Zuri Reed and Lyndon Smith talk National Treasure and agree Agent Ross is plucky

Actors Zuri Reed and Lyndon Smith, who play Tasha and Agent Ross in Disney+ Hotstar’s National Treasure: Edge of History, spoke to Hindustan Times about their characters, how they bonded over that one pivotal scene that comes late in the show. Also, why Agent Ross could be described as plucky!

I am curious to know what you took back from your own characters from the series, and how was the filming process.

Lyndon Smith: Well this was an interesting role for me in that I got to do a lot more stunts than what I am used to do in shows. So, yeah, being able to have that gift of…doing so much physicality in a role that is something I will be taking with me… into other roles, because I haven’t done a lot of things that are action-heavy and this is a action-heavy show.

Zuri Reed: Same, really. This is my first action project as well. I play someone who knows that she is a genius when it comes to technology.. and hacking.. and she is so so smart with that and I am not! (laughs) so spending some time with her was kinda cool!

Lyndon: I am curious… did you like, read things in the script and then research what that was?

Zuri: Absolutely! So many times, yes! (smiles)

Lyndon: I have always wondered because like usually there’s always a tech person in a lot of shows and I am like…they are also learning all of these things too!

Zuri: Absolutely!

Lyndon: So now you can hack all our computers?

Zuri: Basically! (smiles) Beware!

Lyndon: The entire process was amazing! We had a great time!

If I could quickly ask both of you to share your fondest memory from set.

Zuri: Oh, goodness! There are so many!

Lyndon: There are lots! (smiles)

Okay, two or three fondest memories then!

(both laugh together)

Lyndon: Okay. It is also hard to not give spoilers away. Okay, so this is a non-spoiler. So, one of my favourite moments in the entire series is actually a scene that I get to do with Zuri and it’s funny because we both had this as an audition scene. It happens late in the season and for Agent Ross it is one of the greatest pivoting moments in her character. Zuri changes her. The relationship that these two have. I think they change each other for the better. Getting to do that scene with Zuri was… I mean she’s such an incredible actress. That day was on of my favourite days on set. Also one of my biggest growing days on set. I took a lot of notes off that scene.

Zuri: You know what, I will say the exact same!

Lyndon: Yes, you will! (smiles)

Zuri: Lyndon Smith is absolutely incredible! That was our…one of the audition scenes, but to take it from the audition process to now filming… and again it is like later on in the season, we grew up so much, that’s such a changing moment for Agent Ross and Tasha as well, but I don’t really think that Tasha is being changed in the moment because she is so stuck in her ways but..(pauses and looks at Lyndon) it does…it changes her.

Lyndon: It was like acting with a capital A!

So, if I would ask you to describe your characters in two words, what would you say?

Zuri: In two words?(pauses) I will do three words.

Great, go for it.

Zuri: I will say, sassy, tech, genius.

Lyndon: Oh, that describes her perfectly!

Zuri: Yeah! (smiles)

Lyndon: One word that we used to describe Agent Ross a lot was..(Zuri nods and joins in together) plucky! (both laugh) It started early on, when we first met the team, they were like Agent Ross is such a plucky character! I just love that because when was the last time that you heard the word plucky? So I am gonna say plucky, and umm… empathetic. Because she has a great way of balancing the logic and the rules as well as seeing the person behind everything. So, plucky and empathetic. (smiles)

National Treasure: Edge of History will be streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from December 14, 2022.