Envisioning a New Type of Anti-Hero: An Interview with Carla Gugino, Star of JETT

JETT is Cinemax’s latest crime series that focuses on the titular protagonist, Daisy “Jett” Kowalski. Jett is played by Carla Gugino (who also serves as an executive producer for the show). It is a fun, fast-paced, noir series that examines Jett as she manages her criminal life and personal life while dealing with a wide host of supporting characters. We had a chance to talk to the leading lady herself in preparation for the show’s premiere on June 14. Black Nerd Problems: Sebastian Gutierrez is one of your frequent collaborators. What’s it like working with someone you have such a long history with on this new series? Carla Gugino: He is meticulous and just a perfectionist. That is always key for me. He takes a lot of care in terms of the specificity of things. In this particular case, when I got JETT, he decided to write the script, all nine episodes on spec (for free) so that the entire season was mapped out. As an actor, it’s such an usual situation to be in where you can see exactly where your character is going. That’s always a joy to read the material. But then there’s the fact that we’ve collaborated for a long time. It gives a level of trust that you can’t build without that history. It makes it really fun to work together because I get to do my thing and he gets to do his, and we’re able to be on set together and work side by side.

BNP: We last saw you in Netflix’s Gerald’s Game and The Haunting of Hill House, very different genres from JETT. What was the shift lik…