Enjoying a wistful single mom in final 12 months’s indie gem “Janet Planet,” Julianne Nicholson landed among the finest evaluations of her profession. Then got here Hulu’s “Paradise,” the twisty sci-fi whodunit the place she reveals up as Samantha “Sinatra” Redmond, the rich shadow ruler of an underground utopian group and (presumably) a harmful psychopath. Did she ever ask collection creator Dan Fogelman why he thought she’d be good for the half?

“He mentioned that he liked the idea of Sinatra having a real humanity to her,” says Nicholson, who in flashbacks is tender and within the story’s current all brittle, escalating fierceness. “In addition to all the villainous respects, it was important to him to have her be a living, breathing woman, wife and mother.”

Because it seems, bringing actuality to a job additionally was what impressed Nicholson’s visitor arc on HBO’s “Hacks” as an outsize TikTok character referred to as Dance Mother.

“They thought that, as big a character as she is, she needed to be grounded in the human experience,” says Nicholson, whose energetic routines have been stored secret from everybody besides the “Hacks” producers till she carried out one for the primary time earlier than the solid, crew and a studio viewers composed of extras. She introduced down the home. “They were catcalling and whistling, and the crew all started doing versions of the dance. It sparked a lot of joy.”

Dance Mother clearly subscribes to the phrase “Dance like no one is watching.” Have been you channeling somebody particular?

You possibly can dig round on the web — Instagram, TikTok — and discover variations of this character, people who find themselves doing their dances, promoting their merchandise. However I labored with a choreographer twice every week, and we’d work for hours to get it into my mind, make it really feel pure. He already had kernels of the large dance. Then each time we’d meet, he’d add a few steps, or we’d add collectively, or we’d simply be foolish. Then he’d make movies. There have been some dances the place we went means excessive, one which was tremendous raunchy. And he despatched [the video] to [the producers] and so they have been like, “Um, not the direction [we’re going in].”

Julianne Nicholson as “Dance Mom” in “Hacks.

(Max)

Do you have a background in dance?

I’m glad you asked. When I was in high school, I danced at Bill Fowler’s Dance Academy in Medford, Mass. I did that for five years, and I loved it. Tap, jazz. But I stopped when I was, like, 16. So it’s been a minute [laughs].

Because of scheduling, you had to film your three-episode arc in a single week. Sounds like a hectic cardio workout.

I’d be panting at the end, even if it was a 2½-minute dance. Even those little TikToks. I should have known, but I didn’t, how physically demanding it’d be, doing it again and again and again.

Moving on to “Paradise” and Sinatra. Do you suppose she’s a monster?

I truthfully don’t know anymore. Initially, I believed, “No, she’s not. She thinks she’s doing the right thing.” However in Episode 8, you begin realizing she’s placing these folks in [danger] after they’re constructing [the bunker]. It’s the category system. [She’s] simply being careless concerning the lives of people that have much less. However I swing backwards and forwards. I believe each [sides] are proper. She is and isn’t a monster. There’s extra to come back together with her story within the second season, which reveals much more concerning the finish of the world and what she’s making an attempt to place into place.

Julianne Nicholson.

(Larsen & Talbert / For The Instances)

Did capturing “Paradise” summon up your childhood reminiscences of residing off the grid — no operating water, no electrical energy — in rural Massachusetts?

It’s really crossed my thoughts. Folks have requested because the present got here out, “What would paradise look [like] to you?” And I went again there to do “Janet Planet” and it felt like paradise to me. I hadn’t been there in 30 years, and I felt like, “Oh, my God! Is this my place?” I don’t really feel that in different places. I’ve at all times been a wanderer, a mover. And once I went again there, I used to be so peacefully content material. A part of it’s familiarity. Nevertheless it’s not simply that. I’ve returned to different locations earlier than and never had that feeling. However the air, the sky, the farms … I believe I would find yourself there sometime.

Sinatra does some horrible issues. Did you ever fear that she wouldn’t final very lengthy?

No. I’ve been doing this for lengthy sufficient now, if you want to kill me off, it’s all good. I don’t take it personally. There’s going to be one other job. It doesn’t begin and cease right here. They didn’t use to kill off the folks we thought have been our heroes. However I believe that’s modified quite a bit. For me, the turning level was Sean Bean in “Game of Thrones.” You suppose he’s going to be your hero all through the entire thing, and he was killed within the first season. Nothing’s protected.

Your fame is for being very simple to get together with on set.

I like being on a set. I labored with Willem Dafoe, and he actually likes being on a set. Like, [he] leaves his cellphone within the trailer that’s a automobile experience away. I by no means as soon as noticed him sit in his actor chair. I’m not like that. However until it’s a really intense scene, it’s good to be with the folks you’re going to work with. However I’m additionally completely happy to go to my trailer if I must be quiet. Typically it’s good to recharge.

Julianne Nicholson with Sterling Ok. Brown in “Paradise.”

(Brian Roedel / Disney)

When “Paradise” started manufacturing, the writers’ and actors’ strikes had simply ended. Not one of the crew had labored for a 12 months. May you are feeling their heat embrace?

Sure! To begin with, we shot on the Paramount lot, which was a ghost city. I used to go to Paramount once I was first beginning out and auditioning. I additionally did a tv present referred to as “The Others,” which filmed on the lot. I really like Paramount. It simply appears like historical past once you stroll beneath that arch. However all people was simply so completely happy simply to be working.

Does “Paradise” appear extra scary now than it was when it was in manufacturing?

That wasn’t our intention. Dan had the kernel of the concept of this present earlier than “This Is Us.” We completed filming in July. We didn’t take into consideration the present administration. There was a second the place everyone seems to be like, “Sinatra doesn’t have a title. What’s her role? Can she be in the Oval Office without being an elected official?” And now it’s like, “Apparently, you can.” I anticipate that’s one of many causes it’s resonating with folks. Since then, the fires occurred right here. There’s [a] local weather disaster to the acute. And the state of politics for the time being is being run by tech billionaires. It’s simply including slightly additional [laughs queasily] heh-heh-heh.