EXCLUSIVE: Lucy Liu & Kiernan Shipka Bring The Boss Vibes in Red One

In Red One, the action-packed Christmas movie that lands on OTT today, Lucy Liu and Kiernan Shipka come to boss Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson all around. The star-studded film revolves around a mission to rescue Santa after he is kidnapped from his safe base at the North Pole. Liu’s Zoe Harlow is in charge of the operation, while Kiernan’s Gryla is the villain. In an exclusive chat with Filmfare, the actresses opened up about their filming experience.

Lucy, what was it like getting back into action with the Red One?
Lucy: Action is something I enjoy watching and I love being a part of it. It’s so unexpected because growing up watching Chinese movies, I never expected to be able to do something like this. It really started with Charlie’s Angels when I was asked to do action in that franchise, that’s when I realized that I actually looked really good. I don’t necessarily know if I know what I’m doing. When we were making this movie, they originally said I just need to do a few kicks, I don’t need to train. And then when I showed up, they said, this is what the scene is going to look like. I thought, “Oh my God, that’s not what I expected.” But when they gave me the sticks, I had muscle memory. So I was able to pick it up really quickly and I realized how much I missed doing action.

Kiernan, what was your experience of playing a witch again after Sabrina the Teenage Witch?
Kiernan: Yeah, I guess witches and holiday movies are my niche now. It was so much fun. I liked playing someone who had a villainous streak. I found her to be written in a way that was a lot of fun to play. I loved knowing that the movie depended on this character in many ways. The effort appealed to me. I loved learning about Gryla’s folklore. She was also in Sabrina, so it was kind of fun to be able to play her because I played opposite her before. It’s funny to say that it was so much fun because I was playing someone who was definitely not that much fun. But it was really nice.

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You have to scare Chris Evans on screen…
Kiernan: Just don’t think about it (Chris being Captain America). I was like, “Put everything aside. You’re Gryla. This is Jack O’Malley. Kiernan, forget it.” These are all major heavyweights in this film. Being the one to scare people is crazy.

Lucy: I loved working with both Chris and Dwayne. They are, as Kieran said before, heavyweights. And they bring a gravitas to the set and to the film. I love it in some ways Chris pretends he doesn’t know how to do anything. He’s like, I don’t fight. I am a technician. I’m a bad guy, a criminal, but not someone who takes a gun or hurts people. I think that combination was so wonderful. I had many scenes where I interrogated him. And he’s just a sweet, wonderful person. And DJ (Dwayne Johnson) is so nice to you on set. He asks you questions about yourself, your life, your family. He wants to get to know who you are and I appreciate that because sometimes you talk about the weather you don’t really get to know anyone. It’s nice when you can really get in touch with people.

Also See: EXCLUSIVE: Red One Star Dwayne Johnson Recalls Working With Priyanka Chopra

Finally, Lucy, do you have a message for your fans in India who grew up watching you on screen?
Lucy: My message is for everyone. It’s important to be yourself and to understand how unique you are with all the bells and whistles that other people think are flaws, and you might think so too. But they really aren’t. It makes you a special person. Many people think from the outside in because of the internet and social media. They should think from the inside out. We often forget that. I wish I had that message when I was younger. My mom had cut off all my hair when I was 10. I had a birthday party, the only birthday party I had. And right before the birthday party, she cut my hair off. It was gone. I’m not even saying bangs. I had no hair. I was so humiliated. I just remember being really upset and freaking out. If I had the confidence to know, even though I had no hair at all, she cut it off in such a ragged fashion, it wouldn’t matter. I’m still me no matter what I look like. That is such an important message to children now. Everyone wants to show the best side of themselves in their life. Everyone says, ‘Look at me. Look at my car. Look at my house.’ That is not what is important. The important thing is who are you with? How do you feel about them? How do they feel about you? Do they make you feel comfortable? Do they make you sit up a little more upright? I hope people understand that. And be proud of who you are!

Red One is currently streaming on Prime Video.