From playing a roller-skating robot in her childhood theatre days to taking on emotionally layered roles on stage and screen, Mary Malone has always embraced versatility. As Aqua in Netflix’s Missing You, Mary brings a quiet strength to her character, navigating themes of friendship, loyalty, and identity. In our interview, Mary reflects on her journey as a “chameleon-like” performer, the unique challenges of portraying Aqua, and how her experiences—from playing a feral teenager in Fangirls to exploring vulnerability in Hope Has a Happy Meal—have shaped her craft. We delve into the nuances of her work, the impact of her trans identity on her roles, and the camaraderie shared with the star-studded ensemble cast.
SD – Mary, you play Aqua in Netflix’s MISSING YOU, but you’ve also had some exciting roles recently, including your appearance in the Christmas episode of *DOCTOR WHO* and starring in the UK’s first production of *FANGIRLS*. How do you approach switching between such different characters and genres?
MM – You know what, I’ve always been like this. Even as a kid doing am-dram productions I’d switch from playing the grumpy innkeeper to a roller-skating robot, from Shakespeare to High School Musical. I’ve always been a bit of a chameleon like that… maybe cos I’m a Gemini. But I also think there’s something about growing up queer that makes you a master at transformation & versatility, it’s almost like a survival mechanism. I remember at drama school the teachers would often not know where to place me, I ended up playing the crazy side characters, I played a pretty impressive goat once in my third-year show, more on that another time! And I even remember my head of year telling me in our end of term review ‘we just don’t know what to do with you, so just do your own thing I guess’. All this to say, I’ve always had to fit different boxes to find work and be flexible to whatever role is available to me. It’s built me up to be quite a mercurial performer I suppose. And honestly, I love to do it all, it makes this job more fun. I wouldn’t want to do one type of thing forever, I want to do it all.
SD – In *MISSING YOU*, Aqua is a supportive friend to Kat Donovan, helping her navigate a tense and mysterious situation. How do you find balance when portraying such a grounded character amidst the chaos and intrigue of the show’s plot?
MM – Well, grounding myself is generally an important ritual for me as an actor, given how chaotic things can be once you step onto set. It’s a sensory overload. I ground myself by remembering who I am, and all that I’ve achieved already. I think of the people who love me whether my acting is good or bad, and I remember how my life is so much bigger than just this one moment. It can be hard to think like this given the pressure of this type of work, how sparse the opportunities can be, and how important acting is to me, but by grounding myself I am able to access more confidence & freedom on set, which always means I’m going to do my best work.
So that’s how I found my zen to play Aqua! But actually, there’s so much more going on for her than meets the eye… She comes across as a very grounded individual to start, but her world is totally shaken up when Kat begins to investigate her past. I think Aqua uses her calm & gentle energy as a mask to keep herself safe, but eventually the truth begins to bubble over. It was challenging to balance Aquas need for control vs the uncontrollable memory of her trauma. Books like ‘the body keeps a score’ came to mind when shaping Aqua & helped me to understand the nuances of her story.
SD – You’ve worked on a variety of projects, from HOPE HAS A HAPPY MEAL at the Royal Court to THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE on Starz. How do you find each role challenges you differently, and what has been your favourite role to play so far?
MM – Yes, I’m so grateful to have worked on both stage and screen projects, and I learnt a lot from these different experiences.
I was lucky enough to train in acting and contemporary theatre, so I’ve got a lot of stage & devising experience under my belt. Theatre really teaches you to be in the moment & prepared for anything, and it can be super intimate too. I love having that connection to a live audience & responding to them in the moment. I had a great time working at the Royal Court, I loved my part Isla, & I adored the cast.
As for screen work, I’ve learnt a lot on the job to be honest. I found it a real challenge at first because it’s a totally different beast. It’s not necessarily ‘smaller’ like everyone says, but it’s a lot stiller, and you don’t always have the luxury of rehearsal or the ability to ride the entire arc of a play, you sort of jump right in. But I love how real screen work can feel. I was able to get lost in the scenes of Missing You, which was a real high, it’s an amazing feeling.
And then there’s musical theatre, which was something I’d never done professionally before, so I was totally thrown in the deep end. I learnt a lot about stamina, precision, but also about self-confidence and how that can take you a long way! Playing Jules in Fangirls has got to be the most fun I’ve had on stage; it was totally feral & felt a playground every night.
SD – Aqua’s role in MISSING YOU sees her standing by Kat during a pivotal moment in the investigation. As an actor, how did you prepare to portray the loyalty and emotional depth required for such a role?
MM – Well, it was easy to feel connected to Ros when shooting with her. I felt like we were always on the same page and she’s generally such a lush person to be around which makes it easy to play her longtime friend. It was important to both of us that our characters’ relationship felt real and specific. By fleshing out their past, what they’ve been through together & what their dynamic is, I think we were then able to play the scenes with depth and detail. Before scenes I would often think about what Aqua wanted out of Kat, & then about everything she could lose if Kat were to find out her secrets. I think these two realities are constantly flickering through Aqua’s eyes during the series.
SD – How did your experiences in the world of theatre, especially in the highly acclaimed production of FANGIRLS, influence your portrayal of Aqua in MISSING YOU? Were there any crossovers in terms of the emotional intensity or character development?
MM – When I was in Hope Has a Happy Meal at the court, I got to play a role with similar emotional intensity to Aqua, which was definitely a useful experience going into Missing You. As for my role in Fangirls, I’d say the parts were super different, I mean I was playing an Australian teenage girl wannabe Regina George vs a complex & protective yoga teacher with a tragic past… but when I think about it more, I suppose there are more similarities than I thought. Jules in Fangirls comes across as a mean girl caricature at first but as the show goes on, we fall in love with her hidden vulnerability. Aqua & Jules have performative qualities about them both, and both fear being abandoned by the people they love. So, hey I guess there is some crossover there! It’s funny because the shooting schedule for Missing You & the rehearsal schedule for Fangirls did overlap! It’s kind of funny to think I was going from high drama Harlan Coben to intense choreography with THE Ebony Williams. Yes, I was exhausted!
SD – The show is filled with suspense and mystery, but Aqua seems to bring a sense of calm and support to Kat. Can you tell us about any key moments between the two characters that you’re particularly proud of?
MM – I’d say the scene I was most proud of was actually one of the more stressful scenes for Aqua. If you haven’t watched the series yet, then spoiler alert! But there’s a moment where Aqua is being interrogated by Kat in an interview room. It’s probably her emotional peak of the whole series. I was really nervous about it but watching it back I feel proud of the work we did.
SD – As a trans actress, you’ve often brought a unique perspective to your roles. How does your personal journey inform the characters you portray, particularly in roles like Aqua, where friendship, loyalty, and identity play significant parts?
MM – Sometimes my transness really has nothing to do with the roles I play, and to be honest I hope it becomes less important as my career progresses. But I am of course incredibly proud to be a trans actress and to help represent trans characters better in TV. Since Aqua was a trans specific part (although her identity was never the centre of the narrative), I of course brought my experience as a real trans woman living in the world to the role.
I was able to show trans women as people who are part of our lives & existing in the world. Trans women as our best friends, and as part of a sisterhood. I was able to provide the nuances of being in different spaces as a trans woman, for example being in a prison environment would have been particularly unsafe for someone like Aqua. I was also able to understand how Aqua becomes a mirror for other characters projection, who they wish they could be, longing for her freedom, but also fearing her unapologetic authenticity. And lastly, to consider how certain narratives affect trans people, for example we had to be really sensitive around stunt scenes and I always did my best to take care of Aqua and in turn trans audiences.
SD – With such a talented cast including Rosalind Eleazar, Ashley Walters, and Sir Lenny Henry, how did working with them influence your portrayal of Aqua, and what did you learn from the ensemble dynamic that you took into your own performance?
MM – Well, it’s not easy to step onto set with such huge stars! How intimidating! But everyone was so genuinely kind, warm hearted and nurturing. Rosalind was so down to earth and I’m so grateful she has come into my life, she’s everything. Jess is hilarious, and I’d often end up in tears of laughter shooting with her. Ashley was really playful and motivated me to improvise with him, it was really refreshing doing scenes with him. And of course, working with Lenny was iconic and I feel so proud of our work together, I think we created something genuinely powerful. And of course, Cyril Nri is one of my favourite actors, so I was starstruck to see him on set. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better cast, it was a dream.
