Sarah Greene, known for her role as Hecate Poole in Penny Dreadful, shares insights into her new character Maxine in the CBS series Ransom. The show, inspired by real-life hostage negotiators, follows a team solving intricate crisis cases without violence. Greene highlights the importance of female empathy in the series and reflects on portraying complex women.
Sarah Greene's portrayal of Hecate Poole in Penny Dreadful involved intense transformations, including up to seven hours standing nude for makeup to create the character's nightcomer appearance. This role immersed her in a world of evil and malice, contrasting with her less demanding costume needs as Maxine in Ransom.
Ransom, premiering on Sunday, January 1 on CBS, centers on Eric Beaumont (played by Luke Roberts) and his team of crisis negotiators tackling kidnapping and ransom cases based on real events. Maxine, Greene's character, strives to become a top negotiator while confronting secrets from her past. The series draws from the experiences of actual negotiators Laurent Combalbert and Marwan Mery, with cases often resolved in 24 to 48 hours without public knowledge.
In an interview, Greene expressed enthusiasm for the role: "What attracted me most was the character Maxine. I think she’s very interesting and to work with someone like Frank Spotnitz is a bit of a dream." She noted the show's focus on non-violent resolutions, saying, "It’s fascinating because most shows focus on a lot of gun violence and these people don’t use violence; their job is to save lives."
Greene values strong female characters, stating, "Women are strong and they should be portrayed as strong. They’re what make the world go around." She emphasized emotional insight in negotiations: "Emotions are dangerous, especially in a negotiation, but I think you need to be emotional. You can’t be cold, because you need to have compassion."
Reflecting on Penny Dreadful, Greene discussed the competitive mother-daughter dynamic between Hecate and Evelyn, calling it "horrible and sad and really interesting to play." She also mentioned preparing for the film Black 47, set during the Great Famine, by forgoing holiday treats to fit the role.
The intensity of such parts affects her, but Greene maintains balance: "I don’t take them home, I don’t let them take over for want of a personal life outside of the job."
