True Lies, the new CBS Show, swung into action at Wondercon with a panel and premiere of the 5ht episode. A fun show that takes the initial premise of the 1994 movie and expands on it to create a new action comedy for this generation. Attending the press room, I was able to speak with the show runner Matt Nix and actors Steve Howey and Omar Miller about the show, the joy of finding their characters and what fans can expect.
Showrunner Matt Nix
On how this differentiates from the Spy Shows/Films
Matt has had a lot of experience with spy shows (he is the creator of Burn Notice after all), but with True Lies he wanted to make it feel distinct. Because the original film was a French Farce, this show takes its queue from that, leaning into the more fun moments and crafting a show that leans into heroism rather than cynicism.
On What to Expect from the Rest of the Season
The first three episodes of the show are really table setting but episode 4 with Matthew Lillard really signals the show moving into a different arena. Now that every character has been established, a lot of the show gets to build out the ensemble. There’s some very exciting things in store, especially as the show ramps up towards a two part finale.
Omar Miller
On the Process of Finding his Character, Gib
There was an extended period between shooting the pilot and the series so when Omar returned he was able to approach the character with fresh eyes. He learned how important it was to create the dynamic between his character and the others on the show because Gib functions like the eyes and ears of the audience. Because of how knowledgable Gib is, when Gib is stressed, the audience is. Conversely when he’s joking, we know we’re in for a lighter moment; all of this based on how Omar is playing the scene.
Steve Howey
On Going from Shameless to an action packed series like True Lies
Steve liked Shameless to a bed of satin sheets and a bowl of ice cream. True Lies on the other hand requires so much more work from him. He’s always wanted to do action comedies and says that the work is incredibly hard, but he has had such a good time working on the show. Blending the various tones and aspects of the show had him trying to figure out if he was ok. On a show like True Lies, every episode is a sprint within a marathon.
On the Action
Over the years, Steve has had extensive training in both martial arts and weaponry so when it came time for Anthony Hemingway to recommend someone for the role, Steve was top of the list. It came with a bit more pressure just given the fact that he was stepping into the TV version of a role that was played by arguably the biggest action star of all time. Steve took this as an opportunity to differentiate the character, not needing to bulk up more and focusing on the fight choreography.
On the Character of Harry
One interesting note Steve shared with us was that his approach to the character was that he found the character through realizing that Harry might be great as a spy, but that it’s the family stuff he’s not good at. He likened himself to a sound engineer, getting to play with the levels of his performance alongside his co-star Ginger Gonzaga.