Kiernan Shipka Unpacks the Consequences of Her Industry Threesome

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The latest season of HBO’s drama Industry follows through on its promise of a major change. Pierpoint is gone, replaced by Tender, a company that used to process payments for adult entertainment and is now trying to become a legitimate bank. The season starts with Hayley (Kiernan Shipka), a Tender employee, enjoying a wild night out. She meets a man (Charlie Heaton) who’s been watching her and brings him back to her place, only to discover the next morning that he’s a journalist investigating Tender. Things escalate quickly, and by the third episode, “Habseligkeiten,” Hayley finds herself caught in a complicated situation involving Tender’s CEO, Henry Muck (Kit Harington), and his wife, Yasmin (Marisa Abela), leading to a passionate and game-changing encounter between the three of them. Shipka described filming the scene in Wales as a quintessential Industry experience, wondering how her choices had led her to that moment.

Last week’s episode explored Henry’s troubled mind within his marriage to Yasmin. Now, in “Habseligkeiten,” the couple officially joins the Tender team. Henry is assisting co-founder Whitney with securing the necessary approvals and deals as the company expands into banking. When a frustrated Austrian nobleman threatens this progress, the Tender team travels to his estate to try and gain his support. During their visit, Hayley, Henry and Whitney’s assistant, delivers documents to their room. Yasmin seizes the moment, drawing Hayley into the bedroom just as Henry walks by, and then manipulates Henry into having sex with her while she watches. Actress Kiernan Shipka, 26, acknowledges the provocative scene, saying she anticipated a strong reaction. Having started her career at age six with a role on Mad Men, and later starring in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Twisters, Shipka says she doesn’t usually think about her work in terms of shock value, but she was thrilled to be part of a show that’s so daring and unconventional.

I was really intrigued by Hayley after my audition. I read scenes with her from the first episode and one with Yasmin, and I immediately wondered, ‘Who is this character?’ She seemed a bit unpredictable and maybe even a little crazy, but in a way that I found really appealing.

The casting director told me they considered me for the role of Hayley because it’s so different from anything I’ve done before. Was that a major draw for you? Absolutely! It was really exciting to play a character that was a departure from what people expect from me. I’ve been performing since I was a child, so audiences have certain expectations. This role felt fresh and suited my current stage in life, being in my mid-20s.

It’s been a natural progression, going from child actor to teen star and now to playing fully adult roles. This show and this character feel like a real turning point, a way to officially establish myself as an adult actor. It’s been a great journey, and I never felt pressured to grow up quickly. Looking back, I’m thankful I got to experience each stage of life through my work. Everything has happened at the right time, and at 26, joining this project feels perfect. I’m happy with how my twenties have unfolded, because I needed to live my own life and gain some real-world experience – even for scenes like the club setting! I finally feel like I can fully embody adult characters without having to pretend. There was a time when I realized I needed to know what it was like to be an adult to bring authenticity to my work, and I’ve had the chance to do that, which really helped me with my portrayal of Hayley.

That first club scene had a really electric connection between my character and Charlie’s, but filming it wasn’t as glamorous as it seemed. It was shot in a real club with DJs who are friends of the show’s creators. Playing a character who’s drunk and carefree felt liberating – it was like all the usual acting rules didn’t apply. We could just experiment. Unlike scenes with a lot of dialogue, where you’re focused on so many details, playing drunk meant we could let loose and trust that the performance would come naturally. Rehearsals were a bit strange. Everyone was explaining we’d be dancing closely, and we were all like, ‘Could we maybe dim the lights and add some strobe effects first?’

The connection between Hayley and Yasmin was instant when they met in episode two. Did you experience that same immediate connection with Marisa? It’s funny, I actually sat next to her at a dinner about a year ago, and she was telling me about filming the show – it sounded like a lot of fun! You never know what life has in store. She’s just a really easy person to connect with. The chemistry between Yasmin and Hayley is a highlight of their relationship, even though it’s complicated by a constant power struggle and a lack of trust. But I definitely think that chemistry is the foundation of their connection – they just had it right from the beginning.

When I first learned about the threesome storyline, my immediate question was about the character’s motivations. I wondered what she hoped to gain from the situation and what her overall plan was. Throughout many of her scenes, there’s a hidden agenda that isn’t revealed until later in the season, and it was crucial for me to understand that agenda. I wanted to make sure all her actions made sense, so I often reread the scripts to pick up on the subtle clues and underlying meanings.

Did you feel any pressure heading into the scene? Well, let’s just say I hadn’t filmed a three-person scene in a castle before! I wasn’t worried about that aspect, though. I was much more focused on what my scene partner was trying to accomplish and how she’d use that moment later on. Plus, each character in that scene was dealing with their own internal struggles.

That scene has a lot of shifting power between the characters. Did you notice that while you were filming it? We discussed how to show that through movement and blocking – what would feel most natural physically. Everyone was doing their own thing, which was interesting to watch later because I picked up on details I hadn’t noticed during filming. For example, I could see Marisa in the background while my character was kissing Henry, and I realized Yasmin has a really powerful journey throughout the scene, regaining her strength.

Henry appears to be the only one bothered by what happened, even advising Hayley to avoid Yasmin’s invitation for a drink once they’re back in London. How do you think this impacts their relationship going forward? For Hayley, the encounter felt more like an experiment – a chance to see what could be done with the situation. It actually gives her more leverage, which she then uses to establish her power over Yasmin. The events of that night and the questions they raise continue to influence the season, particularly the issue of trust. While Yasmin and Hayley share strong chemistry, Hayley is ultimately unreliable.

We’ve mainly seen Hayley at work, interacting with her superiors – even when their behavior isn’t appropriate. The only time we see her outside of that context is at the beginning of the season. I wondered if you think the Hayley who confronts Jim after learning who he is – the one who threatens him with a knife and mentions her boyfriend – is closer to her true personality?

I believe that was a more genuine, unfiltered side of her. In that moment, she was raw, aggressive, and reacted instinctively. For most of the season, she’s very controlled and acts according to a carefully planned strategy. But that outburst wasn’t part of any plan; it was impulsive. Seeing her genuinely surprised by her own reaction, I think, reveals who she really is. The surprising thing is, even though it’s one of the few times she’s caught off guard, she quickly finds a way to turn the situation to her advantage. That’s just her approach – she can make anything work for her, and she’s probably adding a little something extra to it.

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2026-01-26 06:58