Ryan Kiera Armstrong may be in the throes of some intense slayer training, but the young actress is already looking forward to reprising her role as Francis in Sterlin Harjo’s latest FX series “The Lowdown.”
Armstrong plays the daughter of Ethan Hawke’s “truthstorian” Lee Raybon, a rough-around-the-edges citizen journalist who is a loving father despite his totally unconventional methods. In Season 1, Lee tries to get to the bottom of the city’s latest death (which he thinks was a murder), all while trying to keep his ramshackle business afloat.
“I love their relationship,” Armstrong tells TVLine. “It’s really beautiful. Ethan is so good. Just watching him on set, he’s so open to ideas and so creative, and it really shines in this. You can really see it. He gives me so much to work with, and I’m really proud of a lot of these scenes.”
While we (and the cast) eagerly await the dramedy’s fate (c’mon FX!), the actress says she’s more than ready to get back to Tulsa, Okla. to continue working with Harjo and Hawke. Below, she discusses some of the show’s most pivotal scenes, why she enjoyed her time in Oklahoma, and what she loves most about Francis.
Working On A Sterlin Harjo Set
TVLINE | How was it working alongside Sterlin Harjo on this project?
RYAN KIERA ARMSTRONG | I love Sterlin so much. He’s so chill and you can really feel it on set, but we get so much work done. It’s so hard to describe. He is so brilliant and, of course, so many of the actors are from “Reservation Dogs.” A lot of the crew is as well and everyone had worked together before, so it was like joining a family that was already made and it was really sweet. I got to work with such an incredible crew and everyone was just so happy to be there. I keep talking about this because I’ve never experienced this. Of course everyone loves working on the show that they’re working on, but the amount of love and passion from everyone on set for this show, it was incredible. Even at the premiere and seeing everyone again, you really felt that love and that celebration. So yeah, I just love this crew and I love Sterlin, and I love his guitar that he brings on set.
TVLINE | Does he rock out for you guys?
Oh my gosh, he really does. Him and Ethan, they’re both so cool. He’s playing the guitar in between a take, and then Ethan chimes in and starts singing, and you see the first [assistant director] and he’s like, “We’ve gotta get going, guys! We’re kind of behind,” but it’s so much fun. It was one of the best sets I’ve ever worked on.
TVLINE | One of my favorite scenes was the one outside of Francis’ school, where Lee tells her he’s showing her what a good man is by how he lives his life. What does your character think of her dad’s antics and work?
On one hand, it seems like she really does respect that. On the other, it seems like she just wants to be a teenage girl. I totally get what she’s going through. She also has to parent her dad, and it’s a tough pill to swallow. As a teenager, I couldn’t imagine. She has to be the bigger person and look after him and nurture him. And meanwhile, she’s just a kid and she’s just learning and figuring out herself in her life. But then they also go on this amazing and beautiful journey together that bonds them even more. It’s really lovely and I was happy that I got to show that message. In real life, I have a lovely father/daughter relationship and to do that on-screen as well for other people to watch, it’s nice.
TVLINE | Was the poetry reading scene in the finale a difficult one to shoot for you? How did you prepare?
Yes, she has some guts. I get nervous public speaking, and I was quite nervous a few days before. It was my last day on set too, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. I gotta leave with a bang.’ There was a lot to memorize, but I was excited to film it because I’ve never done anything like that before and it’s the classic shot of someone reading in front of a crowd. I was really excited to do it.
Exploring Tulsa And Preparing to Slay
TVLINE | The show hasn’t been renewed yet, but what are you most looking forward to if/when the show returns?
I’m ready for it all. Fingers crossed for Season 2. I am ready. (Sterlin, call me. I will be there.) I would love to go back to Tulsa and work with that exceptional crew and Ethan and that amazing team, but, [with] Francis, I’m ready to see more journeys with her and Lee. Maybe some fighting action, I don’t know.
TVLINE | Tell me a little bit about working in Tulsa. Stelin has talked a lot about why he chose to set the show there.
I love Tulsa so much. It was a nice change from what I’m used to. I live in New York and Los Angeles, so it was very different, but I met some really lovely people while being out there. I had some great ice cream and I had such a good time filming there. I love all the locations that we got to film [at]. I was used to filming in studio a lot, so being on location was such a treat because you’re working with a real place and not a green screen. To explore Tulsa, I got to see all kinds of it. They’re really artsy people. I wasn’t expecting that. I didn’t know what to expect going into it, but I went to a couple amazing museums. People there are so artsy and creative. We had a lot of locals acting, and I met some great people.
TVLINE | What was your favorite part of playing Francis?
I love the journey that she goes on herself. She’s changing a lot, as every teenager does every day. Every day I have a new style, it’s crazy. But I feel like Francis is changing as a person so much, and you can really see that throughout the season. Now she’s a little stronger. She changes so much as a person. I love challenges like that and creating that arc and that journey. It was really fun to do.
TVLINE | You’ve filmed the pilot episode for the upcoming “Buffy” reboot. How has it been working with Sarah Michelle Gellar?
I can’t really speak much about it until next year, but Sarah, just being around her is so sweet. I miss her so much. I miss working with her. She’s honestly such a legend, and seeing how much she cares about this is really, really lovely, and the fans should be excited.
TVLINE | Have you seen the full series? Do you have any favorite characters or episodes?
Yes, I’ve been watching with my siblings. I watched it when I was younger and now I’m rewatching. It’s such an amazing show and the writing is incredible. Oh, I don’t even know if I can pick my favorite episode. Maybe “The Body.” It’s sad, but I don’t know. It’s hard to pick… OK, I’m just gonna leave it at that. The entire series is amazing and the writing is just exceptional and if you haven’t seen the original “Buffy,” you should.