Marry Me: Q&A with Lucy Liu

Christmas is the season of miracles and dreams come true. This year Lifetime brings both with a new miniseries, Marry Me, that combines the seriously talented (not to mention stunning) Lucy Liu with three gorgeous men, three shining rings and one big choice to make. Maybe there is an earthly pleasure greater than three hot, successful guys asking for your hand in marriage, but when it comes down to it, I can’t think of a single one… In a Q&A conference call with Lucy Liu, the star talks her new film, the men seeking to make her Mrs., and how a hopeless romantic gets by in this cynical world.

Lucy Liu stars as Rae Ann Carter in Lifetime’s romantic mini-series Marry Me. An aspiring artist and hopeless romantic, Rae Ann has always imagined a fairytale romance. But even Rae Ann is surprised when just around the corner is not one but three Princes Charming, who each offer her a different version of her dream-come-true.

First there’s Adam (played by Bobby Cannavale): a fellow artist who offers a his-and-hers future complete with matching studios. He’s got a long history with Rae Ann but will that be enough to settle on a future together?
Then there’s Luke (Steven Pasquale): successful, loving, and secure, this guy has always got Rae Ann’s back; he’s her steady shoulder but is often overlooked. Will Luke’s steady support pay off in the long run or will he forever be the backup man?
And finally there’s Harry (Enrique Murciano): aka Prince Charming. He’s got the money, the castle, sophistication and charm. He’s the stuff fairy tales are made for, but then again, aren’t there always dragons hidden somewhere in those…?

Marry Me is Lifetime’s first foray into romantic comedies; it’s also the first for Liu as well. Better known for her action roles in such movies as Charlie’s Angels and the Kill Bill trilogy, Liu admits that this is what attracted her to this film. “I’ve never done a romantic comedy before, so that was the first thing that was attractive to me, and the idea of doing something that was very different from what I normally do. The other things that I’ve done, which I’ve been the romantic interest in, have been still somewhat connected to criminal plots or some sort of action in it. This is just purely romantic comedy and it was kind of a challenge for me.”

On the role,
“It was originally written for someone who’s Southern and blonde and had an accent. It was kind of a great thing to be dropped into the middle of this world where she grew up in the south and her family’s in the south, but she’s sort of the odd man out, kind of the black swan in all the white. It was kind of nice to be included in this because it wasn’t really something they intended to have a minority of cross-cultural casting… I’m always attracted to things that are not intentionally for someone who is Asian. And I always ask them if they can keep the name the same as it was as well and they do, so it kind of feels really good to be thought of. You feel like you’re at least breaking boundaries or you’ve done something outside of the realm of what people think…The one thing I learned about romantic comedies is that it’s very physical; it’s almost as physical as action. But you’re not prepared; they don’t really train you for that. There’s a lot of running around, there’s a lot of hiking basically…when I read it I didn’t see that in my mind… I ended up squatting and walking across an entire restaurant in high heels and also down the stairs, things that I didn’t really expect that I would be doing but really worked for the scene. There’s so much of that that I didn’t expect.”

On her comparisons to Rae Ann,
“Her character is kind of a dreamer, and I think I have that quality sometimes as well, about what it is that she wants in her life and what she thinks she wants in her life. I like that she’s very close to her family, because I’m close to my family also… The one thing about Rae is she kind of puts forward what she thinks she should be doing as opposed to what she wants to do. And I don’t think we have that in common because I really love the idea of having a goal or a dream and pursuing that first and foremost. I think in terms of men though, she does have sort of an ideal of a person that she really wants to be with and at the same time is terrified to actually try to even go out in the world and attempt it… I do think I have an idea of somebody I might want in my mind but I’m not really an active dater, so it’s kind of difficult.”

On Rae Ann’s biggest challenge,
“I think her biggest challenge turns out to be her not knowing what she really wants….She’s so confused and she’s struggling, she keeps stumbling over herself. I think the moral of the story is not so much who she ends up with but how she understands who she is in order to find what’s going to make her happy.”

On romance,
An admitted hopeless romantic, Liu admits that she does believe in a Prince Charming. “I’m always looking somebody who’s the perfect person for me. I’ve never sort of decided this is what I want in my life, I’m going to settle down and I’m always looking for the right match for me. The idea of Prince Charming, I suppose… You don’t really know yourself for a long time, it takes time to discover who you are, and I think sometimes people are in a rush… I think that sometimes if you wait a little bit longer and you know a little bit more about yourself you might actually meet somebody who you might actually spend the rest of your life with.”

Did you know?

• Along with being an accomplished actress, Liu is also a Broadway buff having made her debut in God of Carnage. Liu would love to get back to the stage but has no immediate plans to. Her dream role would be in a musical, once she learns to sing.
• Liu’s favorite comedy tv shows include Three’s Company, The Jeffersons, and Get Smart. Although they don’t make them like they used to, her modern favorites include Modern Family and 30 Rock.
• Rae Ann’s wardrobe in Marry Me was planned as khaki and tweed but ended up Victoria Beckham because the khaki and tweeds didn’t do Liu any favors. I don’t think she complained about the change.
• Lucy Liu is a huge fan of Disney movies, like The Lion King, Bambi, and Dumbo; she loves “the idea [that] you can make your dreams come true.”

Along with Liu, Marry Me stars Bobby Cannavale, Steven Pasquale, Enrique Murciano, and Annie Potts. Marry Me premieres Sunday, December 12th at 9pm and concludes December 13th at 9pm on Lifetime.

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Images and video courtesy of Lifetime Television and A&E Television Networks, LLC.