that — they said they wanted my mind, they wanted my consciousness in that part of my work,” the 43-year-old said. “That’s part of how they caught me.”
While the first season features a human-trafficking storyline, the show’s prospective Season 2 will find Winstone in a place Judd holds close to her heart: sub-saharan Africa.
“We are already planning,” she said. “Because the show is so complicated (with its international shoot locations), we are already planning (Season 2).”
If the series is indeed renewed, Judd promises new characters and a plot that explores human-rights issues.
Judd has been juggling a film career with her commitment to humanitarian work. She sits on the board of directors for Population Services International, a non-profit organization with expertise in areas like reproductive health, child survival, poverty, HIV and gender equality. She also served as an expert panellist on safe water and the empowerment of girls for the Clinton Global Initiative.
Missing tossed yet another ball into the air for Judd to handle.
When it came to developing her spy persona, Judd said she didn’t look for inspiration from the Jason Bournes and James Bonds of pop culture.
“I’m not CIA, I’m a mother looking for my son,” she offered with a sly, dangerous laugh.
While shooting in exotic European cities such as Istanbul and Paris may not seem like hardship, Judd said the role does have some downsides: “When I’m blocking punches and kicks, I tend to bruise very badly,” she said with a resigned smile.
When it came to the stunt work, Judd was surprised at the things she struggled with. “There is a lot of irony ... because the things that would seem challenging come very easily for me,”she said. “I did the shot (in Paris) and fell into the Seine (river) myself. Yet, climbing out ... I got a scrape on my pinky that stayed infected for three weeks.”
Shooting across Europe also has its perks. When asked about her favourite location, Judd did not hesitate: Bohemian Switzerland National Park.
Judd gives a lot of credit for the show’s success to her supporting cast, including Adriano Giannini as Becca’s former flame and fellow rogue, Cliff Curtis as a CIA colleague, and Sean Bean (Game of Thrones) as her suddenly not-so-dead husband. Judd’s son on the show, Michael, is played by Nick Eversman.
It’s ironic that Missing has Judd travelling the world, given she initially planned to join the Peace Corps after her undergraduate degree, but got distracted by her acting.
Whether it’s her real-world efforts, or her fictional exploits as Becca Winstone, one thing is for certain: Judd is well prepared for any battle.
New episodes of Missing air Tuesdays on CTV and Thursdays on ABC.