HANNAH GROSS

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Netflix’s intensely analytical show Mindhunter is a departure from the typical crime drama. Rather than depicting the grisly crimes themselves, it focuses instead on the motives and mind frames behind them. The show centers around FBI agent Holden Ford, played by Jonathan Groff, who attempts to tap into the minds of serial killers so that the cops can stay ahead of potential murder sprees. Exploring the twisted, tactical psyche of sociopaths obviously has heady implications, but Holden’s girlfriend Debbie Mitford, a 24-year-old graduate student played by Hannah Gross, punctuates the plot’s intensity with wit and humor and helps personalize the pedantic Holden while offering her own insight to his research.

In addition to keeping him on his toes, Debbie also serves as the antithesis of the people Groff’s character spends his days with. Though her sharpness is comparable to the killers’, her more human approach to psychology clashes with their unfeeling air. This difference pays off in later episodes of the first season, when the emotional intensity of his interviews with the murderers begins the affect Holden’s whole life.

Though Debbie and Gross differ greatly, the Canadian actress professes that it’s fun to play someone so “assertive”—in fact, she finds it easy to emulate almost every character she comes across. “Maybe it’s just being a really malleable human in reality,” she says, “but every character I get, or even read for, I’m like, ‘Oh yes, this is something I can connect to immediately—I am this person.'”

The 25-year-old Gross has a refreshing and pleasant point-of-view when it comes to acting, explaining that almost every set she’s worked on, from lower-budget short films to her recent Netflix project, is “a total treat.” Though she spent a lot of time on sets growing up with her actor parents Paul Gross and Martha Burns, she was shy and suffered from stage fright, but her love for performing eventually grew and became an outlet for her to be more expressive than she could be in her daily life. She also sought it out as a means to explore other eras. “The main reason I wanted to be in films as a kid was because of the time travel,” she says. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I want to know what it’s like to live in the Elizabethan age,’ so the only way to do that is to be an actor.” She went on to study at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in their Experimental Theatre Wing, and has appeared in a number of independent films since—including Nathan Silver’s dark comedy Stinking Heaven, Alan Gilsenan’s film adaptation of the novel Unless, and last year’s Marjorie Prime alongside Jon Hamm—but Mindhunter is her largest project yet and presented her with the opportunity to work with director David Fincher.

Fincher, who is acclaimed for his work on films like Fight Club and Zodiac, is also known for his meticulous direction, which can result in long days on set perfecting even the smallest glances and gestures. Plenty of actors have recounted the grueling days adjusting every aspect of a scene to his liking—but Gross welcomed the process, arguing that is was really revelatory: “He just allows you to put total trust in him because he knows exactly what he wants on every level.”

A testament to both Fincher’s direction and the actors’ abilities, the show’s intrigue comes primarily from the characters’ interactions surrounding some truly heinous crimes, but not necessarily the crimes themselves. The hortative nature of Holden, the observations of Debbie, and the psychotically serene disposition of Cameron Britton, who depicts the murderous necrophiliac Edmund Kemper, help make the show truly haunting. Inflection means everything in a show that is made up almost entirely of seated conversations and Fincher made sure that every aspect that surrounded them had intention behind it. When Holden interviews his subjects, every word leaves you wondering how the murderous prisoners will respond. These nuances are also present in his and Debbie’s relationship—though the two are atypical lovebirds, their synergy creates a relatable romance, even though it’s being fostered around a lot of murder and intrigue. “I think people are so surprised by it,” explains Gross, alluding to the less overt nature of the show. “It’s not gratuitous and doesn’t provide the sick satisfaction of watching horrible shit.”

Her interest in crime as a genre also added to the experience. When it comes to shows to stream online, she says that murder-centered series are the most binge-worthy. Scandinavian detective dramas have piqued her interest as of late, including The Killing and Hans Rosenfeldt’s The Bridge.

As for future projects, she has already wrapped another thriller due out this year. Fat Tuesday takes place during Mardi Gras with Gross as the film’s mysterious lead who preys on partiers looking to take on the French Quarter. Continuing her tendency toward intense subject matter, she also finished a new project called The Mountain, which depicts the life of Dr. Walter Freeman, who popularized the transorbital lobotomy. “It’s very bleak, but I think it’s a very necessary and timely commentary on the American psyche and how it sort of shifted and solidified post-WWII in the Fifties,” she says. Filming for the second season of Mindhunter is set to begin later this year as well, with Gross due to return as Debbie.

With this run of work, it’s clear that Gross has no fear of taking on some pretty sinister projects, along with the emotional and mental dedication they require. She’s made her name throwing herself into these dark roles, but her fervor for her craft should carry over into every role she accepts.

Mindhunter is now streaming on Netflix.