On Sunday, April 21, the new TV series “Allt och Eva†premieres on Viaplay. Tuva Novotny plays the single woman Eva Arulf who, because of her longing for children, decides to be inseminated with the help of an unknown sperm donor in Copenhagen. However, she becomes annoyed, and the worry about which genes the child’s father has causes her to seek out the Danish donor and get to know him. Mads, as the man is called, quickly falls in love with Eva and they start dating. But Eva behaves strangely and volatile instead of telling about her two big secrets – that she is pregnant and that Mads is the father.
The meeting with Novotny takes place in a room at Södra teatern in Stockholm. The black-and-white-clad actress acts more composed than her character Eva does.
– It was an easy script to take on because it was so well written, I didn’t have to process that much. But Eva as a character has terribly high pressure. It was a mental and physical ping pong match the whole time with her. It was quite exhausting, but fun, she says.
Photo: Roger Turesson
What was the most fun about playing Eva?
– Working with the situation comedy, that there were absurd situations to be in. It’s always fun.
How did you go about getting into the role?
– It was about pressing the same button as when you have drunk 20 cups of coffee too much, and are a little scared. And then put on a self-image that is calm and cool. Eva has slightly anxiety-inducing energy drink symptoms around the clock.
Today, Tuva Novotny finds it difficult to identify with Eva Arulf, but she can find a resemblance from when she was younger.
– I can recognize that I would have plans and live up to certain things. But that there were a lot of disappointments when things didn’t turn out the way I had imagined. Eva suffers greatly from it, and I can remember having a bout of that need for control before – the fear that everything would go to shit. Then you lived and things happened, but you survived.
Photo: Roger Turesson
Eva is behaving sometimes disgusting and unethical, according to Novotny. She lies, pulls away from Mads, regrets it and comes back and then pulls away again.
– Eva is never looking for love, she is just terrified that she has inseminated herself with a donor without knowing who the man is. She is driven far by the need to ensure that the child does not bring with it something hereditary dangerous, says the actor and continues:
– It is very easy to get caught up in the idea of love. She is probably quite content as a single person, but then there is an opportunity for something else and the whole thing is not particularly well thought out, it gets mixed up with the examination of the donor. I never really think she loves him. Or maybe she doesn’t dare to fall in love, who knows?
It’s quite easy to get annoyed with Eva when you watch the series, did you get annoyed when you played her?
– In a way, I can still defend her interest but at the same time complete need to stay away from Mads, in that there is a life lie between them. They like each other, but of course it will be a huge problem when he doesn’t know that he is the donor.
Photo: Roger Turesson
Tuva Novotny thinks that director Johanna Runevad has written a fine script, with great love for the minor characters.
– They have their own lives and exciting journeys, she says.
Many in the character gallery are involved in very different things.
– For me, the series is a declaration of love for the differences in people, so it’s really wonderful if you can take that with you. Then of course it’s a thematic story about loneliness and relationship building, but for me it’s probably mostly about a humanistic view of everyone’s differences and strangeness, she continues.
A person who making his acting debut in “Allt and Eva†is the artist Jason “Timbuktu†Diakité. He plays Eva’s best friend, Nils.
– You can’t believe it’s the first time he’s played, I think. He has what some only have – naturalness in the lines and an understanding of the text. I think he does a lot of what his role stands for, so I am very impressed with him.
Could there be a second season?
– I hope so. I think there would be room for that.
Facts.“Everything and Eve”
Is: A six-episode drama series depicting the life of the mentally unstable character Eva Arulf. She decides to be inseminated by an unknown sperm donor in Copenhagen, but becomes upset about her father’s genes and therefore seeks out the Danish donor Mads. They start dating, but Eva acts strangely and chooses to keep her secrets from Mads.
Some participating actors: Tuva Novotny, Joachim Fjelstrup, Sissela Kyle, Sanna Sundqvist, Bengt Braskered, Jason Diakité and Johan Hedenberg.
Director: Johanna Runevad.
Premiere: On Viaplay on Sunday, April 21.
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