Carrie-Anne Moss on Her New Series Yaga and That John Wick 'Throwaway Line'

Actress Carrie-Anne Moss, known for her roles in The Matrix, Star Wars: The Acolyte, and Jessica Jones, is set to star in the new AMC+ drama Yaga. Moss first learned about the series while researching the mythology behind Baba Yaga, a legendary female monster from Slavic folklore. She has been fascinated by the Baba Yaga story for decades, citing a book called Women Who Run With the Wolves as a source of inspiration.

Yaga follows private investigator Rapp, played by Noah Reid, as he investigates the disappearance of a young heir to a powerful fishery in the coastal town of Whittock. He encounters an apprehensive local detective, Carson, portrayed by Clark Backo, a charming university professor, Katherine, played by Moss, and a series of mysterious suspects, secret lives, and ancient magic.

During production, Moss embraced her character's unbothered nature, particularly in her intimate scenes with Hudson Williams. She mentioned that her relationship with her sons, who are close in age to Hudson, influenced her approach to these scenes. The cast and crew filmed Yaga at a rapid pace, with Moss only being present for three weeks. She preferred this method over lengthy shoots with downtime between takes.

Moss's character, Katherine, humorously comments "What's John Wick?" when the franchise is mentioned by another character. Moss, a fan of the John Wick series herself, acknowledged that fans might consider this line a meta-joke but felt it was better left as a throwaway line. Moss enjoys the feeling of eagerly anticipating new episodes of a show, reminiscent of her childhood when she would visit the theater repeatedly to watch her favorite films.