Maddie Hasson Interview: ‘Impulse’
Maddie Hasson was drawn to “Impulse” because she found the protagonist, Henrietta “Henry” Coles, to be “really interesting, especially for a young female character.” Based on the book series by Steven Gould, the YouTube Originals series centers on a teenager who discovers she possesses powers of teleportation following a sexual assault. A version of this story was previously filmed by Doug Liman as the 2007 film “Jumper.” The filmmaker then brought the show to the streaming network and directed the pilot episode. Watch our exclusive video interview with Hasson above.
The actress describes Henry as “a very lonely person. She’s always on her own. I liked her because she’s like a raw nerve. She’s very angry, real and harsh. I liked seeing that in a young female character because I think so often young adult TV shows can get caught up … in being likable.” The creators of “Impulse” “never once did that.”
Part of that anger, of course, stems from the trauma at the heart of Henry’s superpowers. “Her assault and her extraordinary ability” are “forever tied” together, Hasson explains. “So when she is trying to harness her power, she’s also having to come to terms with what happened to her. That was really, really interesting to play.”
In addition to “Impulse,” Hasson had a recurring role on the series “Mr. Mercedes.” She has also appeared in such films as “God Bless America” (2011), “I Saw the Light” (2015) and “Novitiate” (2017), as well as the TV shows “The Finder” and “Twisted.” “Impulse” is produced by Hypnotic and UCP and will premiere its second season later this year.
