Apple TV+’s new series, Silo, is a political thriller that takes place after humanity is no longer able to live as we know it. Instead, they are in an underground silo, where people have lived for hundreds of years, unsure of what is truly out there.
Martha Walker (Harriet Walter) lives on the low level of the silo, making her living working in mechanical. She has taken Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) under her wing. When tragedy causes Juliette to leave Martha, who has become like a mother to her, things change for both of them. Silo also stars Iain Glen, David Oyelowo, Geraldine James, and a strong supporting cast.
Screen Rant caught up with Harriet Walter to talk about what drew her to be a part of Silo, as well as her love for the book it is based on. Harriet also revealed how she would personally handle living in the silo, and what it was like working so closely with Rebecca Ferguson. Spoiler: she adores her!
Harriet Walter Talks Silo
Screen Rant: This is one of those shows where you start watching and can’t stop. What was it about Silo that made you want to be a part of it?
Harriet Walter: I had that same feeling in some ways because there’s this burning question of, “Are they ever going to get out? And what happens to people when they get out? What’s real and what’s true?” I think if you have that driving you on… I mean, it got me through the book, and the book was like 1000 pages. It was driven by, “So, what happens then? What happens then? What happens then?” So, yeah, it’s very compulsive.
How would you describe your character, Martha Walker? Are you anything like her?
Harriet Walter: She’s kind of tough, but not hard. She’s experienced and wise, but she also has a lot of self-doubt and self-punishment going on that we don’t always understand or know [about]. It gives her a certain demeanor that can be off-putting and prickly, but at the same time, I think the advantage of this silo is that everybody knows everybody — at least on the level that you live on. So, all the people she needs to affect and work with have a certain respect for her. And that makes her life a little easier.
In real life, I’m zero like her. I’ve got two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. And that’s about all I’ve got in common with Walker, I think, but maybe somebody else would tell me otherwise.
I love your scenes with Rebecca Ferguson. Can you talk about working with her?
Harriet Walter: Well, it’s what you imagine. It’s fun. She’s glowing. I’ve said to her, ‘In that dark set, you literally are like a lamp.’ She just glows and brings that uplift to my little crabby old cell even though, a lot of the time when she comes, she’s in distress. And we do have a bit of to-and-fro; it’s quite unusual within the context of the series to have a real intimate mother-daughter argy-bargy. And I love that. She’s just fun. I don’t know how she keeps up her energy, but she does.
Personally, if you were in the silo, would you want to get out of there or would you be able to be content and stay there?
Harriet Walter: One of the reasons why I’m very unlike Walker is that I’m very gregarious, and I like to latch on to other people. So, if I sensed there was a little advanced guard who was getting a bit curious, I’d sniff them out and come and join in. I wouldn’t be the first one to do it, but I’d certainly latch on to any movement that was happening that was going to try and think for themselves and not be a robot. I think I’d go with that group.
About Silo
Silo is the story of the last ten thousand people on earth, their mile-deep home protecting them from the toxic and deadly world outside. However, no one knows when or why the silo was built and any who try to find out face fatal consequences. Rebecca Ferguson stars as Juliette, an engineer, who seeks answers about a loved one’s murder and tumbles onto a mystery that goes far deeper than she could have ever imagined, leading her to discover that if the lies don’t kill you, the truth will.
Check out our other Silo interviews here:
The first 2 episodes of Silo premiere May 5 on Apple TV+, with new episodes airing on Fridays.
