Despite the ice queen accoutrements in this dreamy winter wonderland photo shoot, Missy Peregrym radiates warmth. At once vulnerable and erudite, the FBI star reflects on the hard-won lessons that brought her from beachy Los Angeles to gritty New York City.

Swipe through these striking portraits captured by Tom Corbett for the November-December 2018 issue of Watch—including web-exclusive bonus images—to study up on the fascinating woman who brings Special Agent Maggie Bell to life.

Stream FBI now on CBS All Access.

Missy Peregrym is hard to get

The star of FBI turned down the show's legendary creator, Dick Wolf, not once, but twice, before accepting the role of Maggie Bell. "I didn't want to do it, mostly because I just loved playing Andy McNally [on Rookie Blue], and how do you play another cop again without it just being her?" the actress told Watch!. Fortunately for us, she came around after reading the "amazing" pilot script.

Missy Peregrym knows how to rebuild

In 2015, after the end of Rookie Blue and the dissolution of a marriage, the FBI star decided to take the space she deserved. "I really worked on grounding myself, noticing all the smaller things around me that are beautiful and wonderful," she says.

With time—and through meditation and long walks on the beach with her boyfriend and golden doodle—she began opening herself up to new opportunities.

Missy Peregrym is forever grateful

"Every time I've gotten a job, there's always been somebody—and I have no idea who they are—fighting for me," she says of the oft-mysterious casting process. The daughter of a preacher, Peregrym chooses to have faith, even when faced with things beyond her control.

Missy Peregrym channels her insecurities into strengths

"I'm intense and I'm sensitive, and I used to hate hearing that," she tells Watch!. "But at the end of the day, they're actually right. I don't have this energy that's super soft and laid-back."

Missy Peregrym and Maggie Bell have a lot in common

Much like the hardcore character she portrays, Peregrym is "on fire for justice. I need to see it carried out." Her hope is that show will inspire her not to "put [her] head in the sand anymore... Now it's time to face things head-on."

Missy Peregrym is well on her way to being a New Yorker

"I thought that it was gonna be harder to settle here—and I immediately felt grounded and I can't really explain it," Peregrym says of moving to the city that never sleeps. "People talk about New Yorkers as rude. But they look at you and they actually make eye contact with you when they ask you questions. They want to have an answer."

Missy Peregrym is one-of-a-kind

"In my opinion, in the universe of actors, there's only one who could be Olivia Benson [on Law and Order: SVU]. And now there's only one who could be Maggie Bell," FBI-creator Dick Wolf says of his new leading lady.

Missy Peregrym respects the badge

"These are people who are sacrificing so much of their time and their life to protect the greater good," she says of the FBI rank and file. "They're not disconnected from all the heartache and suffering and the tragedy that's happening. They go into the center of it to deal."

Missy Peregrym goes all in

"I'm not a trained actor, and I just don't separate," she says of the physical and emotional toll of dramatic scenes, like the explosion in the FBI pilot. "I was like, 'God, this is horrible.' [I was] going home and blowing out black snot. And that's nothing compared to what these real heroes have faced in the field."

Missy Peregrym is getting that happily ever after

She plans to marry her Australian boyfriend, Tom, in 2019. Earlier this year, the duo road tripped cross-country from Los Angeles—bunking in motels and making pitstops at kitschy "World's Largest" attractions—before moving into their new Brooklyn townhouse.

Missy Peregrym is Canadian to the core

No matter where she is living or who she is playing, the Montreal-native still insists on adding maple syrup to her coffee.

Missy Peregrym is fearless

"Really at the end of the day, there's only one thing to do," she advises. "Take the job that scares the sh*t out of you and get married and get into another relationship that scares the sh*t out of you." Words to live by.

Originally published in Watch! Magazine, November-December 2018.

Stream FBI now on CBS All Access.