‘Zero Day’ Exclusive Interview: Joan Allen

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Joan Allen stars in Netflix’s ‘Zero Day’.

Premiering on Netflix February 20th is the new political thriller ‘Zero Day’, which was created by Eric Newman (‘Narcos’), Noah Oppenheim (‘Jackie’), and journalist Michael Schmidt, and was directed by Lesli Linka Glatter (‘Homeland’).

The series features an all-star cast that includes two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro (‘The Godfather: Part II’ and ‘Raging Bull’), Lizzy Caplan (‘Now You See Me 2’), Jesse Plemons (‘Kinds of Kindness’), Joan Allen (‘The Contender’), Connie Britton (‘Friday Night Lights‘), Bill Camp (‘Joker’), Dan Stevens (‘Beauty and the Beast’), Matthew Modine (‘Full Metal Jacket’), Clark Gregg (‘Iron Man’), Gaby Hoffman (‘Field of Dreams’), and Angela Bassett (‘Black Panther’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Joan Allen about her work on ‘Zero Day’, his first reaction to the project, her character’s relationship with her husband, working with Robert De Niro and the rest of the cast, and the importance of having one director for the entire series.

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Joan Allen as Sheila Mullen in 'Zero Day'. Photo: Netflix © 2024.

Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to this project and the opportunity to play this character?

Joan Allen: I thought the writing was terrific and that Robert De Niro was playing the main character, who I had admired so much for all my years as an actor. It was very exciting, and I loved our wonderful director, Lesli Glatter. When I met and spoke with her, she was incredibly inspiring and I was like, “I want to work with that lady.”

MF: Can you talk about George and Sheila’s marriage and how she supports him throughout the series?

JA: They are a team and Lesli emphasized that, and I really liked that as we were playing the scenes. He trusts her as maybe his most trusted confidant and adviser. I think she believes she’s not afraid to share her opinions with him. She also respects and admires him and believed in his presidency and the policies that he put forth. So, I think they’re a team and I would say not even that she supports him, they support each other. They work together is what it felt like and it’s a great relationship.

Robert De Niro as George Mullen in 'Zero Day'. Photo: Jojo Whilden/Netflix © 2024.

MF: What is Robert De Niro like to have as a scene partner?

JA: He’s just the best. I mean, there were wonderful actors in the entire series and he’s just incredibly generous, open, giving, and very obviously incredibly smart in terms of what the scene is about and he’s just a wonderful collaborator. It was just a joy to be with him every day.

MF: The series features an extraordinary cast of actors. What was it like for you to work with this ensemble?

JA: I just was so happy every day. I was so happy to come to work. They are lovely, wonderful actors, terrific human beings and great people. We just had had a fantastic time working. It was just a joy. They were all such fine actors, and I was glad to be to be working with them. I was very grateful.

(L to R) Director Lesli Linka Glatter and Dan Stevens as Evan Green behind the scenes of 'Zero Day'. Photo: Jojo Whilden/Netflix © 2024.

MF: Finally, what was it like working with director Lesli Linka Glatter and was it helpful to have the same person directing the entire series?

JA: It was very grounding for me, very grounding and made me feel extremely safe because it was cohesive. So, you’re not going back and forth and dealing with talking with showrunners, et cetera. It’s like, there’s an anchor. She’s always going to be there. She’s incredibly prepared, knowledgeable, and on her game. It’s great to go to work knowing my director is there and you build a communication. It builds as you spend more time together and knowing that she was going to be there for the whole duration, made an enormous difference to me.

“Truth has been weaponized.”

TV-MA1 SeasonsFebruary 20th, 2025

A former U.S. President is called out of retirement to find the source of a deadly cyberattack, only to discover a vast web of lies and conspiracies. Read the Plot

What’s the plot of ‘Zero Day’?

Robert De Niro stars as respected former U.S. President George Mullen, who, as head of the Zero Day Commission, is charged with finding the perpetrators of a devastating cyber-attack that has caused chaos around the country and thousands of fatalities.

As disinformation runs rampant and the personal ambition of power brokers in technology, Wall Street, and government collide, Mullen’s unwavering search for the truth forces him to confront his own dark secrets while risking all he holds dear.