The Queen’s Gambit’s Moses Ingram Calls Working on the Series a “Foundational” Experience

The Queen’s Gambit will make its debut on Netflix this weekend, bringing a lush and mesmerizing miniseries to the masses. The seven-episode run, which is based on Walter Tevis’ iconic novel of the same name, chronicles the journey of Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), a young orphan in the 1950s who goes on to become one of the most formidable players on the competitive chess circuit. Across the miniseries, there are an array of characters who help Beth on her journey, including Jolene, her bunkmate and closest ally at the orphanage. Jolene is portrayed by newcomer Moses Ingram, who steals every single scene she’s in with a profound amount of pathos and heart. With The Queen’s Gambit being her first major television role, Ingram says working on the series is something that will stick with her forever.

“Definitely the magic of movie-making, the illusion of it all,” Ingram told ComicBook.com, when asked what surprised her the most about working on the series. “Like looking at it finished versus seeing what it was like in the midst, there are scenes where we’re on a stage and specifically were looking out a window at one point and we were literally, just leaning out of a hole, with one big branch and it’s the illusion of it is amazing.

“It was my foundational knowledge of how to work on screen, and how to be as graceful as I can, and hitting marks and learning where the camera is,” Ingram added. “It’s definitely all of that that will go with me forever.”

Ingram’s role in the series is definitely a surprising and pivotal one, as Jolene not only serves as a foil and contemporary to Taylor-Joy’s Beth, but arguably represents the ever-changing society that Beth exists on the outside of. According to Ingram, playing opposite Taylor-Joy was essentially effortless.

“She’s wonderful,” Ingram revealed. “Meeting her was very wonderful. She’s very kind, and we kind of hit it off from the beginning. So it was very easy. It didn’t feel like we had to fake it, which was really, really nice.”

And with The Queen’s Gambit providing a cinematic, nuanced storytelling experience at a time where blockbusters and most television shows have evolved significantly, Ingram hopes that viewers of the miniseries come away with a pivotal message.

“That it is okay for you to be great and for you to stand in everything that you are, even if you don’t feel like it at some point you will feel like it,” Ingram explained. “It’s important to not shrink underneath the pressure of your greatness.”

The Queen’s Gambit also stars Marielle Heller as Alma, Harry Melling as Harry Beltnik, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Benny. The miniseries will be released on Friday, October 23rd, exclusively on Netflix.