For our latest digital feature, we chat with Allegra Edwards who returns as Ingrid Kannerman in the fourth and final season of Greg Daniels’ sci-fi comedy series, Upload. Season 4 released on Prime Video on August 25 with all four episodes.
Set in a technologically advanced future, the series explores a virtual reality afterlife where people are “uploaded” once they pass away, but only those who can afford it are given the opportunity. Ingrid was introduced in the first season as the obsessive ex-girlfriend of Nathan (played by Robbie Amell) who has him uploaded to digital afterlife where she can continue to control his life even when no longer alive.
In our exclusive conversation, Allegra discusses Ingrid’s character growth over the seasons and some of the discussions she had with creator Greg Daniels about Ingrid’s storyline.
Exclusive photos for Popternative Magazine by Sela Shiloni
Stylist: Amanda Lim
Hair and Makeup: Ghost
How would you compare Ingrid in this final season of Upload to the previous three seasons?
Allegra: I think Ingrid has come such a long way by Season 4. In Season 1, we see her as being pretty self-serving and not with a lot of patience and a very short fuse. And by Season 4, she has gone through a mini motherhood journey. She has gone through quite an honesty journey, and I think her patience has been tested by the AI guy over and over again, not to mention her loyalty to Nathan. And so, by the time we leave her in Season 4, I think she’s the a gal, not totally new, she still has her moments, but she is certainly more of a team player. She’s got more patience, she’s more honest with other people, and, most importantly, she’s more honest with herself.
Ingrid has grown a lot over the seasons; how would you characterize the relationships she has with the other characters?
Allegra: I think it was really fun to see how other characters view Ingrid and then see how they deal with her. For example, I know that in the early seasons, Alicia would probably not last two minutes in Ingrid’s presence, she wouldn’t put herself through that. And now, to tease a bit of Season 4, they actually end up spending quite a bit of time together, which is great to see. I’ve also loved seeing how Luke and Ingrid get on each other’s nerves, even though they’re two people that really love Nathan most in the world, it’s kind of a battle of who loves Nathan. There’s no hope for those two. And then, more than that, it’s really cool to see how Ingrid and Nora’s relationship has changed; they actually do have one thing in common, and that’s Nathan. And I think their shared experience and their shared common enemy of the folks that are trying to track him down and destroy him is what unites them. And it’s really cool to see how they’ve come together and bridge that gap.
How would you describe Ingrid’s overall character arc in Season 4?
Allegra: I would say Ingrid’s arc this season is mostly helpful. It’s definitely still comedic and it’s collaborative for the greater good. I think she takes more of a back seat by the end, but it’s for good reason, and I think she gets exactly what she wants, which is pretty great. So overall, a trophy. It’s a great success. It’s a victory dance, tonally for Ingrid.
What were some of the conversations with Greg Daniels like about the final season?
Allegra: Every year we’ve been invited to the writers’ room to talk with Greg and the writers about our characters, which is a gift in and of itself. There had been talk of Nathan and Ingrid’s wedding, and I had had an idea of what her wedding might be like, and I wondered if it would be important, or rather crucial, for Ingrid to have a very public moment in her hug suit, and I posited that as an idea.
I think there was a version where maybe her hug suit malfunctioned in the script and you saw her in her underwear, which is funny in one version, but I actually don’t think Ingrid is that embarrassed to be in her underwear. I would be, but Ingrid is kind of proud of her body. I think what’s more humiliating is that weird hug suit, and so I suggested, could it malfunction and be visible as her hug suit? Because it’s actually more embarrassing and more costly for her. And they went with it, and I’m so glad that they did, because I think that her hug suit is symbolic of her sacrifice, her love for Nathan, and the humility that she’s grown to cultivate over the course of these seasons.
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Season 4 of Upload is streaming on Prime Video.
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