Hilary Swank shares if she’d return for a ‘Yellowjackets’ Season 4— and the ‘challenges’ of playing Melissa

“Yellowjackets” might not be able to get rid of Hilary Swank that easy.
Warning: spoilers below!
Season 3 of the psychological thriller saw Swank’s character (adult Melissa) appear in only two episodes, but she made a big impact. Not only did Melissa kill a core character in a shocking plot twist, but she vanished from the crime scene, leaving a door open for her character’s possible return.
As of this publication, Showtime’s “Yellowjackets” has yet to be renewed — but the entire cast seemed hopeful at the finale event in North Hollywood, California, on Thursday, April 10.
The Post spoke to Swank on the red carpet and asked the Oscar winner if she’d be open to returning if there is a Season 4.
“You know what? I would be open to it for sure,” the actress shared, adding she jelled with the cast and loved the material she was given to work with.
“I really liked everybody a lot. I had a great time. I feel like the writing is really great, and it’s a challenge, and, you know, I like to be challenged as an actor, and I feel that the show, it really works,” Swank explained.
Despite enjoying her time as Melissa, the two-time Academy Award winner’s role came with challenges, including long dialogue.
“It’s really rare when you get scenes that are 8 pages long or 10 pages long. It’s super rare. You usually have like a couple pages, but we had monologues and like a lot of meat to chew. No pun intended,” she told The Post.
Swank also pointed out that her character was new-ish, and she had a small timeframe to get a grasp of Melissa since she hadn’t watched many episodes of the show.
Melissa was a part of the “Yellowjackets” soccer team, whose plane crashed in the ’90s, and they were forced to succumb to cannibalism just to survive. Only a few survive and make it home. The show goes back and forth between those teenage years and their adult present-day selves.
Melissa had been believed to be dead by her ex-teammates until decades later when adult Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) discovers she’s still alive.
“That was really a challenge without having a lot backstory and a lot of time to prepare,” Swank told The Post.
“They called me like a few weeks before filming,” she shared, admitting she “wouldn’t have had time” to watch every episode of Seasons 1 and 2 of the series.
After adult Shauna finds out that Melissa is alive and well, she tries to kill her, and the two battle it out in what becomes a reminder of their cannibal days in the woods.
While having her pinned on the ground, Shauna takes a bite out of Melissa’s arm and makes her eat her own flesh.
Swank joked about that scene at the event this week.
“It was silicone,” she shared. “I didn’t really eat my arm. I’m not method. Thank God.”
Melissa manages to escape Shauna’s clutch and drive away but ends up being picked up on the side of the road by her other ex-teammates, adult Misty (Christina Ricci), adult Tai (Tawny Cypress), and a weakened adult Van (Lauren Ambrose), who is suffering from terminal cancer.
Back at home, all hell breaks loose when Van tries killing Swank’s character.
Van had the chance to take Melissa’s life and spared her, only for Melissa to fatally stab her in the chest. When Tai discovers Van bleeding to death, she can’t do anything but hold her and break down as the two were longtime lovers.
Ricci also talked to The Post and exclusively shared which of her co-star’s death was the hardest for her to stomach.
“Yellowjackets” has been nominated for 10 Emmys over the course of its reign, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2022 and 2023 — losing to “Succession” both times.
Season 3 of the hit series is available to stream on Paramount+ with Showtime.