Conniving, manipulative, sarcastic with a hint of sass—Kathryn Hahn's Agatha Harkness is a wicked delight every time she's onscreen. Initially introduced under the guise of Wanda and Vision's (played by Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany respectively) nosy neighbour, the American actress was the ultimate scene stealer in WandaVision with a catchy theme song to boot—no, do not ask us how many times we've repeated it in our heads.
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Now, Kathryn steps back into her witch shoes and takes centre stage in the spin-off Agatha All Along—titled after her hit tune. Though she holds the same bite, Hahn reveals there's more to the character than meets the eye during the virtual press conference.
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Alongside cast members—Joe Locke, Aubrey Plaza, Patti LuPone, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn and Debra Jo Rupp—as well as head writer Jac Schaeffer and executive producers Brad Winderbaum and Mary Livanos, they revealed what it was like working together, what fans can look forward to, and more.
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What made you guys want to dive deeper into Agatha's world?
Jac Schaeffer (JS): At Marvel, there's always a quest to have villains to be more than one note. Agatha is complicated; she is funny and personable in a sort of kitschy sitcom way with an appetite for power. She's a character that I feel we can explore forever.
Brad Winderbaum (BW): What sets this show apart is that Agatha never had her own comic book—Kathryn and Jac created the character on WandaVision that we see today. It inspired us (Marvel) so much that we had to continue her story.
Kathryn, what's your biggest challenge when it came to playing Agatha?
Kathryn Hahn (KH): It's interesting because the villain stuff is fun and almost the easy part. The hard stuff was to try to allow herself to crack the door a little to her vulnerable side because it felt like anyone could get in there now. It was a challenge, but it was also the juiciest part.
Could you tell us a bit about your characters?
Joe Locke (JL): Like Agatha, Teen has a lot of layers. He ends up becoming a completely different person from when you first meet him.
Patti LuPone (PL): I got a call from Jac and Mary (Livanos) and it was destiny because I had just played a character who started out as a bathhouse singer and ended up becoming a tarot card reader (her character Lilia Calderu has the power of divination).
Aubrey Plaza (AP): I don't think I'm allowed to say anything—which is what I love—or else you get in trouble (laughs). All I'll say [about Rio Vidal] is that you can expect the unexpected.
Sasheer Zamata (SZ): Jennifer Kale, like everybody in the Coven, needs to work on trusting other people and wants to find what she desires at the end of the road. She also, like most witches, has a long history, like a love-hate thing, with Agatha.
Ali Ahn (AA): Alice Wu-Gulliver, I think, has a lot of emotional growth to do. You could say that about a lot of the characters on the show, but she's kind of wearing a disguise to the world, acting tougher than she is. That was interesting because you could play and map out how much to reveal.
Debra Jo Rupp (DJP): There's nothing really deep about Mrs. Hart (everyone laughs). She's kind of a fish out of water and it's a whole different world for our little Sharon. It was one of the most fun experiences I've ever had.
Did you guys have a favourite set?
PL: The Witches' Road. When we walked on to the set, I think several of us burst into tears or started weeping because, in my case, I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful set in my life
KH: It was so immersive. Once you step onto it, you don't even have to shut out the outside world because it wasn't something you needed to imagine—it was right there.
Did you guys do any bonding off-screen?
SZ: So much bonding (laughs). I think because we were in Georgia for six months working on this intense show away from home, it just makes you closer. It kind of felt like summer camp.
KH: Patti had movie screenings.
PL: We had movie screenings and Aubrey had a pool party. We even saw fireflies together.
Joe, what was it like working with the cast of extraordinary women?
JL: It was the best experience ever. I had the best time, in those six months, with these amazing women. It was a dream.
AA: We've all adopted him.
SZ: I remember Patti being like I'm going to teach Joe how to be a diva and then realising she didn't have to.
PL: (laughs) Exactly!
Out of the entire cast, who would be the best witch?
KH: Aubrey is pretty witchy. She'd look good in a witch's hat.
PL: I'll have to agree.
AP: I think everyone's a witch.
What do you hope audiences take away from the show?
DJP: I hope when they watch it, they feel what we felt when we made it. It was a special experience, and I hope that comes through—that this was something special.
AA: I hope it inspires people to keep trying because these characters are all kinds of mess, but they keep being courageous and push through it all.
KH: That community is important and there is power in who we are.
SZ: You can have magic all around and within you. When people watch the show, I hope they realise that in their lives.
AP: I hope people start dabbling into the dark arts and try to harness the power of the moon.
Agatha All Along will be streaming exclusively on 18 September on Disney+.
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.