Who is Erin Carter? is the latest crime series that has thrilled audiences with its Netflix takeover, soaring straight to the top of the streamer's most-viewed series upon its release.
And if you haven't already checked it out (if not, what are you waiting for?!), the series centres around British ex-pat teacher, the titular Erin Carter, living in Barcelona with her daughter. However, following a supermarket robbery in the first episode, where one of the robbers recognises her, it soon becomes apparent that Erin may be hiding some major secrets, including her own criminal past. The nail-biting seven-episode series is spearheaded by the wonderfully talented Kurdish-Swedish actress Evin Ahmad, who has long been known in Sweden for her critically acclaimed acting credentials.
And now, with Who is Erin Carter?, Evin's talents have reached global shores. Here, the actress speaks exclusively to GLAMOUR about bringing the role of Erin to life, the challenges and pressures of the series being her first English-language role, and getting candid about how her Kurdish background and family life have shaped her into the woman she is today.
GLAMOUR: We at GLAMOUR want to say a major congratulations on Who is Erin Carter? which is brilliant! Did you expect this success while filming?
EVIN: Absolutely not! It's difficult because when you're on set, there's no way that you can predict anything. What I've learned from my years of acting is that you can never know the outcome. You might be on set and feel like, "Oh, this is c***," and then it becomes a huge success, and then the other way around, you might feel like, "This is the biggest thing ever," and nobody watches, so you never know. But [the show's success] feels very good.
Viewers have seen Erin hold her own after her past catches up with her. How empowered did you feel taking on such a strong, butt-kicking female character?
Initially, I didn't feel [empowered] because I had never imagined that I would do a lead outside my own country of Sweden, so it was a big deal. But then, seeing all those different sides of Erin was something that I was drawn to. She's this teacher, a mum, a kickass fighter. The mix of all those felt very empowering. It's a great challenge as an actress to be able to do that.
How did Erin being a mother specifically play into your love for her, especially in a society where women are expected to do it all?
That was one of the reasons why it was important for me to take on the role because we could see that she was vulnerable at the same time. Maybe she's not the best mum in the world and not the best teacher, so it was important for me also to show her flaws. Also, when she's in these fights, we can see that she gets hurt, so it's not just an unrealistic, fictional world where all the women are super strong. I wanted to work with her vulnerability.
Were there any hesitations about taking on this role, given everything you had to juggle, like it being your first English language project, stunt work, etc?
Absolutely! I only had three weeks to prepare, and my agents were like, "This is a big thing." It's like if you fall, you'll fall deep. But I also don't know if that's true because it felt like too good of an opportunity to say no, but I definitely felt pressured. I was scared, and it was daunting to say yes to this, but I was like, "Do you want to be a coward?" No!"
Did it reassure you that the show was a Netflix production because, over the past years, the streamer has been known for creating stars and successes on a global scale? Or do you think you would've achieved your current success, regardless?
That's a great question... I guess it goes both ways because I knew that Netflix is shown in 190 countries, and it's not my first time working with Netflix, but it's my first time working in English with Netflix. So it's the same thing over there: if I fall, I fall deep, or if I succeed, then that's the same thing. But overall, I'm very happy with the outcome because I wanted to have an intro to the international market, and if many people watched it, it would be good for me. So yeah, I'm happy about how it turned out. And no, I don't believe I would have done it without Netflix because, like I said, it's shown 190 countries, which is insane!
You were awarded the European Shooting Star award at the Berlin Film Festival and nominated twice for Sweden's equivalent to the Academy Awards, which is a big deal! But how do you stay grounded and separate your professional and personal life in a cutthroat industry?
I started acting when I was 14/15, so when I did my first movie, I realised nothing would stay. If you're on the top, you won't be on the top all your life; the same thing if you're on the ground. Nothing lasts forever, both ways. So, for me, it has always been about handcraft and work. Also, I don't come from that kind of background thinking that I'm the s***. I just know that some people will like what I do, some people won't like what I do. Also, Sweden is a very grounded country in the sense that we don't care so much about celebrities like that.
Have there been any setbacks that you've faced in the industry where you thought about a plan B?
I've never had a plan B. I've always known that this is what I want to do. But it's difficult to work as an actress, especially in a country like Sweden where there are not a lot of people of colour working. Sweden is a very white country, so when it comes to Swedish history, where am I going to be a part of that, given my Kurdish background and the way I look? But at the same time, I believe that talent is number one. I'm not saying I have major talent, but I guess I must have some sort of talent because people will keep hiring me. But it's difficult to be judged all the time by how you look, how thin you are, etc. One of the things that I was most scared of was the Swedish industry watching my show and being like, "She sucks". Which is stupid because I know I did my best. But those things will always haunt you like. At the end of the day, you have to quiet those voices.
How would you say pursuing a career in the arts is viewed in the Kurdish community?
It's difficult when you're a third-culture kid. I was born and raised in Sweden, and I knew I had my Kurdish background. The Kurdish history is quite complicated because of the history of the Kurds. But for my dad, it was important for him that we spoke Swedish in school and Kurdish at home. But because my dad was very artistic, he knew when I was 14 that, "Okay, she's not going to be a doctor". But because it's a tough industry, you constantly don't know if you'll get the job, so my parents were like, "Okay, but do you want to be a teacher instead?" But I started earning money, so they knew I was going my own way.
You're father also has a flair for the entertainment business. What have you learned from his version of the industry compared to yours?
The thing about my dad is that people have mixed it up on the internet. My dad is a movie nerd, but he had never really worked as an actor. Being an immigrant moving to Sweden, he didn't have the opportunity to be a high cultural actor because of the language barrier. So it wasn't until I got accepted at drama school that he told me, "This has always been a dream of mine, but I was never able to do it. But it's even better because now my daughter gets to do it." Now he's retired, and what is so fun is that he's getting acting jobs in Kurdistan. So, you know the saying, nepo babies? He's like a nepo dad"! It's inspiring to see someone older pursue their dreams.
You reflected on your summers growing up in Syria with your extended family on Instagram, where you noted it was a "completely different environment" for you. But you concluded by saying that at the end of the day, "these women are my DNA". How important is it for you, through your work and platform, to highlight that even though we are different, we're still all the same?
This is the rootlessness that I will always feel growing up here in Sweden and being born in a country where I was never supposed to be born. Growing up, I always had some sort of anxiety, and I didn't know where all my dramatic emotions came from. We had an apartment in Aleppo, Syria, and I was this privileged European kid who saw my aunties drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, and crying. It was so much trauma, I am guessing, from where they came from, and my mum also felt the same way. One way or another, these women, their tragedies and traumas must be in my DNA because there's no way...
I remember being very young and thinking about death and deep stuff that I didn't understand where that came from because I had a very privileged life in Sweden compared to what I saw in Syria. However, they did have [a good life] before the war. That has always been a conflict of mine, but I use it in acting because it gives me depth, intelligence and a different perspective.
Lastly, back to Who Is Erin Carter? Now that it's out, what do you hope the female viewership will take away from watching it?
I hope they will have fun. There have been so many movie nights where I have to watch male characters be really stupid and do not-so-interesting things. My husband has made me watch so many movies with only male characters, and he's like, "Why are you always falling asleep?" But the minute I see a female character, I don't fall asleep. So I'm hoping that Erin Carter can be for the women, and I hope that women will have their moment of watching the show imagine being bad***.
Who is Erin Carter? is available to stream now on Netflix.
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