Martha Millan enjoying being back in ABQ filming 'The Cleaning Lady'

Oct. 5—On the set of "The Cleaning Lady," Martha Millan is often deep into the drama.

She can't help it because during the second season, her character, Fiona, is dealing with some high stakes.

"Fiona, she's a hot mess in the first couple of episodes," Millan says. "Then we begin to see her arc of empowerment. Her chaos is a little more streamlined by Thony's chaos. She's had to deal with moral grace and worlds are colliding."

The second season picks up with Thony, played by Élodie Yung, as she is desperately trying to find her son, Luca, played by Sebastien and Valentino LeSalle, after he was kidnapped by his father, Marco, played by Ivan Shaw.

With nowhere else to turn, she enlists the help of FBI Agent Garrett Miller, played by Oliver Hudson, to track him down before they leave the country.

Meanwhile, an incident involving Chris, played by Sean Lew forces Fiona, to shield her son by any means necessary, furthering the theme of how far a mother will go to protect her child.

"Fiona is seeing first-hand how far she will go to protect her children," Millan says. "The deep family values continue on the season. This is all intertwined with the grounds of the show dealing with a mob syndicate and what it means to be undocumented. Viewers will be able to walk in our shoes and see what it is like. It's a season full of drama that continues to unfold with each episode."

"The Cleaning Lady," airs at 8 p.m. Mondays on Fox. The series is filmed in and around Albuquerque.

Despite the series being drama-filled, Millan does find opportunities to laugh with Yung.

During the first episodes, Thony has Fiona exchange money, which takes them on a fun journey.

"It was so hot that day and they had me wearing the fur coat and a bunch of wigs. Élodie and I were cracking up the whole time," Millan says. "The show is so intense, that we have to make it fun in between. We filmed many of those scenes in Downtown Albuquerque in the alleyway (behind Launchpad)."

Millan is grateful to be part of a series that has strong women in the cast, as well as it being diverse and telling stories of immigrants.

"Everyone in the cast is extremely talented and to be able to play such strong and emotional scenes as actors, we're so blessed," she says. "We're able to bring such strong characters to life. Collaboration is key on this show. By us doing that, it elevates us as actors."

Because production is done over several months, Millan has adapted to New Mexico, often finding herself on morning runs in the Sandia Foothills or Tingley Beach.

She's looking forward to visiting the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

"The people of Albuquerque have always been so welcoming," she says. "We move so fast with the show."

Millan says the cast does also get to hang out together.

"That's the catch," she says. "I don't get to see many of the cast members on set, so I get to meet them socially and we discover more places and bars around Albuquerque. I grew up in Australia and I enjoy nature. My runs help me deflate from work. It's a pleasure being back here and the people in Albuquerque are nice here. I love New York where I live, but there's more generosity and kindness here. You have more space out here and it's magical."

SEND ME YOUR TIPS: If you know of a movie filming in the state, or are curious about one, email film@ABQjournal.com. Follow me on Twitter @agomezART.

ON TV

"The Cleaning Lady" airs at 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, on Fox. The series is filmed in and around Albuquerque.