While gearing up for the series premiere of Paramount+’s new thriller series, Rabbit Hole, some of the cast sat down to chat with Collider’s Steve Weintraub about the show. Succession’s Rob Yang, who plays Edward Homm, Enid Graham (Mare of Easttown) who plays FBI agent Josephine “Jo” Madi, and Walt Klink (Arctic Circle) who plays The Intern, discussed working on the series alongside lead Kiefer Sutherland.

From the duo behind Bad Santa, showrunners Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, Rabbit Hole, follows John Weir (Sutherland), an expert in manipulation, who deals specifically in corporate espionage and aiding companies in muddying the reputations of their competitors. When the target of one of Weir’s gigs winds up murdered, he finds himself at the center of a struggle to preserve democracy, and mysterious, string-pulling powers frame him for the crime. In the fight for his innocence, Weir must take on an invisible enemy that is, essentially, everywhere.
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During their interview, which you can watch above or read below, the trio shares just how much of the scripts were revealed to them ahead of time, gives us a rundown of this “action-packed” thriller, and talks about the incredible production design. They also discuss how closely Rabbit Hole reflects our reality today (which is why one of them hides their money in the woods) and what it was like to work with Sutherland after his extended television reign on Fox’s hit series 24.

COLLIDER: I’ve seen four of the eight episodes. I’m very curious where this is going to go. One of the things I enjoy is when I can’t predict where things are going to go, and one of the things about this show is you really don’t know whose side who is on. So how much were you told when you signed on about your full arc, and how much were you actually finding out script by script?

ENID GRAHAM: I think we had like a chunk of scripts that we had to begin with. I forget exactly how many. But then after that they would, they would travel out as we went, and we then did have to wait for quite a long time to read the final episode and to see the resolution. So, I think we knew, at least speaking for myself, everything that I needed to know about the character to approach each episode without knowing all the turns along the way.

Image via Paramount+

What about you guys?

ROB YANG: Yeah, I mean, I didn’t know anything. [Laughs] It’s what the character is, too, to not know what’s going to happen. It was more of just who you work with. Like for me, looking at the show, I wanted to work with the people in the show. So I didn’t demand to know what’s going to happen to Edward.

WALT KLINK: Same here, man. I just thought it was an interesting character. I was just lucky to be able to play in it, you know?

No, completely.

YANG: I just assumed bad stuff would happen to my character, you know? Just make him really uncomfortable.

I am curious, how have you been describing the show to your friends and family?

GRAHAM: It’s all about this FBI agent… [laughs] It centers on Jo Madi. It’s a thriller, it’s action-packed, it’s smart and funny and there are great characters. I describe it as something that you gotta pay close attention, pick up all the hints, and it’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.

YANG: I always tell friends and family, “Don’t watch it because of me, it’s like a good show,” and it is. When I read the script the first time you ripped through it and I want to know what happens next. I saw the cut of the first four episodes, I wanted to keep on watching it and I know what happens. But do I?

KLINK: I don’t think I’ve actually explained the show to my friends? That was the question, right?

Yeah, totally.

KLINK: Yeah, yeah, they were all just like, “Cool, you’re going to Canada to shoot something,” but I don’t think I’ve ever told them about the show.

Image via Paramount+

Let me ask you a different thing. This series is about private espionage. How much do you think of what’s being depicted in the series is actually happening in the real world?

KLINK: I think, honestly, a lot. I think some of the big concepts are definitely the same, but they are put in different words, right? Something like that.

YANG: Yeah, I think there’s plenty of– more than one would want to know, I think. Or if you want to know, it’s just kind of disheartening. Especially someone like myself that identifies with the “sheeple,” as they call it. I don’t like being manipulated. I like what they’re presenting on these apps, like, “Oh, I really like that sweatshirt.” You know? They’re doing it well.

GRAHAM: Next 14 ads are the sweatshirt.

Yeah, I think the main thing is that we’re all being manipulated without realizing it by what is being presented to us. It’s scary but I think it’s true.

YANG: Yeah, I think it’s always been happening, probably.

GRAHAM: But I think it’s much more sophisticated now, like with the data collection and computers, and the interconnectedness of the world. It’s so sophisticated, the information that they can have about you, and, yeah, it’s very daunting to think about, and it kind of makes you want to go out into the woods and put your phone in a lead box or something.

I think that if you use a credit card you’re effed.

KLINK: I don’t have a credit card, actually.

You’re copying Kiefer’s character.

GRAHAM: Oh, that’s right.

KLINK: Well, no, that’s because I’m European, right, and we don’t have credit cards.

GRAHAM: You don’t have credit cards?

YANG: He just has a hard cash.

Image via Paramount+

[Laughs] Exactly.

KLINK: We hide all our money in the woods.

For soon-to-be fans of the series, what do you think they would be surprised to learn about the actual making of the show?

YANG: Actual making of the show? Well, I mean, I’m still always blown away when I see things that are supposed to take place in, like, say New York, and it’s not.

GRAHAM: Yeah, it was really fun to see the New York substitution. It’s a pretty good one, I live in New York.

YANG: I mean, it’s incredible. It’s like, “Oh, that subway stop doesn’t go anywhere.”

GRAHAM: You know, our subway stops on the streets of Toronto.

I actually wondered that when I saw that. I’m like, “I know this isn’t New York, but this does look very much like they’re in New York. Good production design.”

GRAHAM: Yeah, I agree. I think that successfully looks like New York, for sure.

Image via Paramount+

Nowadays, there’s a lot of television and a lot of options, and I’m curious for people that will be watching this interview, what do you want to tell people about why they should watch this show over, say, something else?

GRAHAM: Well, it’s a fun ride and an exciting show, but it’s also a smart show. So if you like to watch something where you have to be engaged and pay attention, and you can pick up on the hints, and you can come up with theories, but then know your theories will be thrown out of the window, and come up with new theories. If you’re into that kind of engagement with the show, then I think this is a show for you.

Kiefer is someone who I have grown up watching. I’m a big fan, he’s also a super nice guy. So, for all three of you, can you talk about working with him and maybe what surprised you about working with Kiefer?

KLINK: We said earlier that he’s a rockstar.

Image via Paramount+

Legit, he really is though.

YANG: Figuratively and literally a rockstar.

KLINK: [To Yang] I remember you said to me one of the first day’s shooting he came up to you, or something, and you’re like, “Wow, he’s a rockstar.” Can’t you remember?

YANG: I say so many things. He’s just incredibly generous, and he really is there for fellow actors. You know, a lot of times you’re on set you don’t really hear any feedback or anything, but he was just like extremely generous about saying, “Hey,” you know, going out of his way saying that, “You rock, that was great.” Things you don’t have to do, but as you know, when it happens it’s really appreciated.

GRAHAM: For sure, very generous, and if you’re going to do this kind of thriller, action show and you get to do with Kiefer, I mean, it’s like working with the master of this type of this genre. And so I think we all felt really lucky to be on the set with him.

Rabbit Hole is now streaming on Paramount+.