Emilia Jones, 23, Talks of her Complete Transformation from “CODA” to Robbie’s Niece in “Task”
If you only know Emilia Jones as the singing, signing girl from “CODA,” you’re behind the times. Get with it! Yes, that role snagged her a BAFTA nomination and then catapulted her into the spotlight, but pigeonholing her into a role like this is a big mistake. Jones has been proving her chameleon-like abilities ever since, and her latest role in HBO’s gritty crime drama “Task” is a masterpiece of transformation.
Emilia Jones Portrays Maeve
In “Task,” Emilia Jones plays Maeve, the mullet-rocking, emo niece of a local criminal. She’s burdened beyond her years, world-weary, and a universe away from the hopeful Ruby Rossi of “CODA.” The transformation was so complete that audiences and even her own friends didn’t recognize her. In an interview with Deadline, Jones stated:
I went to the Rangers game last night and someone was like, ‘I didn’t recognize you without your mullet.’ And then someone else was like, ‘well, I didn’t recognize her with the mullet,’ So many people sent me text messages saying they didn’t realize it was me until episode three or two… It’s such a compliment. That’s what I love about acting. I love playing characters you can totally disappear into.
And disappear she absolutely did. Jones’s performance is a true testament to her depth of emotion. She navigated a minefield of family loyalty, questionable morality, and the huge, crushing weight of responsibility. It proved to be a role that showed her range extends far beyond the feel-good film that originally made her a household name.
From “CODA” to “Task” – Embracing the Emotion
“CODA” was, without a doubt, a total game-changer for Emilia Jones. At just 17, she learned to both sing and use American Sign Language for the role, a challenge she embraced head-on. “For every skill that was required for that film, I had a big fat NO by every single one of them,” she recalled. Director Sian Heder took a chance, and it paid off, leading to a whirlwind awards season and a historic Oscar win for the film.
But instead of riding that wave into another similar project, Jones veered sharply into darker territory. “Task” creator Brad Ingelsby, known for his work on “Mare of Easttown,” clearly saw something fierce in her. His first question to her was, “Do you like kids?” A question that made perfect sense once Jones read the script and realized she’d be wrangling her character’s young cousins throughout the series.
Her performance as Maeve is anything but one-note. She carries the weight of her uncle Robbie’s (Tom Pelphrey, in an astonishing performance), criminal life, a burden that manifests in a constant state of simmering resentment and fierce protectiveness. Jones said:
Maeve is devastated, obviously, when Tom [Mark Ruffalo] tells her Robbie’s dead…But at the end of the day, he was still her uncle… she knew that she still had someone who was looking out for her.
Building Bonds – and Kicking Butt
The on-screen chemistry between Jones and Pelphrey was electric. It was also a messy, complicated bond built on their real-life friendship. Jones revealed they spent lots of hours hanging out, perfecting Pennsylvania, accents, visiting museums, and even braving a “trippy room at the children’s museum.” That strong connection allowed them to push the boundaries of their characters’ fraught familial relationship.
That trust was monumental, especially when it came to the show’s adrenaline-fueled finale. Jones, a self-professed stunt lover, dove headfirst into the action. Jones said of the climactic fight scene with Jayson, actor Sam Keeley:
My adrenaline was so high the whole time… We slightly went off the script and had this back and forth fight. It was a really, really challenging but such a fun scene to shoot.
It’s this commitment and raw energy that makes her performance so compelling.
What’s Next for Emilia Jones?
With “Task” just wrapping up its season, the big question is what’s next. While the show might continue as an anthology, Maeve’s story seems to have reached its conclusion, with her and the kids escaping to an unknown future. “I just hope that Maeve is able to get the support that she needs because for a lot of her life, she’s had to put things on pause,” Jones mused.
As for Emilia Jones, the future is definitely wide open. She’s proven she has the grit, the talent, and the determination to tackle complex, demanding roles which defy expectation. From the indie darling of “CODA” to the harried but fierce survivor of “Task,” she has cemented herself as one of her generation’s most versatile and exciting performers. Whatever she does next, you can almost certainly bet on one thing: you might not recognize her at first, and that’s exactly how she likes it.
