Emilia Harcourt has become one of the most compelling characters in Peacemaker Season 2, and actress Jennifer Holland had a unique glimpse into her character’s journey long before filming began. In recent interviews, Holland revealed she learned key parts of Harcourt’s emotional story during pre-production, though series creator James Gunn kept some surprises up his sleeve. This careful balance of knowledge and mystery helped shape Holland’s raw and powerful performance as the complex government operative.
What Jennifer Holland Knew Before Filming Began
Jennifer Holland had early access to Harcourt’s emotional roadmap for Peacemaker Season 2 thanks to her conversations with James Gunn, who is both the show’s creator and her husband. She explained that Gunn shared rough outlines and key plot points during pre-production.
“I learned a lot of what was going on with Harcourt’s story early on, but not everything,” Holland told Variety. “Sometimes, James holds things close because he’s afraid something might change in the writing process.”
One crucial element Holland understood from the beginning was the foundation of Harcourt’s bitterness toward Peacemaker. The backstory involving her past relationship with Rick Flag Jr. served as the emotional core explaining her hostility.
“From the very beginning, he had very rough early outlines of the show that were completely different,” Holland noted. “We had early conversations about Harcourt’s relationship with Rick Flag Jr., and that being the genesis of her deep vitriol and hatred towards Peacemaker.”
This backstory was actually known to both Gunn and Holland during Season 1, though it wasn’t revealed to audiences until Season 2. This prior understanding allowed Holland to plant subtle emotional seeds in her earlier performance.
Building Harcourt’s Emotional World
Harcourt’s journey in Season 2 explores new emotional territory as she confronts past trauma and suppressed feelings. Holland approached her character as someone fundamentally changed by nearly dying in Season 1.
“Emilia almost dies. She’s put in about as vulnerable of a situation a human being can be, and that changes a person,” Holland told Esquire. “What we find out is that Emilia is not well-adjusted.”
The actress described Harcourt as using anger as a secondary emotion, stuffing down her true feelings until they emerge as aggression. This emotional repression manifests physically in scenes like the bar fight in Episode 1, where Holland noted:
“She purposefully goes out and gets into fights to be hurt because she can’t feel anything. It’s a semblance of control she can have in her life.”
To physically embody Harcourt’s transformation, Holland underwent significant training with Paolo Mascitti, who helped her build muscle mass. She wanted Harcourt to look like someone who had almost died and made a conscious decision to become stronger.
Playing Two Versions of the Same Character
One of the unique challenges for Holland this season was portraying both the main Harcourt and an alternate reality version from Earth X. She approached them as the same person shaped by different experiences.
“I wanted them to feel like the same person with the same genetic makeup, but they’re individuals who had different childhoods and paths through life,” Holland explained. “Harcourt 1 has a lot of trauma that we haven’t fully explored yet. Harcourt 2 doesn’t have any of that.”
To help distinguish between the two characters, Holland and Gunn used the nickname “Thirst-court” for the alternate version. She described this Harcourt as more emotionally available and needy in love.
“She wears her heart on her sleeve and communicates her emotions – sometimes a little too much, so she comes across as being quite needy,” Holland told TechRadar.
Key Scenes That Defined Harcourt’s Journey
Several pivotal scenes in Season 2 showcase Harcourt’s emotional struggle, including a tense confrontation in an interrogation room where Chris Smith confesses his love for her. Harcourt couldn’t bring herself to say the words back.
“She doesn’t want people to know she’s feeling all kinds of emotions,” Holland explained. “She still doesn’t want Chris to know how vulnerable she is, and what’s really going on inside.”
Another crucial moment comes in Episode 7, when Harcourt attempts to kill Keith, Chris’s brother from the alternate dimension. Holland saw this as a definitive choice for her character.
“Harcourt makes that decision despite the fact that she knows that it’s not what Chris wants, but she has to do it to protect him,” she told Variety.
The season also featured intense action sequences, including a fight at A.R.G.U.S. where Harcourt battles Nazis. Holland particularly enjoyed one symbolic moment: “It was so fun, because I got to throw a ‘Mein Kampf’ at a Nazi’s face. It was pretty amazing.”
The Creative Partnership Behind the Character
The collaboration between Holland and Gunn proved essential in developing Harcourt’s layered portrayal. Gunn’s evolving writing process meant Holland had to adapt to changes in the script as filming progressed.
This approach created what Holland called a “creative push-and-pull” that became part of Harcourt’s rhythm. Not having all the information upfront allowed her to react to unfolding events much as her character would – with genuine instinct rather than premeditated performance.
The result is a character who feels authentically unpredictable yet deeply human, grappling with love, guilt, and survival in a world descending into chaos. As the season builds toward its finale, Harcourt’s journey stands as a testament to the power of intuitive acting grounded in emotional truth.
Also Read: Peacemaker Season 2 Finale Show Us A New Villain
Credits: Esquire
