{blackbabes} 'The Leftovers' series premiere: Amanda Warren 'Sit tight, buckle up and enjoy the ride'

Platinum - Miranda Lambert / First Love - Jennifer Lopez

In HBO's "The Leftovers," the people of Mapleton, NY are struggling with the sudden departure of their loved ones, three years ago. The only thing harder than accepting the loss might be helping the entire town rebuild.

In the new series premiering tonight (June 29), from writer Tom Perrotta and Damon Lindelof (Lost), Mayor Lucy Warburton is one of the grounding forces among the chaos.

Right off the bat, viewers will see there is some major tension between Mayor Warburton and Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux). Actress Amanda Warren, who plays the town matriarch, tells Zap2it of their relationship,"There is some history there, which the audience will be revealed to later on. I think that what's happened three years ago, around the world with the sudden departure hasn't helped. I think if anything, the walls have gone up. The walls are thicker and tougher to crash through in Lucy and Kevin's working relationship. No matter what the history is, they still have to be there and fight for the town and protect everyone."

Warren reveals she was put in an exciting position in the series, being one of the only characters who is not in the original Tom Perrotta penned novel and being originated in the adaptation, "When I met with Damon, he said he actually preferred that I did not read the book and I was ok with that, because being naive about what's in the book, helped me as an artist. You don't need to over think anything or think about the novel, you can just think about Tom and Damon's adaptation. There's a comfort in having Tom be a part of the creative process. You know the material in the novel is going to be taken care of and protected by the person who created it."

Warren says the emotional aspect of the new series is high and the characters are craving answers as much as the audience will be, "Everyone is dealing with real abandonment issues, they don't know where their loved ones went. They could show up any day on their doorstep. So there is a feeling of not loss, of real abandonment. We don't know if those people are dead or alive. I think those questions are healthy lingering questions for the story that we're telling. I think if people just sit tight, questions will be answered, but it is more about humanity in all these characters."

One thing is certain with "The Leftovers," get ready to expect the unexpected. Warren tells Zap2it, she is excited to see what viewers respond to as the story starts to be revealed, "I think that the audience, if you can just sit tight, buckle up and enjoy the ride, you'll really just enjoy the journey."

The journey begins when the series premiere of "The Leftovers" airs Sunday, June 29 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.