Karolina Wydra is beaming with joy, both on and off the screen, after securing a role in Vince Gilligan’s latest project, Pluribus. The opportunity to work in the renowned ‘Gilliverse’ alongside the talented Rhea Seehorn is nothing short of a dream come true for her.

Throughout her impressive career, Wydra, now 44, has graced numerous productions, including hits like True Blood, Sneaky Pete, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Yet, collaborating with Vince Gilligan had always been a top aspiration. “Even before I read the script, I was already a huge fan of Vince Gilligan,” Wydra shared in an interview with Decider over Zoom. “From the first time I watched Breaking Bad to Better Call Saul, I knew I wanted to work with him. I constantly told my team, ‘If there’s ever an opportunity with Vince Gilligan, please make sure I get a chance to audition.’ When this project came up, I auditioned not knowing much about it, only that it had a fake name.”

Vince Gilligan, known for his meticulous storytelling, has kept the plot details of Pluribus under wraps, adding to the intrigue surrounding the Apple TV sci-fi series. Now, with the first three episodes available for streaming, viewers have been introduced to a gripping narrative. The show reveals that astronomers have detected a radio signal from hundreds of lightyears away, which turns out to be a nucleotide recipe. Once replicated in a lab, this sequence spreads like a virus, infecting nearly everyone on Earth with an overwhelming sense of happiness, except for Carol Sturka, played by Seehorn, and 11 others. These “Others” are not only blissfully happy but also mentally connected through a shared consciousness.

As Carol embarks on a mission to save humanity from this extraterrestrial influence, Wydra’s character, Zosia, who is also one of the Others, becomes instrumental in helping her navigate this new, surreal world. The series, which seamlessly blends genres, challenges its audience to reflect on the dystopian implications of a utopian pursuit — a concept that left Wydra profoundly impressed.

As Carol sets out to save the world in wake of the extraterrestrial interference, Wydra’s character Zosia, an Other who wants nothing more than to make Carol happy, helps her navigate their new reality. Along the way, the genre-bending series challenges people to examine the dystopic costs of pursuing a utopia, a vision that blew Wydra’s mind.

“I have not read anything like it. I haven’t seen a character like this on TV ever. I have not seen this world on TV before. Vince is such a master of his craft. He’s such a visionary with his writing, and he creates these incredible worlds. The conversations that this show starts, we would have on set. We would constantly dissect, ‘Who are these people? What does it mean to be part of this world that has a collective mind, that is so kind and sweet? Does it have agenda? It’s not manipulative,’” Wydra explained. “To be able to do that, any person can perform anything on the highest level. We could constantly have these conversationsa and I was blown away. I was excited. And there’s so much incredible dark humor that Vince Gilligan writes. You really shouldn’t be laughing at this, but it’s so funny.”

Before Wydra was able to fully wrap her head around the world of Pluribus, she found inspiration in out-of-context auditions sides from Episode 3’s intense “grenade scene” and a chemistry test with the “incredible” Rhea Seehorn.

“I didn’t know anything about the world. And when I would read the sides, something happened, and I just understood Zosia. It was very strange. I was just like, ‘I get this girl.’ And when I read the scripts and realized who Zosia is, it was truly exciting,” Wydra recalled.

The singular role allows Wydra to flex dramatic and comedic chops. She masters the Others’ chilling convulsions choreographed by Nito Larioza. She has palpable chemistry with Seehorn. And she makes playing a chipper, warm, calming woman who frequently finds herself on the receiving end of Carol’s outbursts look effortless. With the two core characters regularly emitting contrasting emotions, however, the inability to let each other’s performances inform one another made for a particularly challenging, wholly unique experience.

“That was one of the most challenging parts, not being able to mirror her emotions, or go on that journey with her. Because normally, when you’re working, acting is about reacting and going on that emotional journey. It’s like a ping pong match, right? Or a tennis match where one gives one thing and you give it back,” Wydra mused. “Not being able to reciprocate whatever she’s going through, and just holding the space for her, was sometimes a challenge.”

With Seehorn at the top of the call sheet, however, Wydra felt like anything was possible. “Rhea is incredible. I mean, Rhea Seehorn is incredible. I can speak hours about her and how wonderful she is. From the minute we had a chemistry test, she was so giving, so welcoming. She’s such a phenomenal actress,” the Pluribus star raved. “We would rehearse the scenes before we would shoot them and get the words in our bodies so that we could have that freedom to play more, and discuss the scene, and discuss the characters. There was a lot of time where we were just constantly running, running, running lines. And she’s just she was always there. She’s always gives you 100%. If it’s my side or my take, she would give me 100%. She always shows up fully prepped and ready to go.”

While Carol finds herself frequently frustrated with Zosia and the situation at hand, Wydra revealed the dynamics on set were far more lighthearted.

“We had a lot of fun joking around on set, and we got along so well. And it’s such a treat to have a partner like that. If I was struggling with something, she was always there. And she would always hold my hand through the hard moments, whatever was going on,” Wydra explained. “I have such admiration for Rhea on every level — as an artist, as a woman, as a friend. She’s truly a spectacular human being.”

With nine episodes in Season 1 and an early Season 2 renewal, we can’t wait to see what else Pluribus has in store for Zosia and Carol.

New episodes of Pluribus premiere Fridays on Apple TV.