‘The Flight Attendant’: Mae Martin Talks ‘Mysterious’ New Character Grace’s ‘Immediate Chemistry’ With Cassie (Exclusive)

In The Flight Attendant Season 2, Kaley Cuoco’s newly-sober Cassie isn’t quite sure what to make of possible new friend Grace St. James. Ruled out as a target of suspicion when it comes to the possible Cassie imposter, are Grace’s secrets limited to a stash of fentanyl-laced lollipops? Actor Mae Martin opened up to PopCulture about their “mysterious” new character ahead of the premiere, hinting at some “good twists” to come near the end of the season. 

When it comes to Cassie’s initial suspicions that Grace could be secretly sabotaging her behind the scenes, Martin said, “I mean, any new character that enters this show, you’re immediately suspicious because you’re like, ‘What are they hiding? How are they going to affect Cassie or vice versa?’” They continued, “But yeah, of course the version of herself that she’s presenting is not her real self. So it’s drip-fed through the season with some good twists at the end…”

Suspicion aside, Martin sees Grace and Cassie as “kindred spirits” with “immediate chemistry” that shines on screen. “I think they definitely have immediate chemistry,” Martin said. “And I think when you have a secret, that can be quite a lonely thing – and they both have secrets. …They’re mirror versions of each other in a way.” Crediting Cuoco’s performance with a “fizzling tension” that’s “infectious” to play off of, Martin teased an “elevated” sophomore season of the show that fans will be clamoring for more of. 

“For me, just as a fan of the show and having binged it in lockdown … I was so relieved as a fan when I started reading the scripts and it was like, ‘Oh, they’ve turned it up to 11 and they’ve managed to keep that emotional weight.’ And also [second seasons] are always great because the writers are writing with the actors in mind. They know their voices and everybody knows where they sit in the world of the show. So yeah, I think it’s elevated if anything.” The first two episodes of The Flight Attendant Season 2 premiered Thursday, April 21 on HBO Max, with two more airing each week until the finale.