FOUND’s Danielle Savre: The Danger Lena Poses ‘Knows No Bounds’

FOUND’s Heather (Danielle Savre) made an immediate splash during her debut earlier this season, quickly catching the eye of Trent (Brett Dalton), but causing problems in their relationship when she opted to represent Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar).

But the Thursday, April 3 episode revealed the true reason behind her arrival: Heather is actually Lena, the sister of Hugh, AKA Sir…and M&A’s Margaret (Kelli Williams).

So, how nervous should FOUND viewers be about what Lena has planned? Savre talks with Give Me My Remote about getting to play Lena’s true identity, how dangerous things might get, and more.

At this point in the season, were you thinking of your character as Heather or were you thinking of her as Lena?
I was always saying Heather. Even now I still accidentally say Heather, but I guess just because Heather Tollin, Heather Tollin—it just was in my head. And then I always have to remember, oh no, her name’s Lena. And so I actually did that, just because I got hooked on Heather when I first started. [Laughs.] But yeah, I think of her as the same person when I think of her in my head [when I am] developing a character. I just have to remember that her name isn’t Heather anymore.

And now that her identity has been revealed, the show can actually show Lena essentially with her mask off. For you as an actress, what was it like getting to play Lena as Lena versus seeing Lena as Heather?
It was very refreshing and kind of freeing because I didn’t have to be within these restraints anymore. Before everything had to be like, “Give something, give some nuance, give layers, but don’t give away what’s really happening.” I was trying so hard to hug that line, and then once I was able to let it out…that scene [in the Thursday, April 10 episode], [where she is] finally able to really say what I want to say and get it out felt freeing. It felt so nice to get mad at my brother, essentially.

What is her biggest concern right now, as she is facing both her identity being exposed to M&A and also just trying to save Sir, too?
I think she thinks of him first and her second. She was really raised in that household where, in a way, was she Hugh’s first victim before Gabi? She was manipulated. That wasn’t just a couple years. That was her whole life. So I think for her, it’s less about protecting herself and more always about protecting Hugh and getting Hugh safe. I mean, of course, I don’t think she wants to end up in jail, but she would do it for her brother. So I do think that’s the motivation that she’s in right now.

She had to put herself in a relationship with Trent—
[Laughs.] Poor her.

How much, if any of it, was real?
I think it definitely showed her a version of caring. And I don’t know if I say love, because I don’t know if they got to that extent. But there’s something that happened with Trent that even Lena can’t fully understand because she doesn’t really know what love is or care is. Or unconditional love is, even though I don’t think we got to that extreme with Trent. 

But I think that dynamic is interesting. Yes, Hugh disagrees with it. I think there’s a part of Lena, when she’s talking to Hugh, that kind of likes that she’s pissing off her brother. She loves her brother and only wants his safety and [to] protect him. But also she likes, as a sibling, [to] piss him off every once in a while. 

But I think then she’s also torn because she’s questioning whether she’s on the right side of things. She truly believes that Hugh was innocent, she truly believes that Gabi is the villain, so she thinks she’s doing the right thing even when it comes to Trent. She’s like, “Trent, you will eventually realize [it]. You will stop liking Gabi, loving Gabi, and you will see that I’m on the right side of things.” She completely believes this theory, this idea that she has about what actually went down.

You mentioned the last time we spoke that Heather admires Gabi. Now that Lena has gotten to know her, how has her perspective on Gabi shifted? 
I think it’s layered, right? There’s a little more jealousy there because she realizes how much Hugh and Trent love Gabi. So I do think a little more jealousy; before it was just ambition…she admired Gabi for what she’d accomplished, but also she knew that Gabi was kind of the villain in this situation. 

But I do think there’s a layer of jealousy that’s happened now that she can’t deny because she can’t get through to her brother, she can’t get through to Trent; it’s a pretty frustrating situation. All the men in her life are like, “We love Gabi.” [Laughs.] Like, what?! A kid throwing a temper tantrum. So I think that layer is added there. 

I also think subconsciously—even though I don’t know if she’s there, yet—she’s starting to be like, “I like Gabi. Do I like Gabi? Is she the villain I think she is?” She’s struggling with two minds right now. She’s been so trained by her brother, but she’s starting to see a side that she’s questioning what she’s doing. 

So I think that’s why she almost is doubling down, in a sense. She’s like, “I have [spent] my whole life protecting this person. I must believe him. I’m going to do everything to protect him at all costs.” But I think deep down, subconsciously, she knows that the pieces aren’t adding up.

M&A knows the truth about her identity, but Lena has not quite realized the extent of how her cover has been blown. What can you preview about how she may react when she realizes she’s been backed into a little bit of a corner?
I hate to say this, but she thinks she’s smarter than she is. So I do think, even though she is backed into a corner, she thinks she can get out of it. She thinks she’s as good as Hugh. And the truth is, I don’t know if she is. She is a little bit more spontaneous in the way she does things and kind of erratic. She doesn’t think things through as well. 

She believes that she can get out of this, even when she realizes it. So I don’t think she even understands the, basically, s— she’s gotten herself into. She thinks she can get out of it, until she realizes—can she? 

But, again, it’s about protecting Hugh, at all costs, I don’t think she really even cares. She’s like, “If it means my brother gets out of jail…” Which I think is—to not give away any spoilers—the end goal, which she’s willing to go to the extreme-extreme, to go to jail for him.

She is so smart, and obviously so well-planned. But how physically dangerous is Lena, outside of what she did to Christian? 
Oh, poor Christian. [Laughs.] He never stood a chance.

She is a complete wild card. Her danger at this point knows no bounds. Like, she will go to the extreme she needs to go to at any cost. And M&A should be careful and be as prepared as possible, because, yeah, anything can go at this point. She is extremely dangerous—even to herself.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

FOUND, Thursdays, 10/9c, NBC

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