Hayek reveals early on in her discussions with Zhao involved understanding her character’s motivations. She asked her if Ajak could be a “mother figure,” because in her eyes, “The mother is, a lot of times, the leader of a family.”
…Being a maternal figure of this dysfunctional family unit allowed Hayek to have a specific perspective. “It’s a human way of seeing all these people; there’s a level of love, of caring, and empathy,” says Hayek. “I have a different relationship with each one of them like you do with your kids.”
