Anna Maxwell Martin commands a specific kind of stillness—a quiet, razor-sharp intensity that has become her trademark. Whether navigating the bureaucratic labyrinths of Line of Duty or the stifling social mores of period drama, she holds an audience’s attention without ever appearing to try. Yet, as she enters the brutal, shadow-drenched corridors of the KGB for her latest project, Star City, even this seasoned performer confesses to genuine trepidation. It isn’t just the weight of the uniform or the cold precision of her character; it is the expansive pressure of joining one of television’s most ambitious sci-fi franchises.
The Cold War’s New Architect
In Star City, the spin-off of the series For All Mankind, Martin plays Colonel Lyudmilla Raskova. As the head of KGB surveillance, she serves as the Soviet space program’s watchful eye. The series peels back the Iron Curtain, shifting the focus to the Soviet side of the space race—a perspective largely obscured in the original series. For Martin, this role represents a departure from the vulnerable or conflicted protagonists she is known for. Here, she is the one who monitors, judges, and ensures the Soviet space program never deviates from the state’s rigid ideological path.
The transition into the role of a high-ranking intelligence officer requires a shift in posture and temperament that Martin describes as both exhilarating and demanding. To play Raskova is to master the art of holding one’s cards close. In a society where a single misstep could lead to an immediate arrest or a permanent disappearance into the penal system, Raskova’s survival depends on her ability to see everything while revealing nothing. It is a masterclass in restraint, requiring the kind of nuanced performance Martin has spent her career perfecting, though she admits the scale of this production adds a layer of anxiety she hasn’t felt in years.
An Unsettling Spotlight
It is ironic that an actress of Martin’s caliber would feel a fresh wave of nerves, but launching a tentpole drama on a platform as massive as Apple TV+ is a unique challenge. The scrutiny is global, the expectations are stratospheric, and the For All Mankind fanbase is notoriously detail-oriented. Martin has spoken about this sensation, noting that the magnitude of the project creates a pressure to deliver something authentic within a high-concept, alternate-history narrative.
This vulnerability makes her performance compelling. She is a performer who understands the stakes of the story she is telling. She shares the screen with Rhys Ifans, who portrays the “Chief Designer” of the Soviet space program, and rising talent Agnes O’Casey, who plays a younger version of the enigmatic Irina Morozova. The chemistry between these actors promises to be the show’s core. Watching Martin spar with Ifans—two actors who operate with distinct, magnetic energy—will be a highlight of the season. The tension on set, she hints, mirrors the high-stakes chess match their characters play in the scripts.
As the production moves forward, the focus shifts to how these characters navigate the intersection of personal ambition and state-mandated duty. The stars are the goal, but the ground beneath them is shifting constantly. For Raskova, the surveillance of her colleagues is a way of life, and the cracks in her armor are exactly what the audience will be watching for.
Raskova’s power relies on an absolute absence of tell-tale emotion. It is a masterclass in minimalism, where the flick of an eye or the tightening of a jaw conveys more than a monologue ever could. It is this specific brand of psychological warfare that makes her portrayal of Colonel Raskova so chillingly effective.
The Architecture of Paranoia
Star City frames the space race not just as a feat of engineering, but as a psychological pressure cooker. For the Soviet characters, the race to the moon was played out under the constant, suffocating gaze of the state. As the head of KGB surveillance, Martin’s character acts as the architect of this paranoia, representing the tangible cost of ambition in a society where the line between national pride and treason is razor-thin.
To understand the stakes, we must look at how the Soviet space program differed from its American counterpart in terms of institutional structure. The following table highlights the distinct operational environments depicted in the broader For All Mankind universe:
| Feature | American Space Program (NASA) | Soviet Space Program (Star City) |
|---|---|---|
| Operational Focus | Public-facing, media-driven, transparent | State-secret, clandestine, compartmentalized |
| Internal Oversight | Congressional committees, public audit | KGB surveillance, ideological vetting |
| Primary Motivator | Technological legacy, democratic prestige | National security, party supremacy |
Martin’s performance thrives in these shadows. She plays Raskova as a woman who believes she is the hero of her own story—a guardian of the state’s survival. It is a logical, if terrifying, worldview that demands a suppression of empathy in favor of cold utility. When she shares the screen with Rhys Ifans, the tension is palpable. Ifans offers the vision and the soaring dreams of reaching the stars, while Martin provides the tether, pulling the narrative back to the brutal reality of terrestrial politics.
A Masterclass in Character Duality
One of the most compelling aspects of this production is the generational interplay between the characters. The inclusion of Agnes O’Casey as a younger version of Irina Morozova adds historical weight to the narrative. Martin’s Raskova serves as a mentor, a tormentor, and a mirror to these younger characters, forcing them to confront the moral compromises required to advance the Soviet cause. It is a dynamic that requires Martin to be both a predator and a protector, a duality she navigates with the precision of a surgeon.
The intimidation Martin feels is not born of a lack of skill, but from the realization that Star City is a colossal undertaking. It is a show about the fragility of human dreams when placed under the weight of institutional dogma. By anchoring the show in the internal lives of its KGB handlers, the creators have ensured that the drama remains grounded, no matter how high the rockets fly.
Watching Anna Maxwell Martin in this role, one is struck by the evolution of her craft. She has moved from playing the harried, relatable professional to someone who can embody the very systems that define history. She is no longer just a face in the crowd; she is the one who monitors the crowd, deciding who is allowed to dream and who is destined to disappear. It is a dark, complex turn that proves she is one of the most versatile performers working today. As Star City prepares to launch, we are witnessing an actor at the absolute peak of her powers, unafraid to walk into the deepest, coldest shadows of the human experience.