Anna Maxwell Martin and Agnes O’Casey join us to discuss Star City, the new Apple TV thriller expanding the world of For All Mankind through the dangerous and secretive Soviet space program.
Set behind the Iron Curtain during an alternate-history version of the space race, Star City explores the paranoia, political pressure, intelligence operations, and survival instincts driving the Soviet side of humanity’s race to the moon.
In this discussion, Martin and O’Casey reflect on exploring Soviet intelligence culture, the emotional conflict between loyalty and survival, and portraying women forced to navigate systems built around secrecy, power, and fear.
About STAR CITY
Expanding the universe of For All Mankind, Star City revisits the alternate-history space race from inside the Soviet Union after the USSR becomes the first nation to put a man on the moon.
The series follows the lives of cosmonauts, engineers, intelligence officers, and political operatives working within one of the most secretive systems in the world while facing constant pressure, surveillance, and political danger.
Described as a paranoid thriller, Star City explores the human cost behind scientific ambition and the emotional toll of survival under the Soviet system.
Watch the Full Interview
Topics Covered
- Watching For All Mankind to better understand Irina’s larger story
- Learning about real-life KGB tactics and Soviet intelligence operations
- The emotional conflict between loyalty and survival
- Playing characters who are often the smartest people in the room
Exploring the Soviet Side of the Space Race
While For All Mankind largely focused on the American perspective of the alternate-history space race, Star City shifts the lens toward the Soviet Union and the hidden realities operating behind the Iron Curtain.
That perspective introduces a much more paranoid and politically dangerous environment where information, loyalty, and personal survival are constantly intertwined.
The series leans heavily into secrecy, surveillance, and psychological pressure while exploring the emotional cost of operating within that system.
The Pressure of Loyalty & Survival
One of the major themes discussed was the constant tension between loyalty and survival inside the Soviet system.
For many of the characters, personal beliefs, emotional relationships, and political expectations are all in direct conflict with one another, creating an atmosphere where trust becomes increasingly fragile.
That emotional push-and-pull appears central to both characters and the larger tone of the series itself.
Drawing From Real Soviet Intelligence History
The discussion also touched on researching real-life KGB operations and Soviet intelligence culture when approaching the series.
Rather than simply functioning as background atmosphere, the realities of surveillance, political fear, and institutional control help shape the emotional and psychological behavior of the characters throughout the story.
That grounding gives Star City a much more suspense-driven and emotionally tense identity within the larger For All Mankind universe.
Women Navigating Power & Intelligence
Martin and O’Casey also reflected on portraying characters who are often among the most intelligent and emotionally aware people in the room.
Inside a world driven by hierarchy, secrecy, and political maneuvering, intelligence becomes both a strength and a danger depending on who is watching.
That tension adds another layer of complexity to the relationships and emotional dynamics operating throughout the series.
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