I spoke to Corneliussen about this turn of events, Joanna’s motivations and feelings – including for her newborn baby – and why she’s excited about what’s to come this season.
We also discussed her two-episode stint on Legends of Tomorrow last season as Valentina Vostok -- who briefly took on Firestorm's powers -- and whether we could see her character return.IGN: So it was a big episode this week… You had someone killed!
Stephanie Corneliussen: That happens! But you have to give Joanna... She was pretty patient with this guy. I thought she was pretty patient. It was to the point where Mr. Sutherland was like, “Okay, well let’s get done with this guy.” And I feel like she explored a lot of options before she ultimately went with the decision to have him killed. But also respected his death in some sense.
IGN: It’s crossing a line we haven’t seen her cross before, but amongst all the characters on the show, it’s not the most shocking she would do this. But you always wonder with her, what is her line, since she’s so extreme in so many ways.
Corneliussen: The interesting thing to note about it is that she is making the executive decision but she is actually physically not touching it. I think that speaks volumes to who Joanna is. She pulls the strings and I think she’s willing to go just about anywhere. And that goes for her search for Tyrell as well. She will not stop until she finds out what’s happening.
IGN: We saw her crying on a recent episode, which is more vulnerable than we’re used to.
Corneliussen: Well, I live with Joanna so I know that when she had her baby, that was a huge, emotional thing for her, whether or not it was shown on Mr. Robot or not. When the cameras aren’t rolling and we’re still in the process of filming, we’re living with these characters. I went through the emotions of her having the baby. She’s so one way or another when it comes to Tyrell. She’s like a praying mantis. She has the baby and she’s like “Get out” and then she’s like “Hey, come back, where are you?” But we do see her vulnerable.
I’d like to apply a quote from Sun Tzu in The Art of War, which goes along the lines of “When you are strong, appear weak. When you are weak, appear strong.” I think that applies. I think that of course she’s missing her husband and she’s completely new to the situation. Her money is gone and she needs to figure out what she’s doing. But I think we should always remember that Joanna has a plan. IGN: Now that we’ve seen this week’s episode, do you think there’s no line too far for her? I don’t think she’d put her baby or someone else she loved in harm's way, but as far as accomplishing her goals, is everything else on the table?
Corneliussen: One thing I can say, with certainty is that she would never, ever, ever harm the baby. People have been asking me “Where is the baby while Joanna is off with this new beau that she has?” And I mean, it’s been about thirty days at this point. She is not going to bring her child around someone she’s only known for thirty days. He’s going to be in a safe environment. He is her number one [priority]. With everything and everyone else I think Joanna will do whatever it takes to reach her objective and what it is she wants.
IGN: I’m sure you’ve thought about it yourself, but have you talked to Sam [Esmail] at all about the backstory on her and Tyrell, how they first got together and found they were kindred spirits?
Corneliussen: I talked to someone and was like, “What are the chances we can get a miniseries on Tyrell and Joanna the early years?” I thought that would be a fun idea. That’s not something that’s been talked about yet. We do find out a lot about where Joanna comes from later on in the show and we find out stuff about her and Tyrell’s relationship that we didn’t know. That’s actually a great thing. I can’t wait for you to see it.
Continue on as Corneliussen discusses fan reaction to Joanna, which character she’d like to see her team with, and her stint on Legends of Tomorrow.IGN: In Season 1, most of your scenes were with Martin [Wallström]. Obviously now he’s off camera…
Corneliussen: I miss Martin. I miss him while we weren’t filming and I just miss him in general because he is just an amazing talented guy and he’s one of the best scene partners ever. I have never seen any actor go so far out of his way to make someone else comfortable. He’s truly a gem to work with and so far, the only interaction we’ve seen between Tyrell and Joanna is Elliot’s dream of him visiting Tyrell and Joanna and their child and having this last supper kind of situation. As soon as Martin stepped on set I was just so, so happy.
IGN: I imagine that must have been a funny day in general shooting Elliot's imagined dinner, because this is a show with a big cast that doesn’t often work together.
Corneliussen: It was so much fun. I think it’s fun to be able to have male scene partners only, where I’m not playing second fiddle. I’m not “the love interest” - even though I am. Joanna is leading those scenes or is at least equal in those scenes. Let’s be honest, that has been a concern in Hollywood, the depiction of women in movies and television. To be in an era and to be part of a show, part of a time, where I can be the James Bond in those scenes, it’s incredible. It feels like an accomplishment. IGN: How gratifying was it for you to see fans responding to the character in the first season, and the relationship between her and Tyrell?
Corneliussen: The dynamic between them is brilliant, but the individual way they're received is amazing. People love Tyrell and people fell in love with Joanna. I certainly didn’t expect her to be a fan favorite. I said this before, she’s a villain of sorts. But she’s a really interesting -- she’s a real person. People are like “Oh my god, she’s so crazy,” but she’s a very real person with layers and so many different names and hats that she wears. She’s a mother, she’s a wife, she’s a woman and an alpha male caught in a woman’s body. I think it’s fun that Sam likes to have me in two shots sometimes where he shows my height -- I am 5’11. I think he likes that physically she’s an alpha as well. You’re not just going to go over there and grab her. There’s just too much body!
IGN: I think many viewers, instead of hating her as a villain, are fascinated by her. You want to know more about her.
Corneliussen: She is really mysterious. And like I said before, jokingly, it can be quality over quantity [in terms of screen time]. But I think that Joanna should remain mysterious to some degree. I like that about her. I don’t want too much of her. The mystery lies within.
IGN: Are there characters you’re hoping to see her cross paths with down the line?
Corneliussen: I keep pushing that I just want… You see so much of Angela's development in the second season. You see she’s changing and all these things are happening for her. I would love for her to come into Joanna’s fold. I would love to see that. I see those two sitting somewhere, drinking chardonnay and scheming and plotting.
IGN: I know you have to keep your secrets on this show but in the episodes to come, are you excited for people to see what’s next?
Corneliussen: Yes, and I’m so excited for people to see the very last episode of the season! To the point where I can’t really wait and I really don’t know if I can contain myself. IGN: Meanwhile, It was fun seeing you get to go full supervillain on Legends of Tomorrow earlier this year.
Corneliussen: That was super fun. It was very fun for multiple reasons. I had just got done with Mr. Robot, which is very contemporary, very real, but also a very dark show. Going from Joanna, who is a very complex, very layered person that Sam let’s me discover so much about on my own, and having to have this very full on thought process about this character and the complexity and yadda yadda... Going to play a supe villain, who is already carved out and who is fairly easy to portray because I have all the answers -- I can Google the answers! -- was so much fun. We never saw Valentina become Negative Woman. So that’s to come, I guess. We only saw her getting close to and you know what happens when things blow into particles, they can become neither positive or negative. So let’s see what happens.
IGN: Suffice to say you’d be excited to take on that team again?
Corneliussen: I would definitely do it if the opportunity comes up. Obviously I’m engaged with Mr. Robot now as a series regular and with other projects but I would not say no to doing that, especially also to give the fans Negative Woman.
Mr. Robot airs Wednesdays on USA.Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter at @TheEricGoldman, IGN at ericgoldman-ign and Facebook at Facebook.com/TheEricGoldman.