From Sex and the City to Girls to The Sex Lives of College Girls, shows centering on four very different women can be a ton of fun, and The Girls on the Bus is no different. Instead of the Big Apple or university campus, however, the quartet in The Girls on the Bus lives, well, sort of everywhere as they travel across the country covering the election. There’s Sadie (Melissa Benoist), the ambitious optimist; Grace (Carla Gugino), the cynical veteran; Kimberlynn (Christina Elmore), the lone conservative in a sea of progressive journalists; and Lola (Natasha Behnam), the youngest one on the road who’s more familiar with TikTok than traditional journalism. Even so, Lola is incredibly resourceful, intelligent, and ambitious, challenging the group to look at things in a new way while also learning from them.
I got the chance to speak with Behnam about episode seven, which is a pivotal one for her character, as it dives more deeply into her past as a survivor of a mass shooting. Behnam talked about how she prepared for her intense scenes, revealed what it’s like to work with Carla Gugino, teased what might be next for her and Josie’s relationship, and more.
TAYLOR GATES: I’m super excited to talk to you about this. Episode seven is one of my favorite episodes, and Lola is one of my favorite characters on the show. Something I really appreciate about her is that her grief and sadness often manifest as anger and frustration. I feel like “mad” is not something that women are often allowed to be on TV — or in real life, for that matter. Can you talk a little bit about embracing and playing those complex emotions and reactions?
NATASHA BEHNAM: Absolutely. I couldn’t agree with you more. I think her immense grief does manifest as anger or quippiness. What I love about Lola and what was so beautiful about playing her is that her emotions are complex, and I never wanted to play her as angry or nonchalant. I always wanted to root her in something much deeper. Obviously, she’s a young girl who’s gone through this tragedy and is carrying around so much pain from that. She’s trying to cover it up, and trying not to think about it, and even trying to be light and silly at times. What I was trying to do is have all of that play out all the time, which I think is human, right? When somebody says something mean to somebody else, they’re — more often than not — not just trying to be mean; they’re covering up something else much deeper that’s going on.
Absolutely. I feel like that shines through so much. She is so dimensional, and I love how the show really builds her out and lets us see all of those layers. We briefly get to meet her family in this episode, which I was really excited about.
Me too!
It’s clear that they care really deeply about her but might not totally understand her and her ambition. I’m curious how you think her relationship with them affects her actions and motivations.
Yeah, I think she has a complicated relationship with her family. Because they are loving and supportive, but again, she also went through this horrific tragedy and had no tools for how to deal with it because none of us have any tools about how to deal with something like that. And who is she going to lash out at most? The people closest to her, which is her family. So they get probably the worst version of her, which is just her unprocessed anger and unfiltered emotions. They go to this magazine article, which she didn’t want to do, so it’s just sort of the trigger for her to explode on her family, which on the surface is what’s happening, but on a deeper level represents her being so misunderstood —- not just by them but by the entire world and by all of media.
I find it so interesting that she mentions that she did talk to so many reporters right after the shooting, and they didn’t listen to her, and how, of course, she’s become a reporter herself. How do you think that negative personal experience impacts how she does her job and drives her?
I think Lola became a journalist because she wants to change the game and change the world. I think she had a really horrible experience with the media after what happened to her, and she’s grappling with somebody else telling her story in the wrong way but also her not even really knowing or her not even being able to face her own truth. So I think it was a really complicated experience, and ultimately, not knowing how to deal with what happened to her or how to make a change in the world, she turned to the thing that maybe harmed her the most after, which was the media and journalism. And she decided that that’s what she wants to do — to bring a more authentic take to the media, to really listen to people, to really tell the truth, and to find her way and her truth through this vocation.
Speaking of authenticity, I really love the scene between Grace and Lola in this episode. It’s one of my favorites, and they’re one of my favorite dynamics because I feel like they always bring out these different sides of each other. That really shines through when we see Grace take care of Lola in this episode. Can you talk about working with Carla Gugino and being so raw and vulnerable in that scene? It was just so moving to me.
Oh, thank you for saying that. Yeah, it was a beautiful, beautiful experience. I also love the Grace and Lola relationship because they started the season the most opposite from each other — the ones who were never going to be friends — and to see the way two people can grow into this moment where Grace is one of the first and only people that Lola can open up to about this [is beautiful]. And simultaneously, while Grace is having issues with her own daughter and her own family life, we sort of see her show up for Lola the way she hasn’t been able to show up for her own daughter. And I think that’s really beautiful and just kind of highlights this tale that you can find friendship and love and camaraderie and safety in the least expected places. It’s natural, and it’s human to form connection, and we get to see that in its purest form between Grace and Lola.
Working with Carla was just such a dream come true. She’s such a generous actor. I remember that day vividly. It was the first time I got to really delve into a really emotional place with Lola on the show, and Carla is just so present, and she’s so powerful, and she held that space for me in such a safe way to be able to explore. I felt so lucky to be looking into her eyes while doing that because she just so much, and she’s right there with you. I felt really safe with her. Carla’s not gonna let you fall in a scene like that.
That’s great to hear as someone who’s been a fan of hers for a long time. That makes me so happy to hear that she’s a good scene partner.
She’s unbelievable.
You’re definitely right there with her in terms of acting and really digging into it.
Wow, thank you.
It’s so true. I was blown away. This shooting storyline hits so close to home for so many people, and I can only imagine that there must be pressure to get it right. I’m curious how you prepared to give this performance. Did you do any sort of research? How did you get into that space to make it ring so true?
I think my way in was empathy. I did a lot of research, and I looked up a lot of different people who have spoken out about mass shootings and gun violence and all of that, but I think the most real and authentic way that I felt I could portray this is through love and through empathy. Because I cannot begin to pretend like I understand what that experience is. It’s such a horrific tragedy that nobody should be facing but that so many people have in this country. It’s heartbreaking, and it fills me with grief and dread, and all I wanted to do — and all I think I was capable of doing — was to literally just say my lines with as much humanity as I could.
And I was gifted such a beautiful script. This episode is written by one of our writers, Tawal [Panyacosit Jr.], and directed by DeMane Davis, who is so compassionate. I was given a really beautifully written monologue, and I just thought to myself, “All I can do is do this truthfully and hope to god that I touch into this universal language that we all speak of love.” I hope it can touch hearts in that way because I don’t know if there’s a right way to speak on an issue like this. The only thing that I thought to do was be human and be real and have empathy.
I think that really comes across. You mentioned the writing, and this is such a well-written episode. I mean, you’re given a lot to do in all the episodes, which is why I think this show is so great, but especially in this one because we also get to see her become disappointed in the candidate that she has really been believing in and supporting the whole time. She sees her flip-flopping on her policing views, and that almost feels like the straw that breaks the camel’s back in a way and feels very pivotal. Can you talk a little bit about that moment and how that affects her?
I think Lola is already at a 10. She’s already on the brink of destruction. And then to hear her favorite candidate be flip-flopping on issues that are really important to her I think is totally the straw that breaks the camel’s back. I think she did have a little bit of hope that maybe this candidate was different. Obviously, the freshman had no chance of winning, and in Lola’s eyes, it was like, “Well, yeah, but that’s because she’s different, and we got to get her that chance at winning. There’s no one like her, and she really cares.” But at the end of the day, she’s finding out that maybe all of these politicians are the same and nobody is perfect, and that is too much for her to handle. That’s too heartbreaking.
I like to play with the idea that maybe, deep down, Lola knew that her favorite candidate wasn’t perfect, but in this moment of time, it’s sort of the perfect cocktail of things going wrong for her to not take it and say, “You know what? No. Fuck this, fuck you.” Sorry for cursing.
[Laughs] You’re good.
But that’s how she’s feeling. She’s like, “This is ridiculous.” It’s a big heartbreak for her and the last straw.
This could potentially complicate the relationship between her and Josie, which I’m really enjoying as a queer woman. We love some sapphic representation.
Yes, yes, yes! Me too, me too! We need more of it.
And there’s just so much amazing chemistry between you guys. Can you tease the future for them or even just talk about that storyline? It’s really fun to watch.
I’m so glad you think so! It was very fun to play. Terry, who plays Josie, is one of my best friends, so we had so much fun doing this together. Without giving any spoilers away, I think you’re probably right — this probably is gonna complicate their relationship because they both bonded over their love for this candidate and how truthful she is in getting her message out. Lola obviously has a huge following, and she was recording at the event, so I think there are some seeds planted to say that maybe this is not gonna be a great move for Lola, for Josie, or for the freshman. If Lola is doing any sort of public outburst, I think we can all assume it’s gonna go viral in one way or another because of who she is. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that I also love the Lola and Josie relationship, and it may get complicated from this point on.
It always does.
It always does. Things can’t be happy forever.
To end on a lighter note, Lola has one of the best wardrobes I think I’ve ever seen, and her makeup is always so fun. I just stare at it the whole time I’m watching. Do you have a favorite look of hers throughout this first season that you’re like, “Oh, that’s the one”?
Oh, that’s such a hard question. Claire and Lily Parkinson, our costume designers, did such an amazing job. I loved every outfit they put me in. The hair and makeup artists, Bridget and Handri, were on that every day. It was really fun. I loved all of our Lola looks. I feel like the silliest one is the bikini that she shows up in for a “pool day” in episode three. I love that outfit because it’s like the neon bikini but also those Savage X Fenty boxers and then that button-down with the fur. The whole outfit was so cute from head to toe. So ridiculous. Other than that, it’s hard to pick a favorite because they were all so good, honestly. It’s a Sophie’s choice. Like picking your favorite child. I can’t do it.
It’s such a fun style. I’m like, “I need to buy all of the looks.”
I love that you think that. I’m so happy that her style was so good. That was really fun and important to play with.
The Girls on the Bus is available to stream on Max.
— Taylor Gates