‘The Hunting Party’s Sara Garcia Reveals Her Special Connection to Character Jennifer Morales (Exclusive)

The Hunting Party star Sara Garcia has more in common with Jennifer Morales than you might think! Ahead of the Monday, Feb. 17 episode of NBC’s new crime drama series, the Toronto-raised actress opened up to PopCulture.com about how she connected with her Army intelligence officer character in a special way, all thanks to her brother.

When Garcia first had an audition for Morales come across her desk, she was “really energized” to see “a project of this caliber coming out of the woodwork” following the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. “Then when I got to know the character a little bit more, I realized there was this connection there,” she explained.

Garcia revealed to PopCulture that because her brother was in the Canadian military, “I felt like I kind of knew that world adjacently through him and felt connected to Morales and wanted to give a little nod to my brother. And he helped me with the part. So it was kind of fun for us to work together on it.”

Garcia’s brother helped her with some military workout tips as well as nailing down some of the finer points of Morales’ movements as a major, including how to salute. “Even though I don’t salute in the show, I just thought I should know that,” she said.

Garcia also gained insight into the career trajectory Morales would have had to have in order to reach her rank at such a young age. “He basically walked me through the fact that she’d be promoted quite frequently [so] she must be very capable, very smart,” she explained. “And that was all really helpful.”

As The Hunting Party viewers get to know Morales more throughout the season, they’ll also get to see the development of her relationship with Oliver Odell (Nick Wechsler). “I think people are going to enjoy watching her relationship with Odell sort of blossom into this friendship,” she teased. “In the beginning, he’s a little more stern, a little more prickly, and she’s constantly trying to poke him and get him out of his shell. She brings the lightness — she’s an optimist and she’s sort of this bright energy, despite all the darkness. And he’s a perfect juxtaposition to her.”

Garcia went on, “And so as the series progresses, I think we just get to see him loosen up around her and her sort of tease him out of his shell. So I think that’s going to be fun.” Even as Bex (Melissa Roxburgh) questions Odell’s role in the mystery of the Pit escapees, Morales “gets to see Odell in a light that the others don’t,” Garcia noted. “There is this throughline of mistrust, even amongst the teammates, because I think the mystery of the Pit sort of shrines it in darkness and clouds … and I think she just sees who he is on the inside.”

In the Monday, Feb. 17 episode of The Hunting Party titled “Lowe,” the team will track down a brutal serial killer obsessed with wolves while dealing with locals out for their own form of vigilante justice. Garcia teased of the episode to come, “Be surprised. It is a killer that maybe you wouldn’t think of off the bat. I’ll leave it at that.”

The Hunting Party airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.