Meeting Leo Woodall and Quintessa Swindell, from the cast of Prime Target

SAG Award winner Leo Woodall, (The White Lotus), is a driven mathematics prodigy entangled in a web of conspiracy alongside Quintessa Swindell, (Black Adam) the NSA Agent surveilling him in the TV drama, Prime Target.

The characters Edward Brooks and Taylah Sanders come from quite different backgrounds. Leo, what makes the dynamic between them so interesting for you?

I think that they're both coming at the same thing from a very different perspective, and that Taylah wants to protect from this potential, sort of explosion of chaos, and Ed wanting to find the answer just because that's how his brain is wired and that's what he's passionate about. 

Taylah in the thick of it, action wise. Quintessa, how did you prepare for the physical demands of your role? 

I did a lot of Muay Thai kickboxing and regular boxing, and then I was just at the gym keeping my body limber and ready, because as the scripts were being written, more was being added, and so it was just like being constantly ready for something new. 

Leo, a lot of Ed’s dialogue might sound almost like niche jargon to some. I know you took some extra math courses in preparation for the role. Were there any methods you used to help incorporate these words and subjects into the dialogue to give it that natural feel? 

It’s a good question. Not really. I think I was becoming a lot more familiar with mathematical terms, and I think for me, it was just about getting used to embodying it. And, regardless of the fact that a lot of the stuff Ed says I’ve never said in my life, I had to shake that off and, you know, apply as much truth to it as I possibly could.

Working with Ridley Scott as executive producer must have been amazing. Was there any advice or guidance he shared? 

QUINTESSA: We didn't have a lot of like FaceTime [Laughter.] It was just an omniscient voice in the background telling us to be great. 

LEO: Yeah, basically. But, the prospect of working with Ridley was, you know…being part of something that Ridley was producing was incredibly exciting. 

QUINTESSA: Yeah, an incredible opportunity. But also, our director, our producer, everyone's involvement, felt so strong, and they cared a lot about the series in terms of it being the best that it could be, really filling and creating this world. So, it was a lot of love, all around for everyone.