Keira Knightley starred in one of the most popular Christmas films of the 21st century, the 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually. Her new Netflix series “Black Doves” is also set during the holidays, but in it she plays a spy alongside Ben Whishaw’s assassin. Knightley says the show, which premieres Thursday, falls into the Christmas “Die Hard” category.

“It’s like, ‘I’ve spent too much time with my family, I hate them all, I’m watching something explode,'” Knightley said in a recent interview with Whishaw. “If you have a good time, you can watch “Love Actually.” And if you’re pretty upset, you can watch Black Doves. Christmas entertainment is provided!

Knightley’s character Helen is a spy for a secret agency called the Black Doves, which has no alliances but is contracted to the highest bidder. When Helen’s lover is murdered, an old friend, Sam (played by Whishaw), who refers to himself as “Trigger Man,” is called in to protect her. He also vows to help Helen get revenge.

“It’s exciting to do something you’ve never done before,” Whishaw said. “I felt like there was some core truth to the characters, even though they’re all in a pretty lofty world where it’s possible that they could somehow get wiped out of a five-story building and not get a scratch.”

Knightley also found something relatable to her character – everyone has a different side of themselves that they show to different people.

“I have two children. “My identity as a mother is very big, but I also have quite contradictory identities within me that are also true but don’t necessarily exist at the same time as my role as a mother,” she said.

She also loved that Sam and Helen’s friendship is “between these two very strange characters,” Knightley said. “They can’t be themselves with anyone else in the world, but they can be themselves with each other.”

The roles in the series are atypical for a spy series. Sam and Helen report to a woman in the role of their stoic spy director, played by Sarah Lancashire. Women were also cast in the roles of leaders of crime syndicates. Sam is a deadly killer who happens to be gay.

“It’s always more interesting to do things that are less expected,” series creator Joe Barton said of his casting choices.

The job gave Whishaw the opportunity to learn stunts and appear in action sequences, which he initially found “terrifying”.

“I had never done anything like that before. And I think if I’m honest, I’m very slim and I feel like (action) is the territory or territory of big guys. I really had to get over something within myself, but I’m glad I did.”