Maria Bakalova, is one of the sweetest individuals one could ever meet in Hollywood. So, of course, James Gunn has asked her to play one of the most unsuspectingly nefarious individuals in the DCU!

Coming off her memorable turn as Cosmo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Bakalova has now found her way alongside another group of misunderstood misfits: Task Force M — also known as the Creature Commandos. Recently we were able to chat with her about her role as Princess Ilana Rostovic on the series.

Known for her Oscar-nominated portrayal as Tutar, the daughter of Borat in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Bakalova quickly rose up to become one of the finest breakout actresses in Hollywood, going on to star in films like The Apprentice, Bodies Bodies Bodies, and of course Guardians. If you’ve had a chance to see the full season of Creature Commandos, you’ll know by now her character, Princess Ilana, is the very embodiment of the phrase “femme fatale.” Coming across as innocent, but hiding such a cold and ruthless demeanor within, only an actress of true versatility could ever voice such a memorable character. Thankfully Bakalova rose up to the occasion.

We got to deconstruct her performance as Princess Ilana for the series, dove into her inspirations for the character, and what it was like to work with Gunn again. And yes! We *definitely* discussed that memorable, scandalously steamy love scene between her character and Rick Flag Sr.

Check out everything she had to say right here:

The full first season of Creature Commandos is now available to stream in its entirety on Max!

Be sure to check out our full coverage of the series, including interviews with multiple cast members and the showrunners, only on The Nerds of Color!