"The Enemy Within’s" secret weapon has arrived.
FBI agent Jacqueline Pettigrew, played by Brooklyn actress Cassandra Freeman, made her debut on the new NBC series Monday, bringing a bit of comedic relief along with her.
"A lot of fun, a lot of unexpected twists, a little wit, a breath of fresh air," Freeman says, enthusiastically listing everything she’s excited for her character to bring to the network’s latest CIA/FBI crime drama, fronted by Jennifer Carpenter ("Dexter").
"She’s definitely different. She brings a different energy to the team," she adds.
Freeman’s badass agent fits well in the series alongside Carpenter’s fierce Erica Shepherd, an incarcerated CIA operative who’s been branded as one of the biggest traitors in the nation’s history. When we meet her, she’s teaching recruits at Quantico, effortlessly de-arming male trainees.
"What’s really cool about it is I don’t think she looks like the type of chick who should be able to flip someone with one hand and take someone down. She’s the female girl power; there’s no other girl like that on the show," Freeman says.
Freeman keeps tight-lipped about what the future holds for Jacqueline, but teases she’s the only one in the series who specializes in hostage negotiations — which comes in handy. She’s brought on by Will Keaton (Morris Chestnut), who’s leading a counterintelligence operation to bring down Russian operative Mikhail Tal, for her unique skill set.
"Her [skill] is speaking to people. How does she use people against themselves in the field? You will see that," she says.
There’s also a softer side to the agent that might help bring out new traits in other characters, specifically agent Jason Bragg (Noah Mills).
"As the season goes on, she gets super soft. She’s the best of both worlds: She’s very feminine, but she’s very tough, which is most women — we know how to turn it on and turn it off," Freeman says. "You really will get to see some fun relationship stuff with her and Bragg and that will be her part of the show."
ON TV: "The Enemy Within" airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC.
