Yvonne Strahovski on ‘The Tomorrow War’: ‘A big fan of alien movies’

Yvonne Strahovski likes sci-fi movies. Speaking from Los Angeles, the Australian actor says, “I like the suspenseful ride that an alien movie can take you on. I am pretty tickled to be part of one.” Strahovski, who we have seen as the poised and distant Serena Joy in The Handmaid’s Tale, is part of Chris McKay’s big, fat action movie, The Tomorrow War.

Strahovski plays Colonel Muri battling aliens in the future. “I particularly love the character — not only is she an incredibly capable woman, she is also smart and has been tasked to solve the world’s biggest problem. Muri is someone who was able to put aside her personal issues to focus on the task at hand, which is to stop the aliens from eradicating humanity. I like the pressure behind that as well as the emotional backbone of the character.”

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Page-turner

The 38-year old actor read the script, which she describes as a page turner. “I met Chris Pratt and Chris McKay on Zoom before it became so popular (laughs). I was in Australia shooting. It was a great meeting and the rest is history; here we are today.”

When choosing a role, Strahovski says she looks for an interesting story. “Preferably one that has something to say about the world today and themes that are socially relevant.”

Preparation for the role involved military training. Strahovski says. “We were taught how to handle weapons. All the cast was grouped together, it was a great experience.”

Power up

There were many memorable moments on set, according to Strahovski. “The one that sticks out was where I had to do a stunt at the top of a power plant. The floor was see-through and you could see to the ground through the bottom. I had to run across a high beam with Chris Pratt. I am not too afraid of heights, but I remember getting up there and thinking, ‘this is really high and I hope I don’t fall off this high beam’, (laughs) even though we were on wires and protected. It was daunting at the moment.”

Commenting that her heart will always lie with drama, Strahovski says, “I do love being part of action films. I think it is such a treat to get to do stunts and crazy things that you never ever thought you would do or ever have the chance to do if you were not part of an action film.”

Tough choice

Insisting it is difficult to choose between movies and shows, Strahovski says, “Ah, they are so different. It is hard to compare. In a TV show, you get a lot of time to sit with your character and get to know them. You get to play out sides to a character that you may not necessarily get to do in a film. A film is a shorter form but still, is exciting. In a good film, where your character is well rounded, you still get to do a similar thing. Films are shorter and you get a lot of experiences in a shorter amount of time. As I go from job to job, I get to experience what it might be like, to be in the head of a character.”

Future plans include another season of The Handmaid’s Tale. “There is also something else I am working on, which I am not allowed to talk about just yet.” For all those who wondered what makes Serena Joy tick, Strahovski replies with a laugh. “Oh, what doesn’t make her tick? I think June (Elisabeth Moss) makes her tick. The idea of having a baby makes her tick. Fred (Joseph Fiennes) makes her tick. Everyone makes her tick!”

The Tomorrow War is currently steaming on Amazon Prime Video