'The Tourist' Star Danielle Macdonald Breaks Down Her Character's 'Huge Moment' (Exclusive)

By Tania Hussain

The Tourist has captivated North American audiences with its six-episode premiere on HBO Max. But as viewers get to know and like the characters, particularly the quirky and kind probationary Constable Helen Chambers played by Danielle Macdonald, they are also equally protective of the intrepid police officer. After all, her fiancé Ethan (Greg Larsen) is a gaslighting egomaniac per social media, constantly pushing her to get in shape ahead of their wedding day and as some note, "the biggest villain" of them all.

With Helen assigned to the case of her co-star Jamie Dornan's The Man after he loses his memory and needs help to retrace his steps, the young officer grows more confident in herself. Particularly after a pep talk with The Man, who tells her Ethan is not helping by being so hard on her, nor in love if he has to change her. Macdonald reveals to PopCulture.com that the heated confrontation between her character and Ethan's was a long time coming in terms of the story and interaction she is most humbly proud of.

"There was a lot [going into it]," Macdonald told PopCulture of the moment. "[It] was such a huge, huge moment. It was really interesting because that day I was filming with Greg the entire day, who plays Ethan and we had three back-to-back scenes and it was funny because we started with that scene. Then we went into the scenes from previous to that scene. So, it was really interesting because it was, 'Let's work ourselves up to that point,' and then, it's almost like relax into that other thing, knowing what's coming."

Macdonald adds that being able to "play in that space" and relationship with her on-screen partner was a big move for her as an actor. "That kind of toxicity was easier knowing that there is a point where it explodes. It does. It always comes to a head at some point and knowing that is almost a relief, in a way, because you can feel the tension build, and you can fuel that," she said. "Greg was really, really great to work the opposite. I think it's always hard playing those characters, especially for him and he is just such a nice guy. He was always, 'I'm so sorry' afterward. And I was, 'I got you, it's okay.' But it was really fun playing with him. He makes it fun. He's a comedian. It was really easy."

The Tourist, created by Harry and Jack Williams and directed by Chris Sweeney, has been one of HBO Max's most anticipated series after earning critical acclaim and glowing reviews during its initial BBC run this past winter. Earning a 100% freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes, The Tourist centers around The Man (Dornan) waking up in the Australian outback with no memory and only a few clues to help him retrace his identity. As he dives deeper with the help of Constable Chambers (Macdonald), the clues get darker and lead him down a path he can only wish he forgot. 

The Tourist stars Jamie Dornan, Danielle Macdonald, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Alex Dimitriades, Damon Herriman and Genevieve Lemon. The Tourist is now streaming on HBO Max. For more on The Tourist, Jamie Dornan, Danielle Macdonald and all your HBO Max programming, stick to PopCulture.com for the latest.

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