Rules to Live By
Inspired by our popular etiquette guide: New rules for behaving in polite society.
When Karolina Wydra first auditioned for her breakthrough role in Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus, she had no idea her character would contain all of humankind. “That moment of discovering that Zosia is the whole world was quite mind-boggling and exciting, but also overwhelming,” she tells The Cut. She took on the part after a pause from acting to raise her two sons. In the series, she plays an essential role as Carol Sturka’s (Rhea Seahorn) handler in Albuquerque shortly after an alien virus has connected her — and all humans, except for an immune handful — through a hive mind.
The challenge for the Polish American actor was to tap into Zosia’s essence without getting affected by it, as any actor would under the circumstances. “I’m a very expressive and empathetic person. Sometimes that’s where Vince would come and say, I know you feel bad for her, but you can’t feel bad for her,” she says. Projecting a calm and neutral disposition in the most stressful scenes — like not reacting to Carol’s tantrums or protecting her from live grenades — required everything from dreamwork to meditation tapes. But it’s all been worth it: Pluribus is Apple TV’s biggest show yet, surpassing fan favorites Severance and Ted Lasso.
Wydra previously appeared in such shows as True Blood, Justified, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in brief arcs, but nothing has compared to the online fervor around her character and the build-up to Zosia’s increasingly romantic connection to Carol. And she has seen your Zosia memes, by the way — not directly on X, but in a group chat with the rest of the cast. “I find them so funny,” Wydra says. “I’m always curious to see how the audience is perceiving what’s happening and their experience with it.”
Below, she shares whether or not she would join a collective hive mind, which rule she wishes we all followed on planes, and that time she almost met Jessie Buckley.
On Pluribus, you work with a limited range of emotion, but we know so much is contained in Zosia’s mind. How did you approach that?
I had a lot of conversations with Vince about who these people are, how they move about the world, and what is their essence. We talked about the idea that these people are joyous and content and unflappable, and they have the memory of being angry and sad and grieving, but they don’t have the feelings inside their body. I love to work with dreams; I love to tap into the subconscious. I am a huge fan of Carl Jung, and I studied with acting coach Goli Samii in using dreamwork as a framework for characters to tap into something so much deeper.
What about physically?
I also work with somebody else on bodywork, because “the joined” are human beings, they’re not robots; they just don’t experience nerves or fear. They’re not afraid of death. It was a lot about relaxation. A lot about being very present in the body. The challenge for the first few times on set is that nerves take over. Typically, you would give that to the character, but I couldn’t. So I had to do a lot of relaxation before the scenes and listening to relaxation tapes, a lot of meditation. I’m a very spiritual person, and when you meditate a lot, you get into a certain state, a vibration where you feel connected with the world. You feel that energetically you are not the self but the collective. You feel this serene state of being; the ego is not I am, but all one.
Knowing what you know about Pluribus, would you join the collective if you were Carol?
I would not. These are the conversations that we had on set, and this is why I love this show. I told Vince: You created a show that makes people think and not numb out. You can’t watch the show and just go, Cool. It makes you question things. Your existence, even, and what it means to be human. As much as I want the goodness that’s in the collective, where people really care for one another, where there’s no prejudice, no crime, just pure, unconditional love for each other, no war, no racism, and we’re all one in the most beautiful, profound way … I wish for that, but to lose individuality would be really hard.
And what about new art, right? Like, who will continue making my TV shows?
No one could ever know new art! That’s why you saw in episode eight the excitement that Carol is writing the new Wycaro. When I go to a museum and I experience somebody else’s art, when I see it for the first time, I’m touched by somebody’s expression. I love the theater so much, because the performance you see that night you’ll never see again. But I would love the world to be more at peace, that’s for sure.
Click here to preview your posts with PRO themes ››
Now getting into our Rules to Live By questions: What rule do you think we should all follow when taking planes, if we were an ideal collective entity?
Don’t take your shoes off! [Laughs] Be thoughtful. Be kinder. When the airplane lands, everyone is rushing to get out — it almost feels like a stampede. So have more courtesy and just give space to one another.
Do you have any favorite holiday destinations?
There’s an area in Mexico that we love to go to in Jalisco. But anywhere in Mexico; I am a huge fan of the food, the people, the beaches.
What rules do you have in your home?
Well, in the house, we take off our shoes, please. I read an article recounting studies of what people bring into a house and the level of bacteria they have on their shoes, and it’s pretty gnarly. I used to wear shoes in the house, and after I read that, I was like, we’re done. And growing up in Poland you didn’t ask, you just took them off. Your house is your sanctuary, you want to keep it clean.
What’s your No. 1 rule for a successful dinner party?
To be honest, I don’t throw many dinner parties. Because I’m such a people pleaser, and I care so much about everybody being super-happy, I get so stressed out. But I do love game night, and games break the ice.
What’s the last app you downloaded on your phone?
Let me check on my last page … it says Instagram and Bold Voice. I don’t know what that means. I have Pinterest! I don’t have many apps. I’m not very tech savvy; I get overwhelmed.
Do you have any rules around social media? You seem fairly Instagram active!
I am now; normally, I’m not. I’m very, very active right now because the show is coming out and it’s fun to promote the show. I used to be more of a voyeur; I’d scroll and not post anything. I try to give myself a quick on and off, not to spend too much time, because I have two little boys, 41/2 and 3, so I try not to have my phone around me when I’m with them. It’s important for them not to see us constantly on the phone and feel like they’re not being seen.
What’s your No. 1 fashion rule when packing for a trip?
Overpack. You never know what can happen on the trip — if you’re going to go to a nice dinner or if you’re going to go somewhere fun. Bring a little bit of everything and be prepared for almost anything.
What’s your No. 1 rule for meeting other famous people?
Be yourself. Also, don’t overstep. If they’re busy and doing something, just give them space. I was getting my hair done recently, and I saw Jessie Buckley. I’m a huge fan of Jessie Buckley. Huge fan. She was on her phone doing her thing, and I wanted to say hi to her so badly, but then I felt, I’m not going to overstep the boundary. She’s busy. I was hoping that we would catch eyes, that she would look in my direction so I could wave at her and say, You’re amazing. But that didn’t happen, so I didn’t go up to her.
Hopefully, you’ll get the chance at the Golden Globes or something! What was your No. 1 rule on the set of Pluribus?
Hydration. You have to stay hydrated because you’re in the desert and you’re way up high. With the elevation, you have to be very conscious of how much you drink or you get sick. So water, sunscreen, come extremely prepared, and come with a great attitude and ready to work.
Do you gossip?
[Groans] I want to say no, but yes, yes, I have. I’m working really hard not to, and I’m very conscious of it because I feel gossip is actually quite damaging. It’s not kind, but … sometimes it just happens. If somebody says “Please don’t say anything,” I will take it to the grave with me, that’s for sure. But sometimes little things, they slip out, and I’m like, Ugh.
