Ashley Judd — the star of films like Heat and Double Jeopardy — will come home this Sunday as a retired CIA agent forced to pick up a gun once again when her teenaged son is kidnapped. Missing goes on air on STAR World on March 11 and will air every Sunday at 9pm. Its USP? Missing will be the first American TV series to screen in India before its US premiere! An email chat with Judd...

What is Missing about?

Missing has an unforgettable premise. I am not CIA; I am a mother looking for her son. While every single episode is rich with intrigue and action and set in gorgeous locations, what the audiences will love is essentially that it is a show about family. Each episode has an incredible emotional heart. That is what I loved about it. I could be tough, fight, run — but each episode also demands the most from my vulnerability and emotional core.

How would you describe your character Becca Winstone?

I played Becca for four-and-a-half months and so it was like filming a movie. The show is as big as a movie, as complex and beautiful... and so I became Becca. There really is no other way for me to act. I lived with her passion, zeal, focus, desperation, and fight during the entire shoot.

What were the challenges you faced while shooting for such a high-action, high-emotion series?

For my role of a CIA agent, I reconnected with the weapons training I have previously done, on movies such as Heat. We had a really great member of the British Special Forces with whom I worked. I also worked, of course, with my own stunt trainer.

How is shooting for a TV series different from a film?

Filming is filming. It is gruelling, rewarding, consuming. It is truly a full-time job. I have very little space in my brain for anything else while filming, whether it’s film or TV. With the incredible advances in technology, too, things move so quickly on set. There is a lot less “down-time” or “hurry up and wait” that sets are so famous for. The equipment is light-weight, small lenses eliminate the need for a lot of lights that require being moved from one filming set-up to the next. So, preparing to film is about preparing to let go of the outside world for a period of time, joining the crew and team with commitment and dedication and making it fun every single day.

Why should the viewer tune in to Missing? You’ll love Missing’s mix of family drama, adrenaline-pumping action, adventure and beautiful and exotic international locations.

You are an actor, an author and an activist. Which role do you enjoy most and why?

I love writing and I love writing about things that are personal, spiritual, and transformative. I believe the personal is professional is political is personal — so there is a closed loop and a total relationship between each of the things that matter to me.

CRIME@10

MONDAY Dexter Season 6 — The forensic expert by day and serial killer by night explores new territories.

TUESDAY Person of Interest

Season 1 — An ex-CIA hitman and a scientist team up to prevent crimes before they happen. Stars Taraji P. Henson (Oscar nominee for Best Supporting Actress in 2009 for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

WEDNESDAY Castle Season 4 — Will Kate Beckett survive the bullet wound she suffered at the end of Season 3? Will she and Rick Castle finally become a couple?

THURSDAY Unforgettable Season 1 — Carrie Wells, a former New York detective, can visually remember everything to help solve cases.

FRIDAY Criminal Minds Season 7 — A group of profilers analyse the most dangerous criminal minds to anticipate their next moves before they strike again.

Which of these shows will you watch? Tell t2@abp.in