In Flight: Q&A with Katherine Kelly who plays Jo Conran
Category: Press PackWhat is In Flight to you?
In Flight is a thriller, an unapologetic thriller. It feels like I jump on a train that's already going 100 miles an hour and I don't get off until the end of episode six.
One of the most exciting things about In Flight is that it’s very plot-driven but it's not at the cost of characters. Sometimes you find scripts weighs in favour of one more than the other, but this certainly feels like it holds both in equal weight.
Where does In Flight take place?
We filmed in Belfast, with the aim to make it look like we could be anywhere from Thailand to London to Bulgaria. Jo is senior cabin crew and works exclusively on long haul flights, needless to say she extremely well travelled.
Where do we first meet Jo?
From the beginning, Jo is an extremist. At the top of the show, we see her visit her son in prison following his arrest in Bulgaria. She doesn't even know he was travelling for various reasons. Her mission is to clear his name, but things progressively get worse.
How would you describe Jo?
Jo should feel like an ordinary woman doing extraordinary things. She hasn't lived the life that was down for her as she had a son very young and therefore was told that she'd live a relatively small life. But actually, with the help of her mum, she's managed to travel the world and tick a lot of boxes in terms of her ambitions and wishes for herself. She's also managed to have this great relationship with her boy, which has continued into adulthood. She's a fully rounded human being, one that I hope people can relate to even though you are watching her navigate extreme circumstances. And it's a really exciting role to play.
Talk us through Jo’s character arc.
It would be hard to say that there was an arc with Jo because she does mess things up then fixes it then mess things up and fixes it again. It's a journey of necessity. Within the first half of the first episode, she's thrown into a world that she never in her wildest dreams imagined that she could be placed in.
The director, Chris and I like to think of Jo as failing upwards throughout the series. If I told you on paper where Jo starts and where Jo finishes, you wouldn't think that was possible to cover in six episodes.
How do you expect the audience will receive the show?
To be honest, I don't ever think about how an audience is going to receive a show because I need to focus on making it the best show it can be and then it's up to the audience to decide, right?
I just hope people are going to enjoy it because that's what thrill is all about, really. That's the bottom line. It should be immensely immersive and riveting. And I hope the audience will be at the edge of their seats.
What makes a good story to you and does this work within In Flight?
To me the most exciting and thrilling stories are unpredictable and we've got all the ingredients for that. We were so blessed with the most tremendous cast, and the crew in were second to none.
What's your process into preparing for and becoming the role?
I love the homework side of things. To me, you cast out the net and gather everything you can, then you have a fantastic toolkit at your disposable. I love to step on set fully prepared.
I am really fortunate to have a friend who is senior cabin crew, so I was lucky enough to shadow them for a day at their airline training centre. I find it invaluable to talk to people with first-hand experience when approaching a new role.
It's also about making sure that your imagination is in the right place on the day for me, and that's why I need to make sure I’ve got my toolkit at the ready.