In the second of our interviews with the cast of the Lethal Weapon television series, which is released on Blu-ray and DVD shortly, we sat down with the women of the show, namely Jordana Brewster and Keesha Sharp to chat about the show.
Starring as Dr. Maureen Cahill and Trish Murtagh respectively, both had similar reactions to Wayans and Crawford when the idea was first pitched to them but both were sold on the fact that the show stood on it’s own two feet away from the films series.
“The script sold me.” said Brewster,
“I thought that this could sort of stand on its own and so that’s what made me really want to sign on because it didn’t need the title ‘Lethal Weapon’ – it helps because of the huge fan base – but I really thought it stood on its own.”
For Sharp, the nuances of the show were also important – the world has changed so much since the first film and the world in which the original characters inhabited and the actress says the changes and modernising of some aspects help the show be its own thing, saying:
“I think for the show to take everything to a new direction than the franchise before, it opens up all these doors. My character – although a star-at-home mum is always modern – women work and they can do that and have a family and be successful at both and I think that’s important to see and I love that they have done that here.”
For both, all fears about the show were put to bed further when they saw the relationship, both on and off-screen, of Wayans and Crawford. And without the two of them at the top of the pile, the show might well have fallen by the wayside rather than been the success it has. Sharp told us:
“They are very similar in terms of their banter together and I think without them the show wouldn’t have worked. And if they had tried to imitate Mel and Danny it would not have worked – that’s why other TV shows like this have failed because they have tried to copy a movie. They are their own Riggs and Roger and it helps that they chemistry is so wonderful.”
There will be some fans of the originals that will never fully accept a remake or reimianging given the impact of the original films on their lives but Brewster was keen to say to those not too welcoming of the show that there are some little nuggets throughout the series that they would enjoy:
“What’s lovely (about the show) is that you are not missing anything if you haven’t seen the movies but if you have seen the movies then it’s all the more satisfying cos you know who and what they are talking about which is cool.”
The show has been a big success and Season Two is already on the way. Both ladies are excited to be returning but were as coy as you would expect when asked about what might happen to their characters in the future. Sharp concludes:
“We know nothing. We could make some stuff up but we don’t know anything.”
Lethal Weapon: The Complete First Season is out on Blu-ray and DVD on September 25th.
