Between binge-watching The Crown and all new music from Meg The Stallion, lockdown 2.0 hasn’t been too bad, but in case you need something new to dive into, Sky Atlantic’s Riviera is a must. Following the lives of the glamorous elite, the show navigates the secretive world of the French Riviera with newcomer Georgina Ryland (Julia Stiles) at the forefront of the madness. After an explosive two seasons, the show has returned, following Ryland as she ventures to the exotic Argentina coast to start a new life, leaving behind all the emotional damage from the Riviera.

“Experiencing the wonderful city was definitely my favourite part of filming this season,” newcomer Synnove Lund says. “Together with crew and cast, and the fantastic Argentinian actors we got to work with there. the production all in all has been an adventure, just like any experience of Riviera should be. I have never missed a production family more.”

Having made her debut in the Netflix supernatural series Ragnarok in Norway, the actor ventured to the sunny coast to play the fiercely intelligent Alex Harwood who is consistently at odds with Georgina. With the new season airing now, we caught up with the newcomer talking Alex and Georgina’s relationship, filming in Argentina and adapting the Saint Tropez mentality.

Check out the interview below…

Hi Synnove. How have you been? How has lockdown been for you?
All good, missing the UK though. Leaving last minute from Buenos Aires, back in Oslo the 10th of March, two days before the World shut down, was certainly a journey from exotic heaven to an isolated hell. But, I am used to quiet, charging periods in between shoots, so I actually appreciated the extra, intimate time with my kids at home.

How did your role in Riviera come about?
I was asked to self-tape for the series via my agent Saskia Mulder in The Artists Partnership in London. I instantly felt that the character Alexandra Harewood, the mighty tech giant; kind of a Bond-like villain, would be great to dive into and was, of course, thrilled beyond belief when I got the part.

You play the fiercely intelligent Alex Harewood, who is very ambitions and driven. How did you approach this role?
Quite naturally, I must admit. Getting into my forties I’m finally released from the former typecast where I was asked to play the beautiful woman’s obvious love interest. Alex Harewood is exactly the kind of strong, complex and mysterious woman I long to play. It’s so much more fun to be honest!

The relationship between Alex and Georgina sparks a rivalry between the two, do you see these two ever being friends or come together?
Alex and Georgina may seem far apart, but I think they share much of the same core when it comes to the effort of staying on top of things, their defence mechanisms, strengths and weaknesses are really not that different; which I find stresses one of the most interesting moral questions in this season: How far are you willing to go to succeed?

What was your favourite part about filming?
No doubt experiencing the wonderful city, Buenos Aires, together with crew and Cast, and the fantastic Argentinian actors we got to work with there. The production all in all has been an adventure, just like any experience of Riviera should be. I have never missed a production family more.

Did you face any challenges?
Having grown up on the stormy, hardcore west coast of Norway I sometimes had a tough time understanding the mentality in Saint Tropez. But it also fascinated me. A kind of ‘hatred of love’.

What’s next for you?/ What are you most excited for?
I am currently shooting the second season of the Netflix series Ragnarok nn the rainy west coast of Norway… So now, of course, I couldn’t miss the Cote d’Azur more! Which I also think will be a valuable experience for viewers of Riviera, to travel again, to be able to escape into a thrilling world where anything can happen.