Haley Louise Jones is a South African-born actress who graduated from the Film Acting School Cologne in Cologne, Germany with honors. She plays the role of Aida Kurt in the Netflix thriller series Dear Child (Liebes Kind).
Dear Child is a thriller series that revolves around a hit-and-run accident that slowly unravels the mystery behind a missing persons case from several years ago.
When Lena and her daughter Hannah are picked up by an ambulance in the middle of the night after Lena is hit by a car, questions are raised about the circumstances, and the authorities are brought in to find out more about the situation.
What they discover is incredibly troubling and is connected to several missing women in the area over several years. Dear Child is currently third in Netflix’s Top Ten for Non-English TV and has spent 5 weeks on the list ever since its release.
Jones spoke to The Envoy Web about her experiences while working on Dear Child and how she approaches the different roles in her career. She also shares what it was like working with her co-stars, and her aspirations for the future.
You’ve worked on crime procedurals in the past, so how did they compare to your experience working on something like Liebes Kind?
I’ve always loved crime stories, whether in movies, series, or books, so I enjoy acting in that genre very much. What was different in LIEBES KIND is that the character of Aida Kurt is connected to almost every other character and is deeply involved in pushing the plot forward in addition to her own storyline.
I also enjoyed diving into portraying a female character who doesn’t have to choose between her family and her work.
What were your first impressions when you looked at the script, given the difficult subject matter? You are quite convincing on screen but did it have any impact off-screen as well?
I finished the scripts in almost one go because I was so gripped by the story and the writing. I loved the pace and the dance it managed to create between all the different characters and storylines.
It gripped me professionally, of course, yet I and other members of the cast and crew definitely had days that were very challenging emotionally because of the heavy subject matter.
At the same time, it felt very empowering and powerful to be part of a project that portrayed women so beautifully, respectfully, and multi-dimensional.
Did you get a chance to read the novel that the series was based on? Did it influence your decision to take on the role or guide your performance in any way?
I for my part chose not to read the novel before filming because I wanted to maintain an untainted view and experience of the story and the characters.
You share the screen with an experienced performer Hans Löw, as well as the young and talented Naila Schuberth. Can you tell me more about what it was like on set with them and the rest of the cast?
I loved every second of it. Hans and Naila and the rest of the cast are all wonderful, wildly talented colleagues and also have a great sense of humor, which I always enjoy and appreciate, especially when filming a project with a heavy story. It’s good to be able to laugh together.
You’ve appeared in various genres throughout your career, is there a difference in approach when it comes to the type of project you’re working on?
Even though every project requires a certain amount of individual prep, some things are always the same.
Ultimately, I always aim to do the very best work I can do. I love playing in different genres and definitely want to continue doing that.
This is your second role in a Netflix series, Can you talk me through the experience of working with the platform and is it something you’d like to revisit?
I love working for Netflix and will be on board for any future collaborations. It’s extremely exciting and still surreal to see projects you’re part of shown there, to see how many people they reach throughout the world – it’s crazy and absolutely beautiful.
Finally, do you have any aspirations of branching out to projects in other regions or possibly exploring positions behind the camera in the future?
I’d like to produce and direct in the future. I have a lot of friends who work in different positions in the film industry and I love continually getting to see and learn other aspects of the business. Let’s see what the future holds.
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