Posted in: Netflix, Showtime, TV | Tagged: The L-Word: Generation Q, The Night Agent

The Night Agent: Mandi on Co-Stars, Representation, "L Word: Gen Q"

The Night Agent star Arienne Mandi spoke with us about hanging out with her co-stars, representation, and fondest 'L Word' memories.

Arienne Mandi has a lot to celebrate, not long removed from her decade anniversary on-screen since her debut in 2014 in the TV series Matador for El Rey. She's since garnered prominence on TV, appearing on such hit shows like CBS's NCIS, NCIS: LA, and Hawaii Five-0 before landing her big break on Showtime's The L Word: Generation Q as Dani Nùñez, appearing in all 28 episodes. Her latest provided the rare opportunity to tap into her Iranian roots as Noor Taheri, a junior aide to the Iranian Mission at the United Nations in New York in the Shawn Ryan action series The Night Agent for its second season, joining the cast alongside mainstays Gabriel Basso and Luciane Buchanan.

The events of season two ups the stakes globally as Noor, who works for the Iranian Ambassador to the UN Abbas Mansuri (Navid Negahban), attempts to seek asylum by cooperating with the FBI, crossing paths with Peter (Basso) and Rose (Buchanan). Mandi spoke to Bleeding Cool about which castmates she bonded with, how she feels Hollywood is with representation as a multi-ethnic actor, and the lasting bonds she's made from the Showtime series.

The Night Agent Star Arienne Mandi on Bonding with Her Co-Stars Negahban and Buchanan & 'The L Word: Generation Q' Legacy

Bleeding Cool: What was it like working with Gabriel, Luciane, Kiarash [Amani], Anousha, and your other co-stars I missed? Do you hang out with anyone in particular on set?

Truthfully, I found a wonderful relationship with one of my costars, his name is Navid Negahban, he plays Abbas Mansuri, the ambassador of the Iranian mission in New York in the story. We had some great scenes together I'm proud of. He was so wonderful working opposite because he's been doing this for so long. He's got such an impressive list of credits and has become a dear friend. He and his wife became dear friends during the whole process and, even after the show, gained a great friend out of it.

Also, Luciane was wonderful. She's such a light on set, and she's like always laughing, and cracking jokes. Never a dull moment, especially since it's an intense show and suspenseful. That's the tone of what we're shooting, and even on and off-camera, we were always laughing. We'd be shooting scenes that seemed like 3:00 in the morning, and we couldn't keep our shit together because we were cracking up. It was great all around, and everyone was wonderful.

Aside from when you shot for 'The Night Agent,' industrywide, how do you feel about Hollywood perceptions and cultural depictions as far as positive representation? Do you feel things are going a step forward if you're seeing less stereotypical or cliched-type depictions or if it's a 50/50 thing? How do you feel we're at?

In general, we're paving the way for many voices to be seen on screen, many types of people of different ethnicities, which is awesome. We still have a long way to go, but I'm proud since I am of Iranian, Hispanic, and Korean descent. I'm mixed. Getting to see stories about the Hispanic culture as well as the Middle Eastern cultures, now more than ever, there are nuanced characters and multifaceted characters, and people don't fall into being pigeonholed as villains, let's say that they're Middle Eastern. There are more multi-dimensional characters on screen, so I look forward to seeing what the future holds. I think we're in a good place right now.

I want to shift to another series you're in you've built such a legacy on, what was your fondest memory of during your run on 'The L Word: Generation Q?'

My fondest memory on 'The L Word: Generation Q'…honestly, getting to learn from the pros like Jennifer Beals. She was so complimentary and has such an impressive resume; she has been doing this for so long. She was such a light in my time there and guided me along the way. Also, my friends on set who were part of 'Gen Q' like Rosanny Zayas and Jacqueline Toboni, still dear friends of mine to this day, and I was hanging out on the porches of our trailers during breaks. It will always hold a special place in my heart.

Both seasons of The Night Agent are available to stream on Netflix, with season three underway. The L Word: Generation Q is available on digital. You can check out part one of our interview.

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