Thony De Le Rhosa is a fierce badass. She will protect her son at any cost, and Elodie Yung has stolen our hearts with her strong portrayal of the character.
On The Cleaning Lady Season 2, Thony will do anything to get her son Luca back from her estranged husband Marco, who kidnapped him in the Cleaning Lady Season 1 Episode 10.
TV Fanatic chatted with Elodie about Thony’s new challenges in Season 2, how Thony and Fiona’s relationship changes, and what’s next for Arman and Thony.
Hi Elodie. Can you tease what kind of challenges Thony will face in Season 2?
Oh, Laura, it’s going to be intense. Season 1 was intense, so I wondered what the writers would do to continue to make it entertaining and exciting, and they raised the bar.
In Season one, Thony comes to the United States to save her son, and she does anything she has to keep him alive. She gets to, unfortunately, navigate the underworld and the criminal world of Vegas, where this season, they’re expanding the theme of how to save your son and how far you will go to protect your family.
So you’re going to have more Fiona, more of the kids, and you’re going to see Thony struggling even more in this criminal world in Vegas.
So, it is intense. We’re midseason, and I’m going through a roller coaster every day I’m on set.
The web is expanding, so it’s more entertaining, in my opinion. It gets darker, and her choices are questionable and sometimes understandable.
I think we keep the identity that we’ve had in Season one, but the world is darker, and I think the audience will be more entertained.
How will Thony and Fiona’s relationship change because of Marco kidnapping Luca?
It’s the starting point. There’s an excellent dilemma for Fiona because he’s done this, but also, he’s not a criminal. Marco is her dear brother that she loves, and at the same time, she can put herself in my shoes, and she’s a mother herself. She knows what I’m going through.
So there will be a lot of friction between Fiona and Thony, but also an understanding of things and events that will bring them closer together.
I’m glad. I like their sisterly bond.
Yes. It’s a sisterly bond. I don’t know if you have a sister yourself, but sometimes it gets crazy, and the love is still here, and the support is warm. This is how I see it between Fiona and Thony. They are at opposite poles even in their character, but they are driven by the same thing: protecting their loved ones.
Will we see Tony accomplish her dreams now that she has the money?
Yes, it is set up in the premiere. That is still one of her goals. She cares for her son. She’s a doctor. She cares about people and her family but also about the people of how community. So she does want to rectify what is an imbalance in her eyes.
She wants to help people who don’t have access to medical care because they don’t have insurance. They’re immigrants. So that’s a goal of hers. Is she going to achieve it? I can’t tell you, right? Because this is only the beginning of the season.
Of course. And how is she managing the stress of her life with Arman in prison?
That’s just one part. There is so much stress in her life. I don’t know how I manage my own stress going to set every day. It’s too much. From what I’ve seen, she’s someone who doesn’t let go quickly and makes compartments.
I think subtraction is the tool she’s using to keep going forward. Her life is extremely stressful. She lives in a high-stress environment and tries to keep the pieces together.
That there’s a driving force in Thony–something powerful and stable. But where is it going? I’m curious to see that because my shrink would tell me suppression is all that can work with people. But I wonder if it works for her or how long it will work for her. It’s how they address making compartments.
Will the series continue to explore the undocumented experience with the same detail they did last year?
We filmed half of the season, and many other things are covered. We’ve done a great job exploring business; I was so proud of that and the ICE raid. And so obviously, we are talking about immigration. I think we also spend time on other storylines in this season.
That was the wish of the showrunners, and rightly so because we want to know more about Garrett’s life and the other characters coming to play. However, it is still an underlying story. It’s still part of her DNA.
That’s good to know, and will we see Tony and Nadia working together this season?
I don’t know if working is the right word. We are crossing paths.
In Season 2, Thony crosses paths with many different people, so Thony and Nadia cross paths. That will cause some tension. I love that season we see an additional element.
And can you tease what will happen for Arman and Thony for all the fans?
A lot is happening already. We’re on the seventh episode now, and every episode is jam-packed. I can tease that they have a stronger bond. I can’t tell you more.
I understand. Describe the Season 2 premiere in three words.
Exciting. Darker. Unpredictable.
Thank you so much for chatting with us, Elodie. We can’t wait to see Thony in action.
The Cleaning Lady Season 2 premieres Monday, September 19 at 9/8c on FOX, and you can watch The Cleaning Lady online here at TV Fanatic.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.