I’m literally strapped into stunt gear, like pads and a backpack, in a really weird seated position on my couch. We are doing a pretty intense fight that’s taking place in a kitchen. It’s always a fascinating thing when you’re on a series and every week you have a fight sequence. I do all the hits and the kicks — anything but where I’m getting thrown somewhere at a very high velocity where something could go very wrong.

That helps answer the question, Are you doing a lot of your own stunts?

Yes, I am. I have an amazing stunt double, Marie [Fink], who certainly does a lot of it, but it’s sort of half and half. I get a little bit controlling. [Laughs] I get really like, I want to do it — put me in there! Marie usually has to do the really big hits that legally, because of a liability issue, I’m not allowed to do because it could shut down production. Forever. So she gets thrown into a lot of walls. Today she’s getting slammed onto a chef’s table.

Dex is an Army veteran with PTSD, and one of the ways she copes is through sex. In the graphic novel she’s bisexual. How about in the show?

This is a woman who does not want to label herself as anything — she doesn’t really adhere to social norms in that way. She’s more of the type of person who, if she’s going to be attracted to anyone, it’s because she’s at the bar super late at night and it’s whoever is left.

What kind of research did you do for the role?

I’ve been lucky enough to play women who have been in the service more than once, and I’ve met a lot of women who were in the service. We had this wonderful woman [Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a clinical psychologist] who worked during the Obama administration — specifically with people who are dealing with PTSD and trying to get legislation passed. She was a really great source. But I found when I really got into it that everybody is suffering from some kind of PTSD. If you’re human and you have feelings, at some point in your life you have experienced trauma.

It also brings up the issue of health care for veterans.

One of the greatest things about this show is being able to portray somebody like that, and hopefully we’re going to see her face that demon and get help. The way that we treat our veterans is quite appalling. It’s an opportunity to shed some light on that.