Exclusive Interview: Samantha Mathis Discusses Fighting the Strigoi on THE STRAIN Season 3

On FX's The Strain, The Master and his strigoi army have never been stronger. But standing between their stingers and the citizens of New York City is councilwoman Justine Feraldo (played by Samantha Mathis). As the city's director of security, Feraldo is now more involved than ever before in the fight against the vampiric infection, and with season 3 of The Strain premiering this Sunday on FX, I had the chance to speak with Mathis about her character's key role in the battle for the Big Apple, and ultimately, the world.

Thanks for taking the time to talk about The Strain Season 3. The first three episodes of this season are so packed with action that it's almost like each one is a season finale. The intensity is higher, so what has that been like for you to come into this season with all of the stakes now raised?

Samantha Mathis: It's a lot of fun to rise to the occasion. It’s also one of the challenges, from an actor’s perspective, to keep that level of adrenaline going, and remember that we’re still in week three of this vampire apocalypse. That’s what’s exciting, and also the challenge, to maintain that high level of urgency, with the reality of it being the third season, but it’s really the third week.

Yeah, it’s still pretty early on, and Justine Feraldo, your character, has shown time and time again that she truly cares about New York City and that she is willing to fight for fellow New Yorkers. As this battle continues in season 3, do you feel like Feraldo has a little more support in her stand against the strigoi, or is she still fighting a losing battle with the creatures?

Samantha Mathis: You’re going to see her really fighting a losing battle. She is doing her best, and she certainly has some seasoned support from the police department. She poised herself to be very successful in Staten Island, and that’s why she was put in the position that she is in, but as we know from the books, to the extent where the show is going, it’s going to be a tough battle for her as the episodes evolve.

Another thing I really like about this season is, right off the bat, we’ve seen Feraldo interacting with Fet [Kevin Durand] and Eph [Corey Stoll] a bit more, and she’s utilizing their skills in taking on The Master’s army. What has it been like for you to have more scenes with those characters, and also to have Feraldo, instead of being an outsider, be more of a leader among the core characters this time around?

Samantha Mathis: To start, I’m such a huge fan of Corey’s and Kevin’s work on the show, so it was really exciting to be less isolated in my storyline, and be folded into their storylines a bit more, because they’re just such fantastic actors and human beings. It was really a delight to get to finally work with them more, and to have some juicy interactions.

Also, it’s indicative of Justine having a more powerful position. I love playing Justine so much! It’s interesting, it used to be, twenty years ago, that roles for women got less and less interesting in the television industry, and it’s so completely the opposite! Justine is a powerful, complicated, strong woman, and it’s such a delight to be in my forties and to be playing a woman who is complicated and strong and doesn’t mince words.

Yeah, she’s not afraid to take care of business, whether it’s over the phone or with a gun in her hand. She’s proven that she can do it both ways, so it’s been awesome to see her take action.

Samantha Mathis: I really lucked into something with this character very early on. In fact, in the audition process, there was a monologue that I was given to read, and she talked about having been from Staten Island, and having lost her husband and her brother, who were both first-responders to 9/11, and the way in which Staten Island was treated post-9/11, a bit kicked to the curb by Mayor Giuliani, not as supported, and after Hurricane Sandy, even, Staten Island didn’t get the attention that the other boroughs got.

There was something about that that really resonated for me. It just so happens that my boyfriend is a firefighter in New York City, so I really could appreciate the position that she had, and the chip on her shoulder that she had, and why she was compelled to become a politician. It really put a fire in me, that she was really fighting for something that she believes in, and wants to protect the people, and has no tolerance for the politics.

Although she is a politician, so she is not dumb, and she knows what she has to do to survive. There are some games to be played, as evidenced by her being willing to speak to Eldritch Palmer and get what she needs.

Eldritch helped her get to the spot she currently is in, overseeing the security of the city, which ultimately is for the benefit of the people, because Feraldo truly cares about that initiative. Do you think she’s wary at all about having his support, though, knowing that he is probably doing some slimy things on the side?

Samantha Mathis: Well, she’s not naïve. She knows that there’s a potential downside in engaging with him, but she also knows she has to do a bit of a dance to get into that position that she was put into at the end of last season.

At the end of last season, when Mayor Lyle was killed, Feraldo was a prime suspect, and I know she knew something fishy was going on there, too. Is that a concern for her, or does she just have way too much on her hands right now to worry about that?

Samantha Mathis: She’s moved on. The emergency at hand is far greater than her being implicated in his assassination.

It’s a little lower on the priority list at this point, and understandably so. One of my favorite episodes last season was “The Battle for Red Hook." We saw Feraldo right on the frontlines with the people, and she did not want to retreat; she showed that she was willing to die for the sake of the city. Can we expect any more close encounters between your character and the strigoi in season 3?

Samantha Mathis: Oh, you can expect some really epically nasty and massive encounters as the season evolves. The fans will not be disappointed; you are going to see Justine’s gun back in her hand.

That alone is worth tuning in for. What are you the most excited for fans to experience in the third season? It really does feel like a new chapter for the show.

Samantha Mathis: I would say that the altercations that will occur with her security forces lead up to really massive showcase showdowns that will occur with the strigoi, and they will not disappoint. I think that the fans will be really equally thrilled and grossed out by things that are coming down the pipeline.

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The Strain Season 3 debuts on Sunday, August 28th at 10:00pm EST on FX. Keep an eye on Daily Dead for more interviews with the show's cast ahead of the season 3 premiere.