Legion: Jean Smart Says Filming With Jemaine Clement Was Emotionally Difficult

The leader of the mutant haven Summerland spent the first season of Legion attempting to help the powerful David Haller, but Melanie Bird was also driven to bring her catatonic husband back from the Astral Plane.

Though they were able to help retrieve Oliver Bird, most of his memories were muddled, and he was unable to remember Melanie, making their reunion bittersweet.

ComicBook.com caught up with actor Jean Smart at the San Diego Comic-Con 2017 to learn about her reaction to filming those scenes with costar Jemaine Clement. Watch the clip above!

“I couldn’t do some of those scenes with him without crying,” Smart admitted. “And Noah [Hawley, series creator] didn’t want me to cry, I couldn’t help it. I said I’m sorry… The thought- I’m going to start crying right now! I mean, the thought of her talking to her husband, especially when he’s not sure who she is, and she’s thinking ‘I can’t believe you’re actually here but I can’t grab you because you don’t know who I am.’”

That disconnect of finally being reunited physically while still remaining so distant made shooting the scene emotional for Smart.

“He’s probably thinking, ‘Who is this nice lady who cries every time she looks at me?’” Smart said. “[Noah] tried very hard to use takes where I wasn’t crying.”

Though they rescued Oliver, the season ended with the parasitic Shadow King latching onto his foggy mind after being purged from David. He then abandons the team at Summerland, last seen driving toward “some place sunny” with Aubrey Plaza’s character at his side.

The pair will return for Season Two, but don’t expect another potential reunion to be any happier between the husband and wife.

“I hope at some point they really get together again, but I have a feeling Noah’s not going to let that happen too soon,” Smart said. “He’s going to torture me.”

We’ll find out just how bad it gets when Legion returns in 2018.

David Haller, a.k.a. Legion, is a haunted man with power beyond comprehension. His power does not come free, but at the steep cost of David’s mind. Plagued by numerous split personalities – each commanding a different aspect of his power – David is trying to find his way back to sanity. But he’s getting tired and about to give up until he meets the girl of his dreams.