Daya Vaidya on Bosch season 6 and the evolution of Jen Kowski

Daya Vaidya returns as Jen Kowski in Bosch season 6, and spoke to Precinct TV about watching her character and the Amazon Prime Video drama evolve.

Bosch season 6 has premiered on Amazon Prime Video, including the return of Jen Kowski, played by Daya Vaidya. Daya has a unique perspective on the series, because Jen has been part of almost every season. And in the sixth season, her role has evolved again.

She recently spoke to Precinct TV about playing a recurring character over five whole seasons, the most important thing on Bosch, and if her prior experience playing cops on other TV crime dramas has helped her in Jen’s interactions with the police in this series.

Learn more about Daya in our interview below; you can still stream the entirety of Bosch season 6 exclusively through Amazon Prime Video now.

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Precinct TV: You’ve had the opportunity to play Jen over multiple Bosch seasons, but you’re not in every episode. What has the experience been like for you?

Daya Vaidya: That’s totally what has been fun—when you’re on a show for that long and you get to see the whole journey. Also, I’m a fan. So I get to watch the whole progression happen as a fan and as a character playing in it. That’s what’s awesome. I get to watch my stuff that I’m in, I’m part of it in terms of just playing as an actor, but as a fan, I get to watch it like everybody else.

PTV: Does the show feel different to you now in Bosch season 6 than when you started in the second season? Have you seen an evolution?

DV: I think that the idea behind it is the same. because it follows Michael Connelly’s books, so the main murder and then the political storyline are separate. That sort of is the same every season. What’s different is how and what we’re discussing in the world. Every season is something different.

I think that the writers are really good about being on top of what is actually happening in our world. It’s almost like they’re mirroring what’s taking place for people in real life. For example, this season we’re dealing with radioactive material coming to Los Angeles, and domestic terrorism. That’s something that is happening in our world.

My character, in the political storyline, Chief Irving is running for mayor. He started off as just chief of police. Now he’s running for mayor. So that’s really progress.

PTV: You’re a part of these ongoing storylines, but you may not appear for episodes at a time. How does that affect your acting process?

DV: Sometimes I don’t even see the script. If I’m not in that episode, I may not know what’s happening. So I have to call the writers and get an update on exactly where they’re going. They’re very good about letting you know, and then I just talk to them about my ideas. We do a lot of collaboration and a lot of bouncing off of each other. So when I show up, I’m not just flying blind. They’re right there on the set. You’ve discussed it. You’re talking about what’s the overall storyline, what they’re going for, and then your own ideas about your character.

The most important thing in Bosch is authenticity. That’s the most important thing for the producers, the writers, the actors. Everyone wants to get a sense of real and gritty, and not make-believe L.A. life. They really are trying to get it right and get it authentic as possible.

PTV: Do you ever spend any time wondering what Jen is doing when we don’t see her?

DV: One hundred percent. I sit in her a lot because she’s different to me, and I admire her as a character because she is really crafty, really ambitious. What I like that’s different than me is I’m sort of careful and polite and worry about what people think sometimes, whereas Jen doesn’t care. She doesn’t care what you think. She doesn’t care what is in her way. She just goes for it.

I’ll just sit in her head and think about, what would she do in this situation? How would she respond? What am I thinking about? What do I want? What am I going to get? I stay in that place a lot, and then I can just hop on set and I’m just in her brain space. That helps me.

PTV: You’ve appeared in other TV crime dramas and you’ve played a cop before. Has that been helpful to you when Jen is interacting with the cops on Bosch?

DV: You absolutely get helped by playing both sides, because you have to know how they think. I grew up in Oakland. I grew up in a more urban, crazy environment. So I bring all of that to even a character that’s supposed to be more white-collar. I bring a little street to it, because I think that all the best, most successful power players are the ones who have a little bit of that in them. They’re street-savvy.

PTV: Do you have a favorite other role that Bosch fans can watch next?

DV: I was on Unforgettable, which is another really fun cop procedural. It was on CBS. You can still stream it. I play Nina Inara; I’m a detective in that one. I like strong, sassy women, so if you like seeing me play that kind of role, I bring it in that one. The other thing I would say is check out Blue: The American Dream on Amazon Prime. It’s a movie I did with my husband and it’s a really cool, gritty New York movie. In that one I play more of a troubled girl, if you want to see something that has more layers. I just like playing complicated people.

PTV: When you look back on this Bosch season, is there a Jen moment that stands out to you? What are you looking back on or looking forward to next season?

DV: In the very last episode, Episode 10, we find out a bombshell that I didn’t even know until I read the script. To put it this way, I was surprised they didn’t tell me, and when I read the script [and] realized my character evolved in this way, I was like oh, wow. So I’m excited about season 7, because I’m hoping that storyline they introduced right at the end gets played out. It has to do with Ray Thacker, the money guy who’s backing Irving.

The sixth season of Bosch is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The series has been renewed for a seventh and final season.