‘FBI: International’: New Series Regular Christina Wolfe on Joining as Intel Analyst Amanda Tate (Exclusive)

FBI: International for Season 3, and fans will soon be meeting her. English actress Christina Wolfe makes her debut on the CBS action drama in the Season 3 premiere as intel analyst Amanda Tate. Following the explosive Season 2 finale, Amanda will prove to be a useful asset to the team.

Ahead of the premiere, Wolfe spoke exclusively to PopCulture.com about her role and all there is to know about Amanda Tate. 

PopCulture: What has it been like joining FBI: International?

Christina Wolfe: It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s been a real whirlwind because it happened quite unexpectedly. I was actually on my honeymoon in Mexico, and then I found out I got the call that I got the job a few days into the trip. And it was like, “Right, you’ve got this job, and you start in a couple of weeks.” So it was amazing. Obviously, I had to leave the honeymoon, which was quite dramatic. But not really, it was just so, so much fun and we were celebrating so much. It was honestly the best thing that could have happened. It’s just been really such a positive experience so far. Yeah, I’m so grateful.

PC: What has been your favorite part about being on the cast so far?

Wolfe: Well, actually getting to know everyone has been really fun, and everyone’s been very welcoming. And they’ve all been there a couple of years, they kind of know the ropes, which is really just so useful to have people around who know exactly what they’re doing and I’m learning from them as I go. They’ve just been really warm and lovely. It’s been a really nice experience so far.

PC: How would you describe Amanda Tate?

Wolfe: So Tate is, she’s a tech whiz, so she’s really quick with a computer and an analyst. She’s a team player, and she’s really quick and thinks on her feet. And she’s a doer, so she gets things done, she doesn’t hesitate. She’s so competent that she’s confident enough to deliver under pressure and stay calm. So I think she’s very useful to the team, specifically at this point when she joins, because they need somebody who’s going to be able to find solutions quickly and have a really positive attitude, and a team player attitude, that can gel with everybody else and hit the ground running with them.

PC: Is there anything in particular that drew you to the role or even the series itself?

Wolfe: Well, actually I am a Dick Wolf fan, I have been since I was a child. It’s actually really such a full circle moment, because me and my sister used to watch Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU together in our room so many years ago. So to have got a part in this series is, honestly, it’s a dream come true.

PC: What can viewers expect from Amanda this season as we get to know her better?

Wolfe: What can we expect? Well, she needs to prove herself because she’s new to the team, and she wants to show that she belongs. So you can expect that she’s going to pour herself into this role and work alongside them as best she can. They’re going to be thrown into so many different situations, each episode is its own adventure, so, well, you can expect many high-stakes situations and many gorgeous locations.

PC: What are you most excited to explore with her as you’re learning more about her each week?

Wolfe: It’s interesting because you discover more about her as you go along. I mean, I’m still discovering things with every new episode that comes out. What I’m excited about is seeing how her personality starts coming through. Obviously, she’s very professional, but there’s times where you get glimpses into what she’s like in her personal life, or what the relationships between her and the team might end up being like. So I’m actually very interested to see how she interacts with each member of the Fly Team and which friendships and relationships really flourish.

PC: Do you think any of your previous roles have prepared you to play Amanda?

Wolfe: Well, definitely, my last role was the polar opposite of this role. Because my last role, I was playing this narcissistic, self-absorbed woman, and she was very much about herself. I guess, in a way, she found solutions to things, and she was confident, but it was all self-interested, whereas Tate is very much about working as a team and solving a solution at hand for everyone. But I guess, actually, in terms of accent, this one’s also a U.S. accent role. I have just come off the back of doing that, another U.S. accent role, so that’s very helpful now because this is so quick and there’s so much technical dialogue that I needed that foundation to come from. Actually, I suppose I played Julia Pennyworth in Batwoman, who was also very competent and confident, she also was helping a team. So in that sense, there’s more similarities there. It remains to be seen whether she’s going to be as physically competent as Julia Pennyworth. I’ll just have to see.

PC: Is it hard switching between your accent and a U.S. accent?

Wolfe: No, actually. It’s an accent that I really enjoy working in. It’s not too difficult. It’s more when it’s quick, and there are some words that are completely different, so I have to make sure I practice saying those words over and over. So, apart from those little things that can trip me up, I actually find it really enjoyable and not too complicated.

When I first joined, and I was like, “Oh my God, there is so much dialogue and it’s so quick,” I thought maybe I should be doing my U.S. accent on set, so I’m doing it all the time and I’m not having to switch. But I only decided that halfway through the first episode. I remember saying to my fellow actors, to Vinessa, I was like, “Do you mind if I just change my accent? Is that too weird?” And she’s like, “No, no, you do whatever you have to do.” So I tried five minutes, and then I was like, “Sorry, no, this is too weird.” Maybe some actors can do this, but I just can’t, so I don’t stay in character.

PC:  What are you hoping happens in Season 3, whether for Amanda, overall storylines, or maybe a location that you would want to film at?

Wolfe: Well, that’s a pretty good question. Location, I don’t know. I guess somewhere I’ve not been before, but I’ve been to quite a few places in Europe but… I don’t know about that one, actually; I won’t answer that part of the question. But, in terms of what I’m hoping happens, I’m just hoping to see more and more of Amanda’s personality come to light and to watch her grow into her new role. Also, like I said before, to see how her relationships with the team develop.

PC: What do you want to say to the fans who will be tuning in and seeing this new character join the team?

Wolfe: I would say I really, really hope that you like what we are doing with the show, and I really hope that they enjoy this character, Tate, that has just joined. I also want to tell them thanks for watching, for tuning in, because it gets really, really good.

FBI: International Season 3 premieres on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.