![](https://schon-magazine.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/14004553/Schon_Magazine_lucianebuchanan.jpg)
fur coat. Michael Kors
The wait is over — the second season of The Night Agent has officially dropped on Netflix, and if Season 1 had you glued to the screen, prepare for another high-stakes ride. Based on Matthew Quirk’s gripping novel, the action-thriller follows Peter Sutherland as he steps into his new role as a Night Agent, navigating a world where trust is scarce and danger lurks around every corner. Alongside him is Luciane Buchanan as Rose, a young tech CEO turned fugitive who, after barely surviving the events of Season 1, is trying to rebuild her life. But when unanswered questions and an unsettling silence from Peter lead her back into the fray, Rose once again finds herself caught in a deadly game—this time, with even more at stake.
Schön! sat down with Luciane Buchanan to talk about stepping back into Rose’s shoes, the challenges of filming an action-packed thriller, and what fans can expect from this explosive new season.
![](https://schon-magazine.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/14004558/Schon_Magazine_lucianebuchanan2.jpg)
full look. Paco Rabanne
opposite
jacket. Retrofete
dress. Contessa Mills
shoes. Yves Saint Laurent
earrings. Vintage
Luciane, I’m so excited to chat with you about your role as Rose in The Night Agent.
I’m ready, let’s do it!
Why don’t we start talking about your character? How did you prepare for your role as Rose?
I didn’t even get the full script — just two scenes for the audition. But I saw in the audition brief that it was based on a book. We started shooting in 2022, and I got the audition at the end of 2021. I didn’t have time to go to a bookstore to get the book, and I only had about three days before the audition. I thought, There’s no way I can read that fast. So, I got creative and found the audiobook online. I just listened to it for seven hours straight — or however long it was — which helped me understand the story.
When you don’t have a full script, you’re left wondering, How do I play this? Who is this person? Where does the story go? The audiobook gave me the upper hand. My co-star, Gabriel, actually chose not to read it. He said, I don’t want to know because the show is so different from the book — I don’t want to get confused. As for preparation, I had to focus a lot on the dialect because I’m from New Zealand, but I play an American in the show. The funny thing is, during my audition, they asked, Can we hear that scene in your natural accent? And I was like, I don’t think it’s going to work — it’ll sound way too casual, maybe even comedic. But I did it anyway, and it was hilarious. The scene had me talking about things like 7/11, an American peanut butter brand, and Cheetos. In my accent, it just sounded so off. They ended up saying, Yeah, let’s stick with the American accent. And I was like, “Told you!” [laughs]
That was probably the biggest part of my preparation. As for Rose’s tech expertise, I didn’t have to become an expert myself. But I had a week between jobs before jumping into The Night Agent, so I watched videos about women in the tech industry — especially how they navigate such a male-dominated space. That gave me some insight into her world. Beyond that, Rose isn’t a trained agent or government operative. So when she’s running away from bad guys? That was just me. [laughs]
Listening to an audiobook counts as reading! I do that sometimes when I don’t have time to sit down and read. So that totally counts. And it’s very impressive that you did it in seven hours. [laughs]
Literally! I thought, “This is kind of cool — I like this story.”
For sure! And with audiobooks, you can multitask, which is always nice. It’s like listening to a podcast. By the way, I love your accent! Was it difficult to switch to a different accent during filming?
I always say — why don’t actors go on talk shows and talk about how hard it is? They just say thank you and move on. But there’s so much going on while you’re delivering lines — hitting marks, getting the timing right — it requires a lot of focus. I got really attached to my dialect coaches. At some point, they’d be like, It’s my weekend — it’s my day off! And I’d be like, Just one more hour, please!
By the end of it, they became really good friends because we spent so much time together. When you’re exhausted after a long shoot and you have a huge monologue to get through, it’s tough. One thing I learned is that when I eat and talk at the same time, I go straight back to my New Zealand accent. I was like, “Wait, how do I eat and still sound American?” [laughs] That said, I think this is something a lot of actors from outside the U.S. deal with. So many British, Australian, and Kiwi actors work on American projects. We all grew up watching Friends and sitcoms, so the accent is familiar — it’s not too difficult to tap into.
What initially drew you to your character? Why did you want to play Rose?
When I first wanted to be an actress, I was drawn to dramas — family dramas, emotional stories. I never pictured myself in an action thriller — that wasn’t at the top of my list. I mean, it’s super cool, but I just never thought about it. So when I got the audition brief, I was like, Okay, I’ll give this a shot. Never in a million years did I think I’d book it! What really intrigued me was the challenge. I thought, Could I be in an action-conspiracy thriller? Maybe I could. But it’s such a different skill set. This kind of show is so fast-paced, and the acting style is different — it’s not always naturalistic. They’re constantly saying, Faster! And I’m like, Okay, am I Eminem now? Because I feel like I’m rapping. [laughs] It’s definitely a different kind of acting, but that’s what made it exciting.
![](https://schon-magazine.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/14004602/Schon_Magazine_lucianebuchanan3.jpg)
dress. Prabal Gurung
shoes. Jimmy Choo
earrings. Heaven Mayhem
opposite
jacket. Retrofete
earrings. Vintage
Would you say that there are any similarities between you and your character?
I’m quite a happy-go-lucky, silly kind of person. I don’t think I tried to inject that in a lot of scenes, and they were just like; Wrong show, like, that’s not her at all. She’s, I mean, what happens to her in season one is quite traumatic, so there’s no room for that. But oh gosh, are we similar? I guess I could. She’s quite bossy. Also, she has authority issues. For sure, she has a hard time taking direction or advice from people. She has a lot of trust issues, and I can be like that sometimes, I think, but I do it more respectfully. Like, okay, there’s an easier way of doing this, but I’ll do what you said. So maybe you have a comment, but she’s what I do. Like about playing her, which maybe is quite different to me, is that she kind of trusts her instincts, and specifically in season two, I think it’s crazy that she went looking for Peter. I was like, if I got that call, I’d be like “stranger danger,” but that she kind of risks it all for love.
I think that’s really admirable. It’s such an action-heavy show. What would you say was the most challenging scene to shoot? Were there any moments where you thought, Wow, okay, this is intense? And compared to Season 1, would you say there were more challenges in Season 1 or Season 2?
Oh, that’s tough because things can be challenging in so many different ways. There was one scene where I was completely alone, communicating with Peter through an earpiece — but he wasn’t actually there. I had two laptop screens in front of me, but no one to play off of. That was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do because I had to pretend I was watching surveillance footage — except the screens were blank. I had to look at specific spots and react as if I was seeing things happen in real time. It got to the point where I had a stress headache because acting is so much easier when you have another person there to feed off of.
Our writer, bless his heart, was reading Peter’s lines off-camera, but in the most monotone voice. [laughs] I had to fully rely on my imagination to create the tension and urgency. That was really tough. Also — running in heels. Who knew?! Oh my gosh. Initially, they told me, We’re putting you in little boots because you’re quite short, and we need to make you look taller. By the end of filming, I wanted to burn those boots. Running in them for 12-hour shoot days was brutal.
I can imagine! I’m also pretty short, and I can barely walk in heels — let alone run in them. I love ankle boots, but running? That’s another story. I totally get the struggle of trying to seem taller. That actually reminds me of something — I’m sure you’ve been to London, right? And taken the tube?
Yes!
It’s always so busy during rush hour, and I was talking to someone about this — when you’re short, no one cares! You just get squeezed between people, and you can’t reach anything. And someone once told me, just wear heels. I was like, What?! How does that even make sense?! [laughs]
That’s so funny! I actually have a quick story about the tube. One time, I stood on the platform for 45 minutes during rush hour because, in New Zealand, we’re very polite. I kept going, “Oh, you go first! No, after you!” And after 45 minutes, I was like, Wait, I actually need to push my way through, or I’ll never get on this train. [laughs]
Oh my gosh, yes! You have to use elbow grease and just shove your way in. Londoners don’t care! [laughs] I’ve been living there for seven years now, and you just have to adapt. Speaking of adapting — what would you say you’ve learned between Season 1 and Season 2? About yourself, or maybe about your character? How do the two seasons feel different?
I still feel like a baby, like I’m constantly learning and taking everything in. But in Season 1, I was completely out of my depth. It was my first U.S. production, and I was just trying to figure out how things worked. In Season 2, I felt much more prepared. Plus, in between, I shot an entirely different show, so I went through a lot personally and professionally. Every new project changes you as an actor.
One of the biggest differences is my confidence. I wouldn’t say I’m demanding, but I definitely speak my mind more. In Season 1, I was just trying to please everyone in charge because I didn’t feel as secure in my creative voice. In New Zealand, I felt confident and creatively free, but in this huge U.S. production, I was treading lightly. Now, after more experience, I trust my instincts. I’m willing to fight for my creative choices. And as a woman, that’s especially important. A lot of these projects have mostly male directors, and their understanding of how a female character would react in certain scenes isn’t always accurate. So I’ve become a big advocate for making sure those details are right. I try to flag things early in the script stage, rather than waiting until we’re about to shoot because by then, there’s no time to change anything. That’s been the biggest shift from Season 1 to Season 2 — owning my creative voice and standing by my choices.
![](https://schon-magazine.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/14004607/Schon_Magazine_lucianebuchanan4.jpg)
full look. Michael Kors
opposite
full look. Paco Rabanne
As you said, being a woman in this industry can be even more challenging, especially in the action genre. What would you say you learned from your co-workers while shooting? They’re all so talented — I can imagine it was an amazing experience. Maybe three lessons you took away from them?
One of the biggest lessons, especially working in New York, was realizing how many actors have a theatre background — which I don’t! I’m one of those annoying screen actors with no stage experience. [laughs] The thought of performing in front of a live audience every night terrifies me. But maybe one day! A lot of my co-stars started in theatre, though. Amanda Warren, who plays Catherine in the show, went to Yale and NYU—so theatre is in her bones. And you can see it in the way she approaches a character, her physicality, her preparation. I was like, Oh, I’m going to use that in the future.
I also love watching how different actors learn their lines. I don’t have one specific method — I’m always experimenting. I’ll see someone writing out their lines by hand and think, Maybe I should try that. It’s little things like that — picking up different techniques and figuring out what works for me. And beyond the craft, I just love working with people from different backgrounds, hearing their stories, and learning how they got to this point. Getting to know them as people — not just as their characters — really helps with the chemistry on screen, too.
That’s such a great answer! And is there a piece of advice someone gave you—maybe from a co-star or mentor—that really stuck with you? Something you live by, either professionally or personally?
Yes! There’s an actress from Season 1, Eve Harlow, who played the assassin trying to kill me the entire time. [laughs] She’s been working in Hollywood much longer than I have, and she became such a great sounding board for me. I think people assume that women in this industry are super competitive, but honestly, my experience has been so supportive. Eve was one of those people who really looked out for me. When The Night Agent blew up, and I started feeling overwhelmed — like, Whoa, that’s a lot of people watching our show — she gave me the best advice. She said, Just remember who you are right now. This version of you — the person you are today — that’s what makes you special. Don’t lose that. Because as you gain more experience, and more people have opinions about you, it’s easy to lose little pieces of yourself. She reminded me to hold onto me. And that really stuck with me.
That’s so important. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to stay grounded when so many people have opinions about you. But you seem really down to earth! How would you say this project differs from other projects you’ve done so far?
Well, first of all, at the time, The Night Agent was the biggest thing I had ever worked on. When I found out what the budget was, I was like, “Wait, this is NOT a New Zealand budget.” [laughs] It was insane. For a lot of actors coming from overseas, breaking into the U.S. industry usually starts with guest roles. But for my first big U.S. project to be a lead role? It was a whirlwind. I kept thinking, Are they sure? Do they know what they’re doing? [laughs] Later, I found out that some high-profile actresses had gone out for the role, and I was like, Who paid who to get me in there?! It still blows my mind. The scale of it was just so different. Back home in New Zealand, I had done a lot of guest roles, and I had played a lead once before — but never on this level. So stepping into that kind of responsibility, carrying a show like this, was a huge shift for me. But I’m so grateful for the opportunity.
Talking about shooting locations, what was your favourite place to film and why?
Oh, I have a crazy story about this! My character isn’t actually part of the Thailand storyline, but one day I got a call, and they were like, “So, there’s this one scene that’s supposed to be in California, but we can’t find a location in New York that looks like California. Can we fly you out to Thailand and pretend it’s California?” And I was like, “Thailand for five minutes? Sure!” I had never been before, but it was always on my list — I’d wanted to do a proper Thailand trip, learn Muay Thai, and do all the classic touristy things. So suddenly, I’m in Bangkok, staying in this beautiful hotel, going out for dinner, and riding in tuk-tuks. I actually convinced everyone to take a tuk-tuk back one night because I was like, “We have to experience this!”
We were also the first actors to shoot a scene for the show — Amanda Warren, who plays Catherine, and I. That was really special. But, oh my gosh, Amanda was so sick that day. She had food poisoning, but she just powered through. I don’t even know how — she was literally throwing up between takes, then coming back and delivering her lines like nothing happened. I was like, “We can cut! You don’t have to do this!” But she just kept going. And you’d never be able to tell when you watch the scene. It was intense — 36-degree heat, crazy humidity, Amanda in a full black suit, me in cashmere. The moment they called cut, we were both dying. But even in that chaos, I had this moment of, Wow, I get to travel the world and do this for a job.
And then, on my way back to New York, I had a layover in Dubai. Someone asked me, “How has your life changed?” and I was like, “Oh, not much, no one really recognizes me.” And then, right after, a flight attendant came up and was like, “I love the show!” It was one of those surreal moments where I was like, “Oh, this is cool.”
Speaking of those moments, has a fan ever shared something with you that really stayed with you and motivated you?
Oh, absolutely. When I was at university, I actually thought about falling back on my psychology degree and working in social work. But I quickly realized I’m way too much of an empath — I’d take everything home with me and just feel powerless. What I love about working in entertainment is that you can still make an impact but in a different way. You can give people an escape, and bring them joy, even if just for a little while. And I never really thought about that side of it until I started getting messages from fans saying, “I was going through this really tough time, and your show helped me get through it.” That’s when it hit me — oh, this does mean something. It makes all those freezing night shoots worth it. When you’re exhausted and just want to go home, you remember, People love this. It matters. That keeps me going.
![](https://schon-magazine.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/14004611/Schon_Magazine_lucianebuchanan5.jpg)
jacket. Rue Sophie
dress. Leset
opposite
jacket. Retrofete
dress. Contessa Mills
shoes. Yves Saint Laurent
earrings. Vintage
And what do you hope fans take away from your character’s story?
Ooh, no one’s ever asked me that! Let me think… I love that Rose is someone who puts herself out there completely for the people she cares about. She’s not afraid to go to extreme lengths — even across the country — to protect someone she loves. She risks her life without knowing if she’ll get anything in return. And I think that’s admirable. She’s fierce and loyal, and I love that about her. I hope people see that and connect with it. I’ve read some fan reactions where they’re like, “What happened to her?!” [laughs] But yeah, at her core, she’s someone who fights for the people she loves, and I think that’s a great quality.
How do you think you’ve grown as an actress since you first started?
Oh man — not vertically! [laughs] But personally? So much. When I started, I was super naive — just wide-eyed and open to learning. And I still am, but now I’m much more confident in my instincts. I’ve found my groove, and I trust myself more. I also love collaborating. I’m always asking questions — “How do I hold this gun? Does this line make sense?” I’m in constant conversations with the writers and directors. I used to worry about making everyone happy, but now I’ve learned that it’s a collaboration and my input matters.
Who are three people you’d love to work with?
Oh, off the top of my head—Alfonso Cuarón! I love his movies, and his new show Disclaimer was incredible. Then there’s Cristin Milioti. She’s in The Penguin, and I recently watched it and had to rewind some of her scenes because she was so good. She’s just a phenomenal actress, and I’d love to work with her. And Luca Guadagnino. I love everything he does — his style, his taste. He’d definitely be on my list.
How do you stay grounded and take care of your mental health?
Oh, I’m figuring that out daily! [laughs] But when I’m not working, I try to have a routine. Recently, I’ve gotten into the gym. I’m still new to it, and my co-star Rob Heaps teases me because I’ll come to set like, “Guys, I just did this thing called a hip thrust, it’s so hard!” And he’s like, “Yeah…everyone knows what that is.” [laughs] Also — FaceTime. I live for FaceTime. My best friends and I are all in different countries, but we have each other’s Find My iPhone and will randomly be like, “Why are you there? Whose house is that?” [laughs] They keep me sane. We always say that this is the greatest love story of our lives. My family also keeps me grounded — mostly by roasting me. They’ll watch my projects and be like, “Why do you run like that?” And I’m like, “Okay, and this is why I don’t have a big head.” [laughs] But honestly, the biggest thing is making time to live life. Actors can get so consumed by work — it becomes our identity. But I think it’s important to step away, experience things, and just be. It makes you a better actor in the long run.
Lastly, what do you hope to leave behind, both as a person and as an actress?
As an actress, I just want to know that I gave everything I had. I never want to walk away from a project thinking, “I could’ve done more.” I watch a lot of sports documentaries, and I’m always inspired by that athlete mentality of pushing yourself fully. That’s what I want to do. As a person? I love making people laugh. The best part of this industry is the people I get to work with, and I just want to be someone who makes their day a little better. And, of course, I hope people enjoy the projects I’ve been a part of. That’s really all you can ask for.
![](https://schon-magazine.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/14004616/Schon_Magazine_lucianebuchanan6.jpg)
dress. Contessa Milla
earrings. Vintage
opposite
full look. Gabriela Hearst
The Night Agent Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
photography. Garrett Naccarato
creative direction + production. Clara La Rosa
fashion. Zoe Gofman
talent. Luciane Buchanan
hair. Sky Kim @ The Only Agency using Living Proof
make up. Andrea Ventura @ The Only Agency using Westman Atelier
studio. studio28
interview. Maja Bebber