Meeting with Myha’la and Marisa Abela feels like catching up with old friends—ones who happen to be at the center of one of the most compelling series on television. It’s been nearly two years since we last saw them on screen together in the Season 2 finale, and Industry, much like its characters, has continued to evolve in fascinating ways.
With the third season just around the corner, it’s clear that this isn’t just another chapter for the cast and crew; it’s a major milestone for the series at large. “They’re dealing with bigger money, bigger stakes,” Abela shares with Complex. “The show reflects this sort of enormity of how the show feels now.”
The series is also getting some fresh–and familiar–faces with the addition of Barry star Sarah Goldberg and Game of Thrones alum Kit Harington. “Kit wanting to be in our show is a huge compliment,” Myha’la notes. “He’s hilarious and brilliant [...] It was really fun to play against,” says Abela, who shares an incredibly intricate storyline with him in the upcoming season.
But what’s perhaps even more exciting is the sense that Industry is finally stepping into the spotlight it deserves. HBO has decided to award the show its coveted 9pm Sunday slot, right on the heels of the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale. And it’s a position that both actors don’t take lightly.
“It’s definitely an honor, and there’s an added bit of responsibility that we’re all so happy to take on,” Myha’la explains. “We’re so excited to step up to the plate in that way. So that HBO believes in us that way, it means so much.”
With this newly revamped investment in the series, it’s clear that the network sees in Industry what its growing fanbase has long recognized—a sharp, sophisticated drama that’s more than just a glimpse into the high-stakes world of finance. This isn’t just about bigger sets or more intricate plotlines; it’s about giving Industry the space to become the show it’s always had the potential to be. And for Myha’la and Marisa Abela, that potential is being fully realized this season.
(This interview has been edited in length for clarity.)
Myha’la, the last time we saw you–two years ago in the season two finale–you were basically dropped from your center of gravity. Everything for you is about to change. What kind of stage does that set for you as a performer?
Myhal’a: Such a good question. Initially I was like, “Am I being fired?” And then I was like, “Okay, I'm not being fired. Cool.” I think that is the lowest of low points for Harper, right? So going into it, it's like, “What's the slightest step above like rock bottom for her,” which is a great place to start. It gives you so many places to go, so it was a really, really strong jumping point.
Marissa, we also have to talk about your character's growth and evolution. Just from the season 3 trailer alone, it seems like your character is going to be much more centered in the focus of the story.
Marisa Abela: I think Yasmin has always offered a bit of a respite to a lot of the situations in the bank. From season one, it's like, “What is Yasmin doing outside of the office?” And I think that gives the writers a place to go.
And we left her and her family in a pretty dark place in season two. So what does that turn into? You give [Showrunners] Mickey [Down] and Konrad [Kay] an inch and they’ll take a mile with this story. So it was just really fun to see her in a new way. What that means is that she throws herself deeper into Pierpoint, and we finally see Yasmin doing some work this season.
Myha’la, we also have to talk about the physical transformation with your haircut. Was this a conscious decision from you or was it from the writers?
Myha’la: Well, as everyone knows, it's like damn near two years between every season. So all of us grow up and change and move. But honestly, I was just ready for a big chop. I just wanted to cut my hair. So I called Mickey and Konrad and I said, “Hey, guys, is it okay if I cut my hair? What are we doing next season?” And literally, Konrad was like, “I will never tell you what to do with your hair, ever. You can do anything you want.”
Marisa Abela: Aww, that's nice.
Myha’la: But, I mean, we're working together. I'm in your show. I was like, “Are you sure?” And he said, “Yeah, of course. I would never tell you what to do.” And I was like, “word, okay, so then what are we going into? Let me just make sure it's appropriate.” And he said, “She's hit rock bottom.” And I was like, “Bet.” So she chopped it off. I got to do my own personal style change, and it ended up being good for Harper as well.
We obviously also have to talk about the dynamics between you and Rob this upcoming season. You guys have had a very interesting relationship over the past few years. What can you tell us about the direction that you two will go this season?
Marisa Abela: I think that Yasmin and Robert were kind of set up as a “will-they, won't-they” from the beginning, from season one–and Harper, too. All three of them
Myha’la: People forget about that (chuckles).
Marisa Abela: I think that there's something in Yasmin and Robert that they are incredibly drawn to one another. I think that they want to be the person that could be with the other person. Robert wants to be the man that Yasmin wants to be with, and Yasmin wants to be the woman that someone like Rob wants to be with. And then, you know, we'll see what happens.
(Both erupt into laughter.)
You and Ken Leung shared basically half a decade working together, what was it like this season without him?
Myha’la: It was a deep, deep pain and a longing for my dear friend Ken. Obviously, we had worked most days together and this time we didn't. But there wasn't a move, mostly, that Harper will ever make where she's not thinking about him. When we left her, he was the captain of her demise, so there's always going to be that tether that keeps them thinking of each other, even if it's just that. In the moments when they can or will end up in the room, it becomes so much more intense and explosive and meaningful because of the distance.
Marisa Abela: They're both thinking about each other the whole time, which is kind of amazing to see.
Myha’la: I think the first day we actually worked together, we were like, “Oh my God, so nice to see you!” It had been like months.
Visually speaking, it looks like things have taken a step up from seasons one and two. What can you talk to me about the scale and production for this season compared to the previous ones?
Myha’la: Well, we have a PJ (private jet)… Can I say that?
Marisa Abela: They’re both in the trailer, I think. Yeah we have a PJ and we have a yacht. So it's sick.
Myha’la: Like I said before, there's so much time [in between seasons], so we as human beings grow, our writers, Mickey and Konrad, grow as writers, and the show evolves and we find out different ways to make the budget really work. Fede, our DP, is just phenomenal.
Marisa Abela: He’s amazing.
Myha’la: He's so smart and so locked in and he can make anything look expensive when it is indeed not expensive.
Marisa Abela: They’re older now. We started this show when they were 21, and they were at the bottom of the industry. They weren't the people that you sent out to the private jet to like make that deal happen, and now they are. They're dealing with bigger money, bigger stakes. There's more on the line. I think the show reflects this sort of enormity of how the show feels now, it just makes more sense. They’re older, they've got more going on.
Speaking of leveling up, congratulations on securing HBO’s Sunday night slot. I want to read this quote from HBO’s Head of Drama, Francesca Orsi. She said, “We’re happy for them. They deserve that spot.” How does it feel?
Myha’la: That’s really sweet. They said they're happy, we're happy for us too.
Marisa Abela: We started on Mondays and we've hummed down the week. But, you know, it's amazing. The fact that HBO was saying, “We back this show” is just an amazing feeling for us because we've always loved it and we've always backed it and enjoyed it. So I'm just excited. I'm also English, so I don't really know what this means, but everyone keeps telling me it's a good thing.
Myha’la: It's nice now to be sort of put in a category with a bunch of other shows that we all watch on a Sunday night. It's definitely an honor, and there's an added bit of responsibility that we're all so happy to take on. We're so excited to step up to the plate in that way. So that HBO believes in us in that way, it means so much.
How do you deal with the pressures of such a high profile series?
Marisa Abela: I don't really think about the pressure in a weird way. It was really our first job, Industry, and I think there's a misconception that when you're really young, you get a big job and it's like the scariest thing in the world. The truth is, when you're really young and that green and you got a big job, you're like, “Yaayyy,” and you just don't really think about it. It's like being on a roller coaster as a kid. You don't think about what could go wrong; you just sort of jump in.
Myha’la: Totally that. I also think, for me, when we're making the show, when we're in Cardiff [Wales, UK], doing the day-to-day, I'm not thinking about sitting in this chair talking about it right now. We didn't know we were going to get Sunday nights. We didn't know anybody was going to feel this way about our coming back.
So when we're making it, we're just focused on doing good work on something that we love. Thinking this far ahead is not the priority, so when we get to this place, honestly, for me, I'm like, “Oh, damn. Thanks, guys. I love it too,” so it's really exciting. It feels less like pressure. And also, we've been doing it long enough now. We're really confident. I'm filled with gratitude. I'm just glad that other people are feeling the way I feel about it.
Obviously with the new seasons comes new challenges, new writing direction and whatnot. But what did you both advocate for “more of” in season three to evolve and elevate things?
Myha’la: I haven't yet been–maybe I will be one day–but I've not yet been the girl who’s been like, “I'd like to see this in the show.” And I think that’s just because I trust Mickey and Konrad implicitly. They have proven themselves to be trustworthy in terms of what they write, and everything they bring to me I'm like, “Hell yeah.” Like, how can I bring myself to this?
So I've not yet asked them, like, “Can I see Harper in a bit?” Maybe there's room for that beyond. But I feel like my job is always, “How can I bring as much of myself to this and how can I bring this to life in the best possible way?”
Speaking of Mickey and Konrad, they’re both now stepping into the director's chair this season. What was it like working with them in this new capacity?
Myha’la: I was lowkey begging them to direct from day one. I think because we're very close to them and have been from day one, really building these characters and developing them and holding them as close as we do to our hearts, that I always go to them first. If I ever have a question I'm like, “What do you think? This came out of your brain.” So honestly, it streamlined so much for me. They were right there. I didn’t have to call.
Marisa Abela: They were always on set anyway. It's their show, it's their baby, it's their brains. You want to be respectful of everyone, but you ask a question to the director, but really you're like, “What's the answer to Mickey and Konrad?” So the fact that it's now them, it was so fun. And also, I'm glad that it was now. I'm glad that was season three because we held each other's hands through it.
On the topic of new roles, we have to talk about Kit Harington joining the cast. What was your initial reaction when you found out you’d be working with him this season?
Myha’la: I was like, “Isn't he lucky?” (Laughs) No, honestly, Kit wanting to be in our show is a huge compliment. Same with Sarah [Goldberg], anybody who wants to come and join us. It's a huge compliment when another actor is like, “I love that show. I watch it.” That's huge because we are the most critical. So I was like, “Oh, someone who I respect and whose career I'm familiar with and I like wants to be in our show, that's amazing.”
Marisa Abela: Totally. And then he came on set and what he did with Henry, Lord Henry Mark, it's sick. It's very cool. And I'm excited for people to see it and see him like that. He's hilarious and brilliant. I was surprised by the way that he did it, and it was really fun to play against.
Have any other celebrities reached out to you guys about joining the cast?
Marisa Abela: About joining the cast?
Or maybe even reached out to say they love the show?
Myha’la: Um… Yeah, a couple folks.
(Both look at each other with smiles.)
I know you guys took a trip to Brussels. What's that bonding experience like with your castmates?
Marisa Abela: Well because [Myha’la’s] American, [she was] always coming and going to the U.K., it was necessary with work. But she was like, “Where should I go in Europe?” And I don't know why we went to Brussels to be honest…
Myha’la: Girl, I think it was the first stop on the Eurostar, honestly, right? Like the first one out of the U.K., and I was like, “Come!”
Marisa Abela: And we did and it was so fun. Honestly, working with Myha’la and Harry [Lawtey] is the best thing about this show. Our friendship is incredibly special and it's incredibly intimate because we have the same experience. We had the exact same experience of this industry, and that's very rare to have. It's a camaraderie that is very important to me. And I think now, of course, it comes through in the show. They have the same experience. Well, like not quite literally (chuckles).
Do you think camaraderie added to the final product?
Myha’la: Absolutely, 100%. I mean, through the entire production. I think it was Konrad who said “We caught lightning in a bottle,” or something like that. And I swear, I feel like that is so true with the show. It has been my experience thus far that I'm actually not sure I'm ever going to make friends like this again.
I'm going to hold this experience as singular and unique and so special because we did all come into it in a similar place in life. And now, as our careers are blossoming and evolving, we can share that with each other. The way that we have committed our blood, sweat and tears to these characters and to the show at large, it's just really special.
People are always like, “It feels like Eric and Harper hate and love each other.” And I was like, “That's because on the page they hate each other and because I actually love Ken [Leung].”
Marisa Abela: Every character dynamic is like that.
Myha’la: Yeah, because we literally, genuinely love each other. And that's something you can't pretend. That's chemistry, and we are really, really lucky.
The wardrobe and costumes on the show feature so many luxury designers. Is it true you all had to change attire sometimes mid-scene when graphic things came up?
Marisa Abela: Yeah, you'll see on the show we have iPhones and then whenever there's drugs, we’ll have Samsungs or an Android of some kind. I mean, I get it.
Myha’la: It's totally fair. They don’t want to be associated with drug abuse or any kind of violence. There was a scene where I was like, “Oh, on this day I'm wearing this top that I cannot not now wear in the scene.” They were like, “Cool, we're putting a jacket on. Nobody's going to see.” But you can't, we'll get sued.
Marisa Abela: I was wearing Louboutins, and there's one scene in season two when I got my feet out, which I hate.
Myha’la: Oh no, no free feet pics!
Marisa Abela: I know, and it’s because it was literally last-minute, we were nearly done with the day and they were like, “Get the red bottoms off the screen!”
Have there been any talks about an Industry season four – and how many seasons do you think you need to tell this story?
Myha’la: I mean, I've literally said “infinite number of”–no. I mean, I've said to Mickey and Konrad on multiple occasions, “I'll do whatever you write.” If we can make it happen, I'll do it.
Marisa Abela: Their brains are insane, and they are just getting better and better and better and more and more and more excited and inspired. They're not complacent in any way. Any kind of success or feeling that it's good just makes them want to do even better. They are incredibly willing to collaborate with us in that way. So for sure, I mean, story wise, the options are endless when you get to the end of season three.