If a false identity romance trope is your thing, you don’t wanna miss the latest TV drama The Company You Keep on ABC. A little synopsis of the show so far: Emma is a CIA agent by day and sneaks around at night with mystery man Charlie (who just so happens to be a con artist). Obvs, the two don’t know the truth about each other, which could cause some probs later on.

To get the inside scoop on the series, we chatted with Catherine Haena Kim (she/her) who plays Emma aka her dream role. “We’ve been tinkering away for the last couple of months, sometimes averaging 4 to 6 hours of sleep to create something that is so exciting. For me, it’s those kinda moments that remind you of the stuff you dreamed of as a little kid.”

Here, Catherine also talks about how she’s seen AAPI representation change throughout her career, other roles she’s interested in, and what it’s like working with Milo Ventimiglia. (BTW, if you’re not Team Jess, wyd?)

What’s been your fav part about this show so far?
It’s interesting in that it almost feels like 5 different shows, ya know? Like, I’ll see Sarah Wayne Callies [who plays Charlie’s sister] in the makeup trailer and she’ll jokingly be like, “Hey, how’s your show going? My show’s going great.” Because at the beginning of the season, all our character’s worlds are separated, but now that we’ve filmed the back half of the season, we’re becoming enmeshed, which is gonna make things a bit complicated as you’ll see.

Since you’ve started acting, what’s it been like to see AAPI representation change in the film industry?
I want to tell all kinds of stories from different perspectives so that we have a more complete human story. I don’t think it’s enough just to have, let’s say, an Asian character thrown in there because if their storyline isn’t fleshed out and they come across as one dimensional, it does a disservice because then viewers will think the people they represent are only like that. With Emma Hill’s story, you see a fully fleshed out person who’s navigating work, falling in love, is the kid sister when she goes home, etc. It’s such a powerful thing to see a character who looks like you on-screen being relatable and aspirational.

Is there a role you haven’t done yet that you’d like to explore?
I don’t know [laughing]. I just want to tell stories that have never been told before. It doesn’t matter if it’s drama, comedy, film, or TV—that’s what I want to do.

So, TCYK in short is about family, love, work, and money. Which one of those comes first for you IRL?
Definitely my people. If you don’t have your people, whether that’s your given or chosen family, to celebrate all the victories and go through all the heartbreaks with, it just doesn’t make it as special. Like during the audition process for this show, my girlfriends were so wonderful through it all, and it felt like they were on this journey with me. So when I got the part, it made celebrating that win so much sweeter. And if I hadn’t gotten it, I also know that the heartbreak would’ve been a little bit softer because they would’ve had me.

Now, the chemistry you have with Milo on-screen is mesmerizing to watch. What’s it been like working together?
It’s been wonderful. As far as chemistry goes, it’s something intangible, right? It’s almost this gut feeling you have. And I personally think it’s more emotional than physical. Also, we’ve built mutual respect and trust with each other on set, which helps create chemistry as well.