'The Imperfects' Star Rhianna Jagpal Is Ready For What Comes Next

The 27-year-old talks about getting her big role, playing a character different from her, and what's next.

Karolina Turek/Credit

When Rhianna Jagpal joins our Zoom call by 5:30 pm in Vancouver, where she stays, she's smiling. "You know, this is my first interview ever," she tells me. She looks excited to be speaking with me and, after a few pleasantries, wants to know if I had the chance to watch the show.

In The Imperfects, Jagpal plays Abbi Singh, an aspiring geneticist with super-potent pheromones who works to get her condition [attracting people with her pheromones] under control. The 27-year-old takes on this role seriously as she shines through as one of the main characters and makes it easy to follow her journey in the show.

"I was so excited when I got the script," she tells me. "It was my first time being cast as a series lead, let alone in a Netflix show. And the script was filled with so much action, comedy and adventure, which meant I couldn't wait to see what the rest of it looked like." For Jagpal, the end of a script is always intriguing, and for The Imperfects, each episode ended with a cliffhanger, making it a binge-worthy show.

Diving into a character different from herself was new for Jagpal. Compared to her, Abbi is a geek and wants to be a geneticist someday, further showing their differences. "Half the time, I didn't know what I was saying, but it was fun playing a science-loving badass because Abbi is a badass," she laughs. "I also love her because of her brilliance and how she fearlessly fights for the people she loves."

Following a chupacabra, a banshee, and their friend with super-potent pheromones, the 10-episode show also gives its main cast time to shine. And while it isn't unheard of for actors not to get along with fellow casts on set, Jagpal had a great time filming scenes with Morgan Taylor Campbell (Tilda) and Iñaki Godoy (Juan).

"I had great scene partners, so it was fun to play off each other. I had never played a character like this before, so it was all new. It was fun to bring my creative side to it. Challenging at times, but thrilling."

With a character different from her, and a tasking role, Jagpal's challenging scenes to film were the ones where she had to cry. "I had to go into some really dark places, and I've never pulled so deep into my emotions like that before with previous roles. But I think it worked out well because people keep asking me if those were real tears."

While Jagpal isn't sure she has a favourite scene, her favourite scenes to film were with her co-stars. "Like I mentioned, playing off each other was fun, and this was also our first time working together."

With everything, Jagpal feels amazing knowing so many people have seen the show and is grateful for starring in it. And although there hasn't been any word from Netflix on a second season, she is manifesting one after the season finale, which she described as epic. "I'm so stoked to see what our brilliant writers will come up with," she tells me. "I know there'll be more monsters, adventure, and comedy; until then, I have a project I'll announce on my socials when the time is right."

The Imperfects is streaming only on Netflix.