‘Mindhunter’s Jonathan Groff on Ford ‘Getting Ahead of Criminals’ in Season 2

Interviewing murderers is a stressful gig. Just ask Mindhunter‘s FBI Behavioral Science Unit special agent Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), whom we last saw collapsed in a panic attack following an unexpected embrace from “Co-Ed Killer” Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton).

Season 2 of the tense 1980s-set drama Mindhunter picks up a day later with a fragile Ford back at work with partner Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) getting inside the minds of serial killers.

The former star of Glee and Looking tells us more below.

The first season focused on Ford learning how to interview murderers. Where does Season 2 take us?

Jonathan Groff: Ford is now more interested in getting ahead of the criminals and making it a part of the work that the FBI does. Does this idea of talking to people and gleaning information and criminal profiling work?

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Ford is often very still when interviewing the serial killers. Was that your choice?

[Director–exec producer David] Fincher is very specific. For example, in the first season, I wasn’t allowed to smile. There are certain technical aspects of what he wants and what he’s looking for.

(Credit: Netflix)

The FBI bosses weren’t too supportive of BSU’s work in the first season. Has that changed?

Because the BSU has gained notoriety, we’re getting to interview serial killers like David “Son of Sam” Berkowitz and Charles Manson. The new head of the [division], Ted Gunn (Michael Cerveris), is looking to take the team to its max and see if it lives up to expectations.

You and Cerveris are both Broadway musical vets. Was there singing happening off camera?

I don’t know that we were singing as much, but we were definitely doing deep-dive theater gossip!

Mindhunter, Season 2 Premiere, Friday, August 16, Netflix