Exclusive: Expats star Sarayu Blue on bonding with Nicole Kidman: “Our chemistry was palpable”

In Expats, Lulu Wang of The Farewell fame helms a show about foreigners living in Hong Kong. Featuring Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, Brian Tee, Ji-young Yoo and Jack Huston, the six-part series revolves around women whose lives are intertwined after a child goes missing. Based on Y.K. Lee’s novel The Expatriates, the show is an exploration of grief. In an exclusive interview, Sarayu, who plays an Indian American, opened up about her role, diversity in Hollywood and more.

Sharing what made her sign up for the role, Sharayu said, “Just getting to play a South Asian woman who is so flawed and human and going through such a journey of growing up – you watch her really grow up. I think experiencing that and getting to see that on the page and portraying that is so rare. What a gift!”

Creator Lulu Wang’s hands-on approach to ensure authentic representation was a move in the right direction. “Lulu is very intentional about how she tells stories. You can see it in the work of the show. Every moment is crafted. She’s really taken such care with the authenticity. It was really important to her, especially in making sure that one of the writers from the writers’ room, Gursimran Sandhu had a big hand in writing Hilary’s story. And I think with both of them I was able to understand the truth of the story and the core of her heart. Having her the entire way was really important,” she explained.  

In a scene from the second episode of The Expats, Sarayu and Nicole’s characters bond in a light moment amidst the intense drama, breaking into song and dance. When asked if she felt starstruck by the award-winning actress, she shared, “It’s one of those things where at the beginning you go ‘Oh my gosh! It’s Nicole Kidman’ but in order to do my job I can’t get caught up in that. I have to be able to be a professional to really tell the story. So what’s wonderful about Nicole is that she wants that. She wants to remove the mystery and enigma and just get to work. She is so present and our chemistry was just so palpable. We had a lot of fire together and it was a lot of fun to film.” 

Sarayu also had a great screen partner in Jack Huston who plays her onscreen husband. Speaking of their complex equation, the actress revealed, “It is such a complicated relationship that we have. But it was really fun. We got on the phone a few times when we weren’t in the same place. And later, we were able to really connect. We also had such good chemistry. He’s always willing to play and try anything. He’s very committed to the story. He’s very playful and it was incredible to work with him.”

Much like onscreen bonds, Sarayu acknowledged the importance of actresses showing their support for each other in the Hollywood industry. “I think it’s imperative. It’s important that all of us who are under-represented regularly in American film and TV, work together to tell these stories and support each other and amplify each other. It’s one of the most important ways of keeping the movement that’s happening going,” she affirmed.

While Hollywood has come a long way in terms of diversity, the change is long overdue. Speaking of her own experiences, Sarayu said, “I always feel like it’s moving and it’s growing. But the change isn’t happening fast enough for us but it’s happening and that’s exciting. I hope it continues to grow and become the new normal. I really want to see representation across the board where everyone gets seen because everyone deserves to be seen.”

Expats is all set to release on January 26, 2024, on OTT.