One of the hottest shows this summer has been Prime Video’s Ride or Die, starring Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer as besties, Judith and Debbie, respectively, who end up on a thrilling and dangerous adventure, fleeing across Europe when Judith’s secret life as an assassin puts them both in a killer’s sights.
Crucial to their survival, and with an intriguing plotline of their own, are the weapons cache apprentice, Queenie, played by Savannah Steyn (House of the Dragon), and Judith’s handler, Sam, portrayed by Calam Lynch (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Outrageous).
In an exclusive online interview, we chatted with Savannah and Calam about how they got involved with Ride or Die and what they enjoyed most about the experience.
How did the Ride or Die project hit your radar, and what attracted you to the characters you play?
Calam Lynch: It came to my attention the way stuff usually does, with an email from my agent asking me to do a self-tape. What you often get as an actor is just two scenes, three scenes, whatever, to tape and not much more context. Often, you don’t get a full episode to read at that stage, but I remember I did with this show. And often you only have three, four days to turn around a self-tape and send it off, but for this I had about a week.
I remember — obviously, every audition you do as an actor requires a certain level of work — but I remember I worked on this one so, so hard. Drilled it. I was so excited, just having read the pilot. Also, at that stage, Hannah and Octavia were already attached. So, imagining them doing their thing. It was such an exciting thing. And so often you have that experience, and it doesn’t happen, so for it to work out on one that you really, really want… It’s just the best feeling in the world.
Savannah Steyn: For me, when I saw it originally, it wasn’t called Ride or Die. It just said, “Untitled Spencer/Waddingham Project.” I’m such a big fan of both of them, and I was a really big fan of both of them beforehand, so just seeing them together, I was like, “No way would I get this.”
But then I read it. It was so good, so funny. There’s so much that’s going on. I almost think it could’ve been called “The Untitled Spencer/Waddingham Project.” I think there’s something to that. Immediately, when I read it, it’s just so exciting. It pulls at your heartstrings. It’s literally got everything inside of it.
And Queenie! I love her personality, her cheekiness, the fire that she has. I did the tape with my mum, just in my bedroom, and we were just playing around. We only did it a few times, but I felt like it flowed out quite naturally.
Savannah, how much of Queenie’s background and history did you know going into the project?
SS: I had no idea. Originally, we were sent maybe Episode 1. I feel like I only had Episode 1. So, to me, she was the girl that works in the shop and deals with the weapons and looks up to Judith. Whiptail’s her idol just from everything she’s heard from her mum. But I had no idea that my mum used to be an assassin, or anything that unfolds in the series, so as I was reading it, I was literally [covers her face with hands to express shock and surprise] “I get to do all of this?!?” It was amazing. Yeah, I had no idea.
Calam, Sam and Judith have a complicated power dynamic in their relationship. Can you speak to that?
CL: Yeah, it absolutely is. That was that first scene where we meet Sam in the restaurant, having that conversation with Judith. That was my audition scene in the self-tape I did and then it was also — I then did a recall with Tessa [Coates] and Matt [Miller], our showrunners, and Peyton, our first director and exec. And then I did a chemistry read with Hannah, doing that scene, after that. Even in that chemistry read, we were experimenting with the different ways in which you could do that scene. Honestly, when we shot it… it was the first day of the whole shoot. We’re shooting that scene. It was just that scene. It was the only thing we had to do.
We did six or seven versions on each other’s coverage, and each one was entirely different dynamics. We did loads where [Sam] was terrified. My instinct was that he’s barely able to say this to Judith. But then Peyton, the director, and Matt and Tessa really wisely were like, “I think the comedy actually plays better if he doesn’t really see that saying ‘Woman of a Certain Age’ and ‘Is it cause you’re 50?’ is incredibly rude.
But it’s so hard. When you’ve got Hannah Waddingham sitting opposite you… Honestly, just her sitting there, looking at you, is TERRIFYING. When she turns it on, when she becomes Judith. So it was hard not to feel intimidated, but that’s part of the fun of the scene. You get moments of that but also he’s not able to see the impact that he’s having on her and the danger that he’s putting himself in by saying this stuff.
Savannah, as Queenie realizes how deeply her mother is involved with The Director and The Agency, how did you explore the idea of discovering your mother isn’t who you thought she was?
SS: In real life, I’m incredibly close with my mum. She is my best friend in real life. I was trying to connect it to that, imagining that someone that close to me could ever lie to me. [Queenie] is really pissed off about that. She really, really is. That’s the thing with her. She’s incredibly angry at Sam as well when she feels betrayed by him. When she really cares for someone, she might not let them know, but they will know when they cross her.
What was the energy like behind the scenes on Ride or Die?
CL: So much of our stuff was together. In lots of ways, our dynamic off-screen mirrors the dynamic on-screen. [For example,] I’m really into Savannah. I’m trying to make Savannah laugh all the time, and Savannah thinks I’m an idiot. [laughs] We had so much fun, didn’t we?
SS: We had SO much fun! To a point where I think now, actually, I miss Prague. I think now, I miss it, but I would love getting to hang out with everyone, and I’d be sad when I didn’t get to. I’d still like for us to all hang out once every week or once every two weeks. I feel like everyone is globally all over the place. They’re all famous. When we do come together, it’s so much fun.
With Ride or Die’s finale ending in such an open-ended way, where do Sam and Queenie go from here?
CL: We have thoughts. I mean, I feel like they’ve crossed the Rubicon, haven’t they? There’s a gravity to their relationship. I really hope we get to do loads more of the show because like Sav says, I love working with everyone. I love working with Savannah so much. With the romantic side of it, as well. We got a little bit of that in Season 1, but if we knew we’re gonna have two, three, four seasons, it would be so fun to play around with that dynamic. When does it get close to happening? Does it happen? With all this other stuff going on, I’m excited to play around with that.
SS: It’s left so open… What’s going to happen on the train? Who’s in charge of all of this? And is Billy really dead? [gives the camera a sly, thoughtful look] I think so, but I hope not. It’s so open, it could go anywhere. What’s interesting is that Sam and Queenie, they’ve never killed anyone. Either of them. What happens if that actually does happen? Who do they become? I don’t know, but I hope that we will get to find out. Watch Ride or Die, please!
