Lucy Liu didn’t know she would have to do stunts when she signed up Red, an action-adventure Christmas comedy that follows an unlikely duo, played by Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, who team up to locate a kidnapped Santa Claus (JK Simmons).
“I was actually really relieved… that I could just drive in there and just be the boss. No problem!” she told Yahoo Entertainment. “But when I got there, they said, ‘We’ll have the stunt coordinator show you what the moment will be when the action starts’… and I was like, ‘Wait a minute!'”
The actress, best known for her action-packed roles in Kill Bill And Charlie’s Angelsstars the no-nonsense head of the Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority Red. The director, Jake Kasdan, initially said she might have to do “a punch or a kick,” but it turned out to be “a really big stunt scene.”
“There was a lot more of a stunt scene than what was there [shown] in the movie, but we were trained… very quickly,” she said. “I love it and I’m happy doing stunts. … I like women doing stunts in general!”
Lucy Liu and Chris Evans in ‘Red One’. (Amazon Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Liu also gave props to her co-star Kieran Shipka for whipping Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson into shape.
“I had to do it with them,” Shipka joked.
Red is also the first of Liu’s films that she thought her 9-year-old son, Rockwell, could watch.
“I don’t think many of the films I’ve made in the past are suitable for him,” Liu said. “I thought, ‘This one has some scary creatures in it, maybe it’s not suitable for him.’ ‘, but he loved it.
After taking her son to the premiere, Liu saw a video of Rockwell saying how proud he was of her.
“That totally blew my heart away,” she said. “You want your children to be happy… and knowing that he is proud of me gives me the greatest joy.”
Red also marks a milestone for Shipka. Her turn as the shape-shifting witch who kidnaps Santa Claus marks her first on-screen role as a villain.
“I created a backstory that made sense for her in my head, and by the time I put on the wig and makeup, I kind of went to the dark side,” she told Yahoo Entertainment. “She really thinks she’s doing the right thing, so I got myself into that mindset and threw my judgment out the window.”
Lucy Liu and Kiernan Shipka at the premiere of “Red One” in Berlin. (Christoph Soeder/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)
Shipka has had a busy year; she had memorable roles in the blockbusters Long legs And Twisters.
“This is year 18 or 19 in the industry, and I’ve had so much fun over the years making a variety of films, even though I haven’t pursued these different genres,” she said. “I feel more excited than ever to just do what I do.”
Both actresses said they were excited to be part of a film that was so different from the standard holiday fare, as they paid tribute to the thrill of saving Christmas.
“There’s so much folklore… it’s a very original concept,” Shipka said. “It’s also action and comedy, but at the end of the day it has real heart.”
Liu said she loved that it combines an “action buddy movie” with the fun premise of saving Christmas, but at the end “they beat you to the core.”
Red is in theaters now.
