EXCLUSIVE | Poppy Liu feels 'Dead Ringers' is 'unique and groundbreaking' in its portrayal of birth
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In 1988, David Cronenberg stunned the world with one of the most scintillating psychological thrillers of all time, ‘Dead Ringers’. The movie went on to be a gigantic hit and received numerous accolades. Now, almost more than three decades, Amazon Studios has come forward with a series based on the 1988 movie starring Rachel Weisz in the lead role. Titled ‘Dead Ringers,’ the series primarily focuses on the lives of Elliot and Beverly Mantle, twins who share everything: Drugs, lovers, and an unapologetic desire to bring women’s healthcare to the forefront.
Just like the original movie, the series opened with rave reviews from critics as well as audiences. The critics praised the show’s epic storytelling and impeccable performances while stating that this is a worthy retelling of an extraordinary story. Rachel Weisz has given a stunning performance as the twins, but one actor that has managed to nab all the eyeballs is none other than Poppy Liu. The Chinese-American actress plays the role of Greta in the series and gives a performance that is certainly going to be remembered for years to come. This is not the first Liu has mesmerized the world with their acting prowess. They have been a part of some of the biggest shows like ‘Better Call Saul’, ‘iCarly’, ‘Hacks’, and ‘Tales of the Walking Dead’ and seem to be at the peak of their acting career.
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Liu believes that Rachel Weisz is enough to make the Amazon series a must-watch for queer audiences, but they are really excited to see fans diving deeper into the world of ‘Dead Ringers’ and see how juicy and dark it really is.
In an EXCLUSIVE interview with MEAWW, Liu opened up about her character in the Amazon series and why this series is going to give a voice to the people who never came forward and talked about the problems they have faced in their lives.
Congratulations on ‘Dead Ringers’, a wonderful show. But before we talk about the show, I want to talk about your career. You started your career in 2018 and since then, you haven’t looked back. Worked in some of the biggest TV shows in recent times. Does this all still feel surreal to you?
Liu: I learned so many things, I learned my own energy capacities. I got a chance to work with a bunch of really amazing people and I also got to try out a bunch of different genres. Like playing a bunch of different kinds of people. I've been acting my whole life, but it was my first time really doing film and TV, which is like a very different medium than, like theatre or, when I was younger, I did dance. So I think I've learned a lot and I feel really excited about what is going to be next.
After graduating from college, you founded a production company called ‘Collective Sex’ that primarily focused on eliminating stigmas around sex and identity. How did you think of establishing something like that? And why was it so important for you?
Liu: During my time in college, I directed the Vagina Monologues for a couple of years. A few weeks ago, I attended the Dead Ringers tastemaker dinner, and it was a really special moment for me. I was able to reflect on how far I had come since my college years. In my senior year of college, I wrote a play inspired by the Vagina Monologues. This play explored rape culture on campus, hookup culture, and date rape culture. It was unsettling to see how normalized these issues were, and I wanted to shed light on this through my play. I conducted interviews with students, and the play was based on their experiences. After I graduated, the school licensed the play, and they have been producing it every year since. It's gratifying to know that my work is making a difference and starting conversations.
When I moved to New York, I continued to make space for people to tell their stories through my work. I started what became known as Collective Sex. The play that inspired it was called ‘This is Not a Play About Sex’. However, while exploring intimacy and sex, we ended up talking about so much more. We talked about what we longed for, what we were afraid of, and how we related to ourselves. This paved the way for Collective Sex, which went through many iterations over the years. It was a collaboration with friends, and we held monthly storytelling events that centered around the experiences of queer trans people of color. These events were held every month on the full moon, and it became a consistent community gathering space.
It was through storytelling that I made my first short film, which was about my abortion story. I toured the film, and it was well received. From there, I created another community-driven project called Mercy Mistress. While the path I took after these projects were more mainstream, I still hold onto my community roots. My experiences in college and the work I did afterward continue to influence me today.
Coming to ‘Dead Ringers’, what a fabulous show and what a fabulously written character Greta is. She is complex, strange, and straightforward. She seems to be a no non-sense girl and you embodied the character so well. I wanted to know how did the role come up and what was the audition procedure like?
Liu: Initially, I turned down the audition for the show because it was shrouded in secrecy, and I didn't know anything about the script. The show was called "Larry's Diner" under a pseudonym, and the producers didn't mention any of the key creative players involved. I was hesitant to take on the role of an Asian housekeeper without knowing more about it. I don't think I felt very excited about an Asian person, like playing a maid character. I felt like this has been done before. However, after having a Zoom call with Alice Birch and Sean Durkin and receiving the first three scripts, I was intrigued. The actual script was much different than what I had initially imagined, and I became interested in the character after learning more about her backstory. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with talented individuals such as Alice Birch and Rachel, and after reading the script, I was blown away. The character had a depth and complexity to her that I hadn't expected. Rather than being pigeonholed in a stereotypical maid role, the character intentionally put herself in that position to have access to the Mantle twins' lives while remaining under the radar. Overall, the audition procedure was easy, and I completed a call-back for Amazon without hesitation.
This show talks about a lot of things that are going wrong in our society when it comes to giving birth. The racial discrepancies and other things as well. What was your reaction when you read the script for the first time? And do you think this series will give voice to those who have felt such things, but never could really come out in public?
Liu: I really enjoyed the social commentary in the show, which focuses a lot on the theme of birth. In contrast to the original movie, which used birth as more of a background element, this version places a strong emphasis on the experience of giving birth and the issues surrounding it. It depicts the reality of how difficult and dangerous it can be, especially for people of color who face higher rates of maternal mortality. This is largely due to systemic racism. The show doesn't hit you over the head with its message, but it effectively portrays the world as it is. Showing these stories can create cultural change, which my friend Amelia, who founded ‘Shout Your Abortion’, believes is important to pave the way for social and political change. The fact that the show depicts birth in such a graphic, yet beautiful way is also ground-breaking, as we rarely see this level of representation on TV. It's important to talk about issues we don't see enough, such as birthing justice. This show is truly unique and ground-breaking in its portrayal of birth.
You are working with such a phenomenal star cast, especially Rachel Weisz. How did you feel while working on the show? Did you guys play any pranks on each other during the shoots?
Liu: I really admire Rachel, she's very talented and playful, and I think everyone agrees. She's also very generous to work with, always present and playful. I remember one of the first scenes we did together, Sean was directing. And he had some suggestions or notes about the scene. I forgot what one of the notes was and Rachel started making funny faces. We giggled like kindergarteners and bounced ideas off each other until the director approved.
Even though her performances are complex and nuanced, she doesn't take herself too seriously and creates an open and generous environment on set. She's really curious about people and empathic. When you talk to her, you feel like you're the only person in the room and she genuinely cares about you. This quality makes her a great actor. Overall, she rocks in the show and is simply the best.
'Dead Ringers' is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.