Lauren Ambrose Talks Return Of ‘Servant’ And Dorothy Turner’s Deteriorating Sanity

M. Night Shyamalan’s acclaimed psychological thriller, Servant, is back for its third season on January 21st on Apple TV+. The visually masterful show, filmed almost entirely in a Philadelphia brownstone, begins its 10-episode season three months after viewers left off with the Season 2 finale.

Servant tells the story of a grieving family who has faced an unimaginable tragedy, the death of their infant son, and let a young woman named Leanne (Nell Tiger Free) into their home to act as a nanny and magically bring the child back into their lives. By Season 3, Leanne gets closer to the Turners (Toby Kebbell and Lauren Ambrose), and they will do whatever it takes to protect her. Ambrose plays Dorothy Turner, a woman who moves in and out of catatonic states as she moves closer to confronting the truth of what really happened to her baby. Season 3 depicts Dorothy doing her best to lead a normal life while continuing to block out her memories of the past. She also struggles to get ahead in her career while motherhood threatens to count her out. Despite the Turners’ best efforts to create a peaceful life, chaos quickly starts to seep back in. Strangers connected to Leanne’s past slowly appear, and new threats to the Turner family seem to lurk around every corner.

I spoke to Ambrose about what it was like to work with a small cast in (more or less) a single location during the pandemic. We also discussed how her experience as a mother helped inform the struggles Dorothy experiences in Season 3.

Risa Sarachan: What have you learned after working with M. Night Shyamalan for three seasons? 

Lauren Ambrose: It has certainly been a learning experience to work in this genre- one that I have not before – horror/thriller. Every department of the show does so much to establish the tone. It is a true collaboration, and Night has assembled some very talented people whose artistry elevates this show. 

Sarachan: One thing I’ve always loved about this series is how so few new characters are introduced. It feels like I’m watching an acting company perform on the same stage every night. What’s this experience like as an actor?

Ambrose: Yes, I too like that part of it. We are like a little theater troupe putting on our play on mostly one set. It is a lovely group of people, and we know each other now as people and as artists. It is also one of the reasons we were able to continue filming during the pandemic fairly safely, a small cast in one locale. 

Sarachan: Do you think your pandemic experience has informed anything for you going into Season 3?

Ambrose: Indeed, it felt like art imitating or perhaps commenting on life. A family trapped in a house together- an invisible threat and emotions are running high. I am just so grateful to be an actor who got to work a bit during these crazy times. This pandemic has brought new levels of uncertainties to artists and freelancers everywhere, so I am truly grateful that our company found a way that we could film and that a lot of people could work.

Sarachan: It’s fun this season watching Dorothy search for some normalcy and community. We also see her push to not get counted out at work. Did you connect with these familiar new mom struggles? 

Ambrose: Oh, sure. Of course, being a mama informs everything I do for better or for worse, and I think the pull between the two jobs is a confounding struggle. I honestly don’t know how any mother handles it. Also, I have a lot of baby time on this show, and I am glad that my baby handling experience is finally coming in handy.

Sarachan: I loved the change in Leeanne and Dorothy’s dynamic this season. What new changes in Dorothy this season were the most fun for you to work with? 

Ambrose: Yes, I got to do a lot of nice scenes with Nell Tiger Free, who is such a lovely actress. We got to play out the power struggle over who loves the baby more and knows what is best for him. It was fun to play what appears to be Dorothy’s deteriorating sanity but is really her trying to get closer and closer to the truth of her life. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Servant Season 3 will premiere globally with the first episode on Friday, January 21, 2022, exclusively on Apple TV+