“There, I said it.”
Natasha LyonneandBenjamin Brattare on the case.
Or, more specifically, he’s onhercase while she’s onthecase.
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale and Benjamin Bratt as Cliff Legrand in ‘Poker Face’.Peacock
There, I said it."
Here, the duo explains.
Who was there and what went down?
And of course Karina is Rian Johnson’s brilliant, better half.
And that led to us having a series of dinners.
And in Rian, I really found this kindred spirit of doing this whole other game.
So I think we just really fell for each other creatively.
And he’s truly brilliant.
Because it’s such a loving gesture of, “We’re gonna go play together.”
Like we actually really like each other.
It’s not just, “Oh, I think you’re such a great filmmaker.”
So it just felt so special to get to do this.
What can people expect from your characters?
You know, kind of adrift, loving her single life of drifting from job to job.
But that’s easy.
That’s not really the fun for her.
She can’t help herself but want to discoverwhythey’re lying.
LYONNE:Yeah, and then in the meantime, Benjamin’s out here.
He, I guess, is the key antagonist.
Wouldn’t you say that he’s sort of the ticking clock of the whole operation?
It’s an antagonistic relationship.
My character, Cliff Legrand, is the head of security for the Frost Casino.
And she does something, or a series of somethings, that really make my boss upset.
And so I’m tasked with hunting her down and bringing her back.
And really that’s just the engine for her being constantly on the move like a shark.
I mean, she has to stay on the move to stay alive.
Speaking of, can we expect a firm conclusion at the end or is it left more open-ended?
Are we thinking about making this a multiple season thing?
If there’s one thing I know about 38 years in showbiz, you never know.
BRATT:Is it because hips don’t lie?
LYONNE:That is why.
It’ll bePoker Face: Her Hips Don’t Lie.
We’re just crazy people.
[Laughs] Listen, I don’t know that I was looking to really even do another show.
Otherwise, I’ll be on my deathbed and I’ll be mad at myself."
I know that Rian has so many things that he’s going to do.
We just are excited, vulnerable people who are hoping that it clicks with people.
I’m gonna crack this one, crossword puzzle.
Hey, that’s not what happened."
BRATT:I cannot wait to learn what your voice will sound like at 80.
And I’ll just like punch in my voice from 2023.
And I’ll use that.
I can’t get raspier.
I don’t know.
I’m so embarrassed of it.
I’m glad that people meet it with generosity, but I’m really embarrassed by it.
BRATT:I saw the pilot for the first time last night at the world premiere.
And I was blown away on so many different levels.
There’s real craftsmanship there.
She’s like a master musician.
And she uses it to great effect.
The show doesn’t really work unless the central character is appealing and winning.
And I think you got one of the best shows on TV.
There, I said it.
LYONNE:That’s defintiely true.
He might be a baby Bratt but he is a sweetheart.
Mysteries are really having a moment right now.
I think that he more than anyone working right now really is incredible at doing that.
It’s like a highly specific world that’s so much fun to be a part of cracking.
BRATT:Yeah, I think the murder mystery genre is more popular than ever.
I could solve this."
I think there are a lot of people out there who feel that way.
He expects his audience to be smart.
And he writes very smartly, just in terms of the architecture of the story.
He’s very, very savvy, very smart.
And it can be a house of cards in anyone else’s hands.
Are you guys the jot down to figure out the twists beforehand?
Do you enjoy that?
LYONNE:I am not that.
I don’t like doing that.
I’m not trying to get ahead of stuff.
Like, alright, show me what you got.
I like to turn my brain off.
I have a hyperactive mind, a self-criticizing one that’s out to get me.
So I attempt to enjoy the relief of entertainment.
But I know people love doing that.
They love being like, “I’m ahead of this thing.”
It’s a very popular thing.
BRATT:I’m with you.
you’re able to take me on the journey if you have a story to tell.
There’s no point in that, really, because you spoil the fun.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
