Carrie-Anne Moss was already researching Baba Yaga mythology when the script for the AMC+ drama Yaga landed in her hands. The actress, known for her roles in The Matrix, Star Wars: The Acolyte, and Jessica Jones, described this coincidence as a significant nod from the universe.
Yaga offers a contemporary take on the classic Baba Yaga myth, based on a play by Kat Sandler, who also serves as showrunner. The series follows Rapp (Noah Reid), a private investigator tasked with looking into the disappearance of a young heir in the coastal town of Whittock. He encounters resistance from a local detective, Carson (Clark Backo), a charming university professor named Katherine (Moss), and a cast of enigmatic suspects.
Moss's connection to the Baba Yaga folklore, a figure from Slavic mythology, dates back decades. She recalls discovering the story in her twenties through the book "Women Who Run With the Wolves," noting the many different interpretations of the character.
Fans might recognize Baba Yaga as the moniker of John Wick, played by Moss's Matrix co-star Keanu Reeves. In Yaga, Moss's character dismisses the name with a deadpan "What's John Wick?" While some may see this as a meta-joke, Moss clarified her perspective. "I'm a huge fan of John Wick," she stated, explaining that she initially hesitated with the line. "It's not something that I intuitively want to do. I think I shot it. I said it a couple of different ways, and in the end they choose what they want to put there. So I understand that it's kind of fun. I understand why it was there, and I'm okay with it being in there, but it's a throwaway line."
Moss embraced the detached nature of her character, Katherine, particularly during intimate scenes with co-star Hudson Williams. She admitted that playing a character who could realistically be the mother of Williams' character required maintaining a certain distance to avoid slipping into a maternal role, given her naturally nurturing disposition.
The production of Yaga was notably fast-paced, a style Moss prefers. "I have never ever experienced that where it was really fast," she remarked. "Normally when you're shooting something, you'll have a lot of lull time in between takes, which is actually exhausting. On this show, there was no lull."
Moss reflected on her childhood fascination with movies, recounting how she would see films like "Grease," "Rocky," and "Bad News Bears" multiple times. This feeling of anticipation for the next episode of a beloved show is something she hopes viewers will experience with Yaga.
Yaga is set to premiere on AMC+ on October 23. This interview was conducted in anticipation of the show's debut as part of IGN Fan Fest: Fall Edition.