In The Terror: Infamy, Torchwood star Naoko Mori plays Asako, the matriarch of a family interned by the Americans after the outbreak of World War II. Prior to the series’ launch in the US, Mori spoke with the world’s press…

How much did you know about the whole persecution of the Japanese during the war?

I’m ashamed to say I knew very little, which was one of the reasons why, when I was sent the script, straightaway I started researching and I was absolutely devastated. One, the fact that I had so little knowledge and two, the wealth of information that I had not come across before. It is a relatively unknown or untold chapter of history. I certainly haven’t come across it in my education that much.

When Alex [Woo], the Executive Producer and Showrunner and Writer, [and I] had the initial chat, I was intrigued, because it’s a real mash-up of genres. You have the Japanese folklore, the cultural side, the historical side, combined with a little bit of the drama and horror. So, I was completely hooked and intrigued at that stage. But we’re dealing with a lot of things and what it does is it gives you a glimpse or an insight. And I personally feel like if it could just pique someone’s interest to go, “okay, I want to look into the history more, I’m really interested in this bit, or that aspect.”

We’re not trying to lecture anyone or teach anyone; we’re simply storytelling. And it is a storytelling, we’re storytellers. But as a cast and a production, you know, we have a huge responsibility to make sure it’s authentic, and it’s respectful, and it’s truthful. But also, you do have, if you like, the spiritual, the horror element to it as well, another terror. We have two different types of terrors going on.

In terms of your character, what are the poignant things you want people to pick up about the role she then takes up within her family in guiding them through this?

Women, ladies, we women, we really wear the pants. Asako is that traditional Japanese woman. And also bearing in mind, it’s the 1940s. So, the woman’s position is incredibly different, especially in a Japanese household – in those days, women really didn’t have a say. But she had a lovely, kind husband who [she] met through almost like a match.com in those days, as a picture bride.

You’ll find out a lot more about Asako further down the series, which is all I can say, because you know, she’s just there for now being extremely loyal and loving obviously to her husband and her son. But with him taken away, one has to [step up]– and that’s what women do, don’t we? But, there’s a lot coming up in the series, so I hope you will stick around to get it.

As subtle as her role is in those first two episodes, her presence is very much felt. In terms of the path her son takes, her husband’s absence. And in kind of just forging with the community that’s there I think innately.

We use the word gaman a lot, which in fact is the name of the third episode. Gaman is resilience. It’s about perseverance. It’s that sort of stoic, making the best of things, just getting on and perseverance.

She does get challenged quite a lot, but she does keep it in. A lot of times I think especially Japanese women are often seen as unemotional. We are extremely emotional. We just keep it shut because that’s how we’re brought up to be

Also she’s a very superstitious and sensitive woman. As the series progresses, things really change a lot. So, what you probably see in Episode 1 and 2, by the time you get to sort of 6 and 7, 9 and 10, certainly things really do take quite a big turn. Not just storyline-wise but sort of, I don’t know, energy-wise.

I understand the basis of the series is like a traditional legend in Japan?

Well, I wouldn’t say it’s particularly traditional, because each tale is slightly different, but there is a feel of like a folklore I suppose. I wouldn’t say traditional, it’s more… It’s just not your headless soldier on a horse type of ghost. It’s essentially just an energy thing, isn’t it? But a lot of it will get revealed.

But we do have a lot of traditions and things we do or don’t do. You see Asako throwing salt everywhere purifying things, you know, that’s innately in our everyday life. So, you’ll see glimpses of that.

What did you like the most about the script when you first read it?

Oh gosh. I think for me it was a combination of things. Certainly the historical side. As a storyteller, I felt quite passionate about wanting to at least shine a light on this chapter. But also what was intriguing for me was the combination – at its core it’s a family drama, a character drama, but then you have a little bit of horror, then you have history. So, I think it’s a really interesting combination that hopefully offers something for everyone as a viewer.

The Terror: Infamy begins on AMC UK on October 7 at 9 p.m.