Note: This story contains spoilers from the premiere of High Potential.

After making a name for herself as one of the four ne’er-do-wells on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (and most recently on Hacks), Kaitlin Olson is entering the world of network crime series with ABC’s High Potential – a move that surprised even herself.

“My agent brought this idea to me and gave me a synopsis, and I was like, ‘Wow, that doesn’t sound like what I wanted to do next at all,'” Olson told TheWrap, adding that she quickly changed her mind after reading series creator Drew Goddard’s script. “It’s so hard to bring a character’s heart and soul into a dramatic procedural — you just need a certain intelligence, talent and creativity to do that, and I just thought he did it so seamlessly.”

In “High Potential,” based on the French series “Haut Potentiel Intellectuel (HPI),” Olson plays Morgan, a single mother whose extraordinary mind and unconventional talent for solving crimes lead to a collaboration with the local police.

For Olson, High Potential ticked many of her boxes as a fan of crime novels, true crime and character-driven projects. But most importantly, the ABC drama is a stark departure from her previous comedic roles.

“I’m always looking for something new – I’ve got the sweet Ds down,” Olson said, referring to Dee in “Always Sunny” and DJ in “Hacks,” for which she was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at the 76th Emmy Awards. “I wanted to play a completely different character, and this one was just so versatile that I couldn’t say no.”

“High Potential” saw a showrunner change earlier this summer, when “The Resident” showrunner Todd Harthan took the reins from former boss Rob Thomas. While Harthan and Olson solidified their vision of “High Potential” as a “very grounded, very intense crime series,” Olson said the change helped refine the tone of the new show as it toed the line between comedy and drama.

“My character is weird, interesting, funny and witty, but also a down-to-earth, real person. There are a lot of people in the world who find themselves in serious situations and deal with them with humor,” Olson said. “You can combine those two things, but the world itself has to be believable.”

While having a high IQ and special cognitive abilities may seem like a dream to outsiders, for Morgan it is actually quite tiring and at times “torturous.” Olson says, “There’s a lot going on in her head – everyone else is wrong. It’s exhausting to always be right and try to explain yourself.”

“I like the human aspect of it — I didn’t want to say, ‘She’s so smart and that’s so cool.’ She doesn’t let it out at all,” Olson said. “She’s just a human being and a mother, and she’s a struggler, and she’s had a lot of jobs and a lot of failed relationships, but she keeps going for her kids. I imagine she’s had a pretty challenging life, and I find that much more interesting.”

Despite turning to a very different project from her previous comedies, Olson admits she brought some of the sass of her previous characters to “High Potential,” particularly when Morgan speaks to someone who doubts her. “It’s hard not to bring some of that; there are little touches of it,” Olson said. “I like characters who stand up for themselves and are loud.”

When viewers meet Morgan in “High Potential,” the protagonist already has three children from two different fathers, one of whom Morgan believes is missing, leading to a pretty busy life that leaves her feeling lonely. “I think she feels very lonely and feels like she has to take care of everything herself because people are either unable to or don’t believe her,” Olson said. “She may not know the exact details, but she knows she’s right because she’s probably always right in some way.”

After Morgan goes beyond her duties as a janitor to correct an evidence board that she believes points to the wrong victim, she attracts the attention of the local police, led by veteran detective Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) as well as Selena Soto (Judy Reyes). Although the rules of law enforcement don’t quite mesh with Morgan’s “pick and choose” mentality, Olson sees Morgan’s collaboration with the police as “the first time she gets to use her mind in a way that’s productive and challenges her.”

In the first episode, Morgan is offered a consulting position with the police, which she initially turns down, but then changes her mind and accepts the job on several conditions: a raise, childcare, and investigating the case of her missing ex and father of her daughter, Roman.

Olson attributes Morgan’s desire to move on to both her trust in Soto, whom Morgan describes as “authentic and honest,” and her connection to her daughter Ava (Amirah J).

“A big reason Morgan wants to find Roman is because she doesn’t want Ava to feel like she’s not worthy of having a parent stay with her,” Olson said. “She cares about her connection with her daughter and making Ava feel … valued and loved and perfect just the way she is, not someone a father would abandon.”

While Ava encourages Morgan to come to terms with the fact that Roman left the family, Morgan trusts her own instinct that he was happy.

“Everything was fine then. They had a wonderful relationship. They had a baby together and to her, he’s gone, he’s not gone,” Olson said. “She’s just sticking with it. I don’t think she’s lying to herself at this point. I think she really believes he wouldn’t have left her.”

“High Potential” airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

The post ‘High Potential’ Star Kaitlin Olson Talks Balancing ‘Heart and Soul’ and Procedural Antics on New ABC Drama appeared first on TheWrap.