When a Hit Aussie Series Pairs Missing-Person Mysteries with Social Issues: Jana McKinnon and Kat Stewart Talk 'Black Snow'

If your first binge-watch of 2023 was the debut season Black Snow, you might've pressed play to start the year with a new Australian mystery series, then found yourself digging into the thriller's weight as much as its twists and turns. Starring Travis Fimmel (Dune: Prophecy), the homegrown Stan hit follows a Brisbane-based Cold Case Unit detective dispatched across the state to attempt to close disappearances left unsolved for decades. In season one, the Sunshine State's cane fields in its north beckoned, as did an interrogation of the nation's colonial history and the nation's treatment of the Australian South Sea Islander community while Fimmel's James Cormack searched for a 17-year-old girl last seen in 1994. If the end result hadn't proven gripping must-see viewing, season two Black Snow wouldn't have begun its run to kick off 2025.

This time around, with episodes dropping weekly rather than arriving in a single batch, the Glass House Mountains backdrop the latest case to cross Cormack's desk. In 2003, Zoe Jacobs (Jana McKinnon, Silver and the Book of Dreams) left her 21st birthday party in the Sunshine Coast hinterland town of Moorevale and hasn't been seen since, but her backpack has just been found locally. Black Snow splits its time between its absent figure and Cormack — not merely jumping between then and now, but giving the former as much of a voice in the show as the latter. This isn't just another missing- or dead-woman show, the type that the first season of Deadloch satirised, then; it's as interested in the character that might simply be a face on a flyer in other series, alongside the social issues that played a part in their disappearance. Setting its action in picturesque Queensland surroundings, the current season also dives into the housing crisis.

Before playing the plucky, idealistic Zoe — a twentysomething with big dreams to get out of the only home that she's ever known, to make a difference and to live a life far removed from the existence that her real-estate developer father Leo (Dan Spielman, The Newsreader) has planned for her — McKinnon watched Black Snow's first season as a fan. "To be honest, I was living in Cairns at the time and I saw the first season with my housemates, just as a random audience member, pretty much. And I was so excited about seeing the landscape of Far North Queensland on screen, because I personally hadn't really seen it that much before," she tells Concrete Playground. "And so I just felt really moved by those images of the cane fields — and because they were right in front of my house as well, so it really tied in beautifully with my life that I had there, which was very based in Queensland. I just thought that was really special. And also the representation it gave to Australian South Pacific Islander peoples. I just was a fan of the show. Then I got an audition for the second season and I got really excited about it, and I thought 'I have to be a part of this'."

Now, McKinnon is Black Snow's second lead in its second go-around. The Austrian Australian actor was last seen on Aussie screens in fellow Stan series Bad Behaviour (also alongside Spielman), and stars again as a young woman endeavouring to find for her place in the world. McKinnon is drawn to "complex and nuanced characters, and characters that are searching for purpose in life, or for their place in life," she advises. "Because I think as a young woman in the world, it's so interesting how we all navigate the world and society. And I guess I can relate to that in a sense on a personal level. I find it quite interesting."

While Fimmel remains its constant, surrounding the Boy Swallows Universe, Raised by Wolves and Vikings alum with other impressive talents has never been a struggle for Black Snow. In addition to McKinnon and Spielman, season two enlists a cast that includes Megan Smart (Class of '07), Alana Mansour (Erotic Stories) and Victoria Haralabidou (Exposure). Adding to a resume that seems to feature almost every Aussie show made in the last few decades — think: Underbelly, of course ("it stands up really well and I'm so proud of it; it was a great experience," Stewart notes), plus Offspring, and also The Secret Life of Us, Blue Heelers, Stingers, City Homicide, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Newstopia, Tangle, No Activity, Get Krack!n, Five Bedrooms and One Night, too — Kat Stewart also joins the series as politician Julie Cosgrove. One of the few characters seen both in the 2000s and 2020s, she's initially the pro-development Moorevale mayor, then a senator and the Minister for Infrastructure and Planning. Cosgrove's son is also Zoe's ex-boyfriend.

Stewart was "really, really thrilled to be a part of it," she shares with Concrete Playground, especially as Black Snow stood out among her past roles. "It's a character unlike anyone I've played before. I've tended to play characters that have no filters or are a bit highly-strung or neurotic, and Julie is completely grounded, completely focused, completely composed and quite ruthless — and that was great fun," she continues. Also a highlight: balancing Julie's very distinctive professional and personal guises. "I think that was a key interest for me, because that was a conflict for much Julie's storyline. She's got to balance her impulses and fierce protective instincts for her son with her ethical concerns and her professional concerns. So, that was a big appeal. And I think that's something that's universal. That's something that lots of parents can understand. I think of Joe Biden right now and what he's done — you want to do anything for your kids, but can you? Should you?"

Then there's the fact that this is a topical series — with Julie directly tied to the season's examination of housing insecurity and homelessness, the factors behind both, and the clash between ensuring that people can afford to live in their own communities and attempting to create wealth through development — but "it's not a documentary. First and foremost, it's going to be entertaining. I think it's really smart," Stewart notes. We also chatted with McKinnon and Stewart about playing strong-minded figures, heading back in time, getting energy from the rest of the show's cast, bringing different visions of the Australian landscape to the world and plenty more.

On How McKinnon Approached Playing a Character Who's Pondering What It Means (and Takes) to Be Her Own Person 

Jana: "I think Zoe's a very strong-minded person, and she really knows what she wants to do in life. And she's just trying to find a way, as in how to sell that to her family in the long run — and compromising here and there to wiggle her way through that, through those expectations, I guess. 

I thought that was really interesting. And showing someone who is so focused on also changing the world and making it a better place, and being so invested in that — and then being thrown by all these other things that that life forces onto her, like grief and just everything that comes with that. 

I found that a very interesting aspect of Zoe's journey, how she deals with the grief of losing her friend and what that does to her life and the trajectory that she's on."

On Stewart's Initial Read on Julie, and What Got Her Excited About the Part

Kat: "First and foremost, you look at great writing and a great story. Is this something I would watch? That's kind of my litmus test, and it was a big yes. And I thought 'okay, this is something I can have fun with. This is something a bit different for me'. And I hasten to add it's a fantastic ensemble. So I'm one of a brilliant ensemble. I'm in and out of the two timeframes, 20 years ago and currently.

I liked that she's a grown-up character. I play her in her 40s and her 60s, and I love that she's so centred. That just appealed to me. I thought 'there's a stillness here that I can really explore'. 

And also the fact given the right set of circumstances, we're capable of really surprising actions. And she's a mother as well as a politician, and those roles butted up against each other. So I thought 'yeah, this is interesting'. I thought it'd be good fun — and it was."

On What McKinnon First Saw That She Could Bring to Zoe — and How She Prepared to Jump Back to the Early 00s

Jana: "I like that she was a bit edgy and had this really strong interest in music, and did the community radio show. And it was all about the bands and the music with her friends. I just thought that was so cool. It was so nice to research all the music myself, because I didn't know all of the bands that she was into, and dig into that aspect of the period. I mean it's 2003, but it's technically period now.

It's kind of strange when it's sort of still the time that you're living in, but sort of not. It's uncanny sometimes, like suddenly you're thinking about 'oh, did you have computers at the cash system at the shop or did you not? How did that work?'.

And also all the tech at the community radio station, we had to learn all that because it was old tech that we didn't grow up with anymore. So it was really interesting and fun to explore."

On How Stewart Got Into the Mindset of a Politician

Kat: "I think subliminally we all probably research a bit. We just look at our politicians and how they hold themselves. I went in with a central idea that Julie has — I'm someone who, I don't go into the into a room thinking I'm the most important person in the room. But Julie does, and I put that in my head. 

I was like 'yep, everyone's looking at me, everyone's interested in me'. That's Julie, I hasten to clarify. And that was a really interesting idea to take on because that's not how I carry myself in my own life.

It was just a different head space to be in. It's such a fun job. I love acting. This is a great job."

On McKinnon's Balancing Act Charting Zoe's Journey Towards Stark Realisations About Her Community

Jana: "Even though she has that very ambitious sense — and she really wants to change the world for a better place — she also can be very righteous, and she can also have blind spots to what's going on in front of her. So for me that was a balancing act. So balancing these really noble ideas and ambitions with what's actually going on in her community around her and what she's blind to, even when it's right in front of her nose — and the injustice that she's unable to see in her own community.

I think it's something that a lot of people can relate to. A lot of people want to be good people out in the world, but they forget to do it on their own doorstep. So I thought that was a very complex aspect of the character that I enjoyed exploring."

On the New Season Not Only Chronicling a Missing-Person Mystery, But Examining Housing Uncertainty and Insecurity

Kat: "That's the beauty of Lucas Taylor's writing, and he did it in the first season, too. He'll give you a ripping yawn with really engrossing characters and plot twists, but he'll sort of Trojan horse in bigger issues as well. 

But you don't feel like you're eating vegetables. It's done in a really organic, sophisticated way, where you're not really aware of it, but you come away thinking about the larger issues — in this case, it's homelessness, particularly for older women. So I think that's one of the great things about this show and it was the case in the first series.

Julie's part in it is interesting, too, because from her point of view, she's bringing wealth to area and she's bringing a lot of people with her. But, we're seeing an exploration of the more personal aspects and implications of that trajectory, and who's been left behind.

It's not preachy, but it's a really interesting examination of the issue. It feels like it's a part of the world, but it's not the point of the show. So I think for people who want to see the show, they're going to be grabbed by a great mystery, and great characters, and that's something that is just at the backdrop of it. 

In a way, it's something that's almost subliminal, but it's there and I think that's sometimes the best way to explore issues, because no one wants to be told what to think."

On Joining Black Snow as a New Cast Member for Season Two

Jana: "When I came in, I really just felt the love that the Heads of Departments and the crew members that were already on season one — and quite a lot of them were — had for the show. It was really beautiful to come in and start something fresh, but with people that already had that experience of season one, and they were also fond of that experience and also the final product, the show. 

So it felt really special. I remember that pre-production time where I went in and we had all our costume fittings and everyone was just excited to be back on at the production office. It was really, really nice, honestly."

Kat: "It gives you a sense of the parameters and the tone. I think it's really helpful. And I haven't had this situation much. I suppose if you come in as a guest actor in an established show, it's like that, too. It's a good idea to watch a couple of episodes to get a sense of the tone. So I guess I have had that situation before.

I think it was really helpful, because I'm very much a character that's one of the ensemble, and so we're in and out. So having that blueprint, even though it's its own show, just in terms of the style of the show and what it is, was actually really, really useful. I had a good sense of what I was stepping into in advance, which is great."

On Drawing Energy From the Rest of Show's Impressive Cast

Jana: "The beautiful thing was that everyone was so excited to be on the show. No matter where they came from, if that was their first acting job ever or if they were well and truly established actors, everyone was excited to be on the show.

I think that really creates a beautiful spirit on set, and was very family-like. And it's just such a gift when you work with people like that, because it elevates the experience, but also elevates your own performance if you're acting opposite people who are really good actors opposite you. So it's just the best thing that can happen to you, really."

Kat: "I actually only have one scene with Travis, and it was really interesting, because that one scene was quite an intense, big scene — and he was directing it. That was full on, because it was like 'hello'. 

I was really excited to work with him because I think he's terrific. I loved him in Boy Swallows Universe, the first series of this, obviously he's in Vikings. But it was a very unusual situation to be in.

But I think I had the benefit of watching the first series, so I knew what the character was, and that certainly anchors it. So having seen the series, it gave me an idea of the tone of the show and the parameters and the way it would be shot. But yeah, that was just headfirst. I haven't seen it. I can't wait to see how it turned out."

On the Importance of Black Snow Giving Its Missing People as Much Attention as the Search for Them

Jana: "It's funny because going into it, for me it was all about creating her life and what that was like. And it wasn't for me to create anything beyond that, really. So to me, it was almost like whatever happens outside of that is not part of my storytelling, because I can't — knowing what happens to her, I can't bring that into my performance as the Zoe before anything happens.

So it's kind of like, in that sense as an actor, pretty much like any other character — because it's all about doing justice to the person that they are and bringing them to life.

I think it's really special that Black Snow does that, because you also get really invested as an audience member and you really want to know what happens to that person. So I can only hope that that's the same for Zoe and that people are invested in what happened to her."

On Season Two Being Set in Queensland's Glass House Mountains 

Jana: "I think the producers are doing a really good job at picking out these beautiful, very striking pieces of landscape that you know to be Australian, but you don't see them so much. I think that's really special.

The biggest block of shooting we did on the Gold Coast. We only had a few bits and bobs that we did at the Sunshine Coast. It was all pieced together. But I remember being there, seeing the Glass House Mountains for the first time, and I was just stunned. I loved it so much. They're very powerful."

Kat: "I love being on location, and most of my work's been done in Victoria, Melbourne, which is just luck — and it's worked out well because I've got a young family — but this was great. It's so beautiful, the climate is completely different and the way they've shot it, they've really showcased that part of the world so beautifully.

I think it's like a character, really. People say that all the time, but it really is. It's really beautiful. And I can't think of a production that's looked at this particular part of Australia like this."

On Whether the Balance of Projects and Diversity of Roles That Stewart Has Enjoyed Is What She Hoped for When She Was Starting Out On-Screen a Quarter-Century Ago

Kat: "I don't think I'd ever thought that far ahead. And it's all very strange, you saying 25 years, because I don't look back, either. You're always looking ahead. 

I know I've been very fortunate. I've been very lucky to work consistently and to work with such great people. And some long-running roles, too, where I really had a chance to develop the life of a character over a long time. That's a special — that's a really great experience to have. So I have been lucky. But having said that, I hope I'll be working for a very long time yet."

On What Black Snow's Second Season Taught Its New Stars

Jana: "It was just incredible to watch everyone bring their skills to the table on this show, because all the crew and the cast and all the directors were so incredibly skilled and beautiful at their jobs, and it was just such  an enriching experience to get to watch them and just be present in that really concentrated and really skilled type of work.

And also for me on a personal level, I think I always take inspiration from the characters that I play, and Zoe, with the fire that she has for the world, was definitely a very big inspiration for me as well on a personal level."

Kat: "I just want to work on — it's the stuff you hear, but it's true — I just want to work on great scripts with great people. And each time you're building a character from the ground up, each time you sort of start with nothing, and each time you think 'oh god'. You always have to think 'oh, gee, how am I going to do this?'. 

You just learn things along the way just through doing it. And honestly, I love what I do. It's the coolest thing."

Black Snow streams via Stan. Read our review of season one.