The Big Picture

Moldaver in Fallout Season 1 is not a traditional villain, but a complex character with gray morals and intriguing backstory.
Sarita Choudhury’s portrayal of Moldaver elevates the character, adding depth and mystery to the role in a new genre for her.
The possibilities for Moldaver’s return in Fallout Season 2 are open-ended, leaving room for exploration of her character’s past and future.

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of ‘Fallout’

A series like Fallout isn’t complete without a memorable and menacing big bad. For the majority of Season 1’s eight episodes, we are led to believe that Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury) will be the season’s big, bad villain. After all, she’s the one who has kidnapped Hank (Kyle MacLachlan), the father of the series’ protagonist Lucy (Ella Purnell). However, as the series progresses, we begin to realize that Moldaver is not necessarily a villain, at least not in the traditional sense. As a member of the New California Republic, her methods may be viewed as harsh and radical, but her character believes that it’s in humanity’s best interests.

Before being cast in Fallout, Choudhury was most known for her roles in series such as And Just Like That, The Path, Jessica Jones, and Homeland, shows that are not only radically different from one another but also radically different from the kind of show that Fallout is. Choudhury’s performance as Moldaver elevates an already fascinating character, and while it may appear that her character was killed off in the Season 1 finale, it definitely won’t be the last we see of her.

Collider was fortunate enough to sit down and talk with Choudhury about her role in Fallout, Moldaver’s relationship with Lucy’s mother, and how she is still alive, despite being over two centuries old.

Fallout In a future, post-apocalyptic Los Angeles brought about by nuclear decimation, citizens must live in underground bunkers to protect themselves from radiation, mutants and bandits.Release Date April 11, 2024 Main Genre Sci-Fi Seasons 1 Creator(s) Graham Wagner , Geneva Robertson-Dworet Producer Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan Streaming Service(s) Prime Video

How Is Moldaver Still Alive?
Image via Prime Video

COLLIDER: I am thrilled to be talking with you because probably the character that I have the most questions about is Moldaver. The first thing is how did Moldaver live that long, because we see her in those flashbacks? Is she secretly a ghoul? Is she in that cryo-sleep?

SARITA CHOUDHURY: Nate, I knew you were gonna ask this question. I knew it. This morning I was getting ready, and I was like… So, hopefully those questions are gonna be answered. I can’t answer them, but I’m with you. I understand your question.

I also love how your character isn’t a traditional villain, like in any sense of the word. How do you approach playing such a character that exists in a morally gray area?

CHOUDHURY: That’s the reason I took it, because I remember when Jonathan asked me to do this, and he said what you just said, I was like, “Yes.” Because in a weird way, we’re kind of like that in life. You know how you see yourself as a good person, whatever, and then you’re in a situation where you’re seeing a torrent of bad words coming out of your mouth, and you’re screaming? And you’re like, “What was that?” So I see Moldaver as someone who — to take on that level of both leadership and rebellion, and also be a scientist, so very logical, and was fighting for a thing that was within the science world, that then became warfare, and leader of a people. It’s so much fun for me because at the beginning, in Episode 1, I was like, “Oh, people are just gonna be like, ‘She’s bad.’” And I was like, “Yeah.” So it also became fun to play with words, like the scenes as a scientist. I loved it. I loved it.

How were you first approached for the show? How were you cast?

CHOUDHURY: Jonathan and Graham and Geneva set up a meeting, and they told me about this. In my head, I was like, “Me?” It was such an honor. The only risk in it was I hadn’t done this kind of genre, and when you put on a blue suit that looks like a scuba diving outfit, you’re like, “It better be good,” [Laughs] Do you know what I mean? “To pull this off.” But joking aside, if you talk to Jonathan Nolan, you’re kind of gonna say yes.

Sarita Choudhury on Moldaver’s Relationship to Lucy’s Mom
Image via Prime Video

I also noticed that in all of those flashbacks Moldaver seemed very close with Lucy’s mom, and even when Lucy’s mom just pops back up as a ghoul. Are you allowed to say anything about their relationship, or do you have any of your own speculations?

CHOUDHURY: So, Nate, I know everything. What I can tell you is very little, but yes, what you picked up on is completely true. They’re very close.

Okay, I like that. I also wanna know, because you said you hadn’t really ever worked on something like Fallout before, would you be open to doing other kinds of projects like this?

CHOUDHURY: You know, it’s so funny, because when you really ask yourself that question, you’re like, “I think the answer is yes.” Like on Fallout, when I had to man a tank and there were soldiers running around me, I never understood that thing. When you do it, you’re like, “I want to do this.” I never knew that. But especially if you work with the director who lets you also do your kind of acting, do you know what I mean? So I guess the answer is yes.

I asked Moises [Arias] this, as well, but the props in this show and all the costumes are just, like, you want to take them all with you. Were you ever tempted? Did you ever swipe something?

CHOUDHURY: When you’ve been in this career long enough, you know not to. Because you know that girl, she’s like, “Oh, sweetie, your coffee is here.” She’s the one who notices, and you’re done. You’re done. I will never. You can ask, but no. And also, those props were so heavy. You think props are light — you could not steal that without being seen. Anything. No, I’m a good girl. That’s why I work.

Will We See More of Moldaver in ‘Fallout’ Season 2?

So it looks like your character may have passed away, but we don’t know yet. Will you be back for more if there is more?

CHOUDHURY: Nate, all your questions are like half a question. You’re like a psychic asking me a question. [Laughs] Or I’m the psychic. So if there is a Season 2, which we don’t know yet, there’s many ways to come at [it]. I’m also curious who is Moldaver just after the apocalypse? What happened? How did she live? And from the scientists we saw, that area really interests me.

What scenes did you shoot first? Did you shoot the scenes in the past first?

CHOUDHURY: No, we shot Episode 1, which was the vault stuff, like raiding it, first up. And so as we were shooting, we were all kind of learning about it, beyond the script, the world that Jonathan was– That world that also has a slight odd humor, we were learning as we were shooting that.

All eight episodes of Fallout Season 1 are now available to stream on Prime Video.

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