The wait is finally over. Lucifer's sixth and final season has landed on Netflix - and Rachael Harris is feeling just as emotional as the rest of us.
MORE: The real reason why Lucifer is ending after six seasons
It's understandable, of course. The incredible actress, who has a list of IMDb credits that put many Hollywood names to shame (123 and counting!), has been playing the hit fantasy crime drama's moral compass, Dr Linda Martin, ever since it launched back in 2016. Although her character may have started out as Lucifer Morningstar's official therapist - and unofficial friend with benefits - she has grown to become more than that over the show's extraordinary six seasons.
© JSquared Photography
We sat down with Rachael for a (spoiler-free!) interview for HELLO! Spotlight, where she opened up about the many "hiccups" the show has experienced over the years, the teary on-set goodbyes and why the success of Lucifer is really down to the fans...
Lucifer season six is finally out! When the series launched back in 2016, did you ever expect it to not only run for this many seasons but become such a huge hit?
The thing that's so great about Lucifer is that when it got pitched and I was cast we had no idea what was going to happen because when we first did the pilot we got a review from a major entertainment magazine that said: "This show is unwatchable, it's crazy and it will not go anywhere".
WATCH: Lucifer's sixth and final season is now streaming on Netflix
But when I read the pilot, I instantly loved that character of Lucifer. I loved how complex he was. I love that he was seeking redemption, that he was trying to better himself, that he was becoming more self-aware and I really loved getting to play a therapist to the most irredeemable person ever. But because of that review, I thought: "Well, we're lucky if we get picked up". I certainly wasn't thinking we'd get picked up, let alone a second season. But the fans reacted so strongly to it, especially our fans from outside of the US who were just so vocal, so supportive we really felt we were on to something.
But we've had so many hiccups along the way that it's been really satisfying and gratifying that we've got to this place six seasons later because we never really expected it to go anywhere.
MORE: See the cast of Lucifer's Instagram accounts: Tom Ellis, Lauren German and more
The show really does have such a huge fanbase around the world, who are partly responsible for the show being picked up by Netflix after it was cancelled by FOX. What do you think is it about Lucifer audiences find so captivating?
It was completely because of the fans that we got picked up, so all of us owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who tweeted and said: "Save Lucifer!". That's why we have a job.
I think what's great about the show is that the main character is this extraordinarily good-looking, charming man, and usually, when we see people like that, we think they have it all together. And what's wonderful about Tom [Ellis], and all of the other characters surrounding him, is that the writers have done a really good job of showing each one of these character's vulnerabilities, and their biggest and greatest fears. I think really the writers have done such a great job of making our characters flawed and relatable to audiences, showing that you can make mistakes and still get through life.
© JSquared Photography
How was it going into season six knowing that it was the very last time playing Linda? Was it quite emotional?
Oh, I was sobbing at all the table reads. When it came to filming, it was very hard because you didn't really want to go there while we were shooting, but there were times when you couldn't help it because of the nature of the writing. There's a scene that I have with Tom that I got very emotional and they [showrunners Joe Henderson and Ildy Modrovich] said: "You can't be that emotional for this. You got to bring it down because Linda's not in the same place that Rachael is."
But I was upset, of course, because the show was ending and [the cast] are like family to me. We all were aware that we were moving on, but at the same time, it was still really scary.
What was it like filming the very final scenes of the show when the camera stopped rolling for the last time?
Everything just kind of stopped and we were all just hugging each other and it was particularly difficult because of COVID, we could only have our masks off and really do group hugs for 15 minutes. At one point, Lesley [Ann Brandt] and I looked at each other and we said: "Wow, we had children on this show.". Because when we started, Leslie and I both had gotten married but we didn't have children yet and so that was really meaningful that we became mothers on the show together.
Your co-star Tom Ellis has teased that "every character in their own way [gets the chance] to say goodbye properly". How would you describe Linda's goodbye?
I would describe her as being so fulfilled. She's so fulfilled and she also feels Lucifer's given her quite a gift, and he's really challenged her and she's grown a lot. There's a scene between the two of them that's really pretty fantastic. He has great scenes with all of us, but it's a very special connection that Lucifer and Linda have.
Last season we had a storyline that saw Linda reconnect with her now grown-up daughter, whom she gave up as a teenager. What does season six have in store for Linda?
I was so excited and thrilled when they gave me the opportunity to do that because viewers got to see Linda really come unravelled and put in a difficult position. I was grateful that they trusted me with that and it was really fun to get to do all that emotional stuff. I loved it. As for season six, we get a Linda episode which is one of the funniest episodes, so it's quite different!
As a therapist, Linda is sort of the voice of reason on the show and counsels not only Lucifer but others like Maze and Chloe too - would you say you're like her in any way?
I think I'm very much like her. I'm definitely the talker and the person who wants to talk things out. I do my best to give people the benefit of the doubt to a fault. So in that regard, I feel like I'm very much like Linda. Also, when I get to work with Charlie [Linda and Amenadiel's son] because I have my own little kids, all of that stuff is very real and very me. It's a real baby that they bring on to set, so I'm using my own tricks to help him feel safe and calm because they're surrounded by a lot of people.
Without giving too much away, how do you think that fans of the show are going to be quite satisfied with the ending?
They're going to be so satisfied. I think that if you're a diehard fan, you're going to be crying at least a dozen times. It's very emotional, but I honestly do think that they're going to want more. And in saying that, I feel very happy because I want us to go out with the fans wanting more instead of them saying: "Whew, they have really wrung this towel out". So I'm glad that, hopefully, everyone will feel like it's a good time to end it.
Now season six is finally out - what's next for you? Do you have any exciting projects in the pipeline we should keep an eye out for?
I'm waiting to see what the next thing is going to be because I want it to be the right fit. I loved being on Netflix so much, so I really want to do another streaming show which could be a straight-up comedy or another drama. It really is exciting!
Lucifer season six is now streaming on Netflix.
Photographer: JSquared Photography
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