The Amazon Prime television series Fallout has already proven to be a massive success, but the party is far from over. The streaming giant recently revealed that a second season for the show has been ordered, which means our questions from the first season will hopefully get answers.
Although much can be said about the production of this incredible show, from exceptional props to top-tier cinematography, there is nothing like a good villain. In fact, without that antagonistic edge that drives the greatest heroes in film history, we would be at a great loss. And there is something to be said for an enemy who is not just evil incarnate, but one who makes decisions based on a questionable sense of morality, where the death of innocent lives is an end that justifies the means.
Enter Sarita Choudhury’s character, Lee Moldaver, one of the primary antagonists in the Fallout series. She is more than just a fighter, she is a leader, a scholar, a realist, and surprisingly spry for being over 200 years old. She is motivated by her goals, even if a few unsuspecting vault dwellers pay the consequences.
Choudhury does a sensational job in the role, and since the show’s premiere, I had the opportunity to talk with her all about it. Her filmography proves her talents as an actress and we also discussed when a character starts to feel right to her. She has a clear appreciation for her work and it was a great joy to hear about her experience in this role.
Sarita Choudhury Steps into the Role of Fallout’s Big Bad
Hi Sarita, thank you for speaking with FandomWire. Can you tell me a bit about the role of Lee Moldaver and your experience filming Fallout?
Moldaver, I don’t even know how to describe her, because she’s more in the eye of the beholder. You know the fact there’s a cult worship around her, she’s a leader. I played her as a scientist who’s very knowledgeable, who after the bomb, it’s almost like she doesn’t have a choice.
I think she becomes a leader and with that takes on these missions with a private mission of also getting back the cold fusion to help her people. So I find her an interesting person because I don’t think she saw each stage before it happened.
When we first encounter Moldaver, she is set up as a villain, but by the end, it’s somewhat lessened by her motivations. How do you adequately portray a character who is so morally conflicted?
So in a way, morally, I think almost like instead of playing morally conflicted…I think when we do things in life we do it with the morals we have at that time. And I think like episode one this is after 200 years. I don’t know what she must have gone through to finally break into the vaults and then redeem herself and get the cold fusion to do everything she has to do.
So I think it’s a world beyond morals. Even the show the way there’s a violent scene and then the music comes on and you’re just given this reprieve for a moment, I think that’s how I see her. She’s a warrior that after 200 years I almost can’t put the language of my own morals as Sarita on her and so I was just using the script.
There still seems to be quite a bit of mystery surrounding Moldaver from surviving for over 200 years to being worshiped like a god in Vault 4. Do you believe we have reached the end of her story, or could a second season delve further into her past?
I think if there is a second season, I would love to see what happens in her journey in the wasteland and how she survived it and how she survived that long. I’d love that to be seen.
Based on your role in The Hunger Games series, this isn’t the first time you’ve played an antagonist in a dystopian reality. Did you take any inspiration from characters you’ve previously portrayed?
You know I didn’t, but I think after you do enough filming in your life it enters your body which is such a nice feeling. Because when you start off acting it’s so hard because you almost know that people know you haven’t done this long enough. So the more you accumulate the more you kind of have it in you.
But Moldaver I’d never played anything that has both warrior and kind of scientific brain. I’ve just never done that. So I couldn’t really draw on that much. And also this world doesn’t exist except in the games because it’s the future. So what’s fun about that is you can kind of invent a little for yourself. Like no one’s going to be like “Well people don’t do that” like maybe they do.
Were you familiar with Fallout before taking on the role of Moldaver?
I was not at all, but my whole family, especially all the cousins and nephews they said I’m now popular. Which I wasn’t before. That’s all I know. So I trusted them but no the minute I signed on to do this and told people that’s when I started…I felt kind of ignorant because so many people, even people I didn’t think played games, knew about it.
Was there any particular point in the filming or a certain scene where you just really felt that you had the character down and things were clicking?
That scene with Cooper, and we have a long talk scene in the church kind of basement. I felt like I could have gone on with that scene for hours. It was like this verbal tennis match that didn’t want to end. And he’s such a great actor.
Would you say that you had the best on-screen connection with Walton Goggins?
Well in the sense that I feel like we both…he’s on this mission and is so powerful but like strange. And Moldaver is you don’t really know who she is. I feel in that sense there’s something about them meeting that I like. I also think Walton is amazing, but I also did love working with Ella and Kyle at the end, that was super interesting and fascinating.
You can watch Sarita Choudhury on the Fallout TV series, which is now streaming its first season on Amazon Prime. And don’t forget to check out our other interviews in gaming and entertainment!
