In a studio overlooking Manhattans Fifth Avenue, Rian Johnson is strapped to a lie detector machine.
This photoshoot tableau is, of course, ripped right from theMeet the ParentsBen Stiller-Robert De Niro interrogation scene.
The visual nod this time goes to Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher inMurder, She Wrote.
Poker Facecreator Rian Johnson.ANDREW ZAEH
In fact, the late, great Lansbury is connective tissue for Johnson and Lyonne.
But in classic mystery of the week style, thats just the B plot rumbling in the background.
And where there are liars, there are, coincidentally, many murders for her to solve.
With itsColumbo-identical yellow title cards,Poker Faceimmediately announces its heritage.
And with her self-effacing sensibility, Charlie echoes that wrinkly raincoated detective played by Peter Falk.
As he says, Im calling every single one of them.
I would love to get Kelly Marie Tran fromStar Warsin there for an episode.
DEADLINE:Rian, why do you think you gravitated to bingeingColumboduring the pandemic?
RIAN JOHNSON: Its funny, I didnt really watchColumboas a kid.
It was a little too mature for me.
I was much more intoThe A-TeamandThe Incredible Hulk.
But I think a lot of people did this over the lockdown.
I binged the whole thing, and thats where this whole thing really started.
It was comfort food.
I wasnt watching each new episode really for the mystery plot.
It was for Falk and the guest star.
It was, Its Oh, Dick Van Dyke, this will be amazing.
Oh my God, Johnny Cash and Ida Lupino in this one, this is going to be phenomenal.
DEADLINE:What does television mean to you as opposed to your connection to features?
Theres something incredibly joyful about that for me specifically.
DEADLINE:Where wasPoker Facein terms of development when you shot thatGlass OnionZoom scene?
NATASHA LYONNE: The running order is Rian shootsGlass Onion.
Then Rian and I are having a lot of meetings and dinners and talking about the possibility ofPoker Face.
Good luck making sense of this.
Shooting it together was actually our first time working together, so we were excited about it.
So, we actually reshot it while I was in myPoker Facetrailer.
DEADLINE:People had no idea of the subtext at that point.
I remember seeing on Twitter afterGlass Onioncame out, Why was Natasha there?
It doesnt make sense.
I was somebody who was busy playing Charlie Cale at work on a daily basis.
And I was like, Yeah, but who can be Peter Falk today?
Then I watchedRussian Dolland said, Well, there you go, right there.
And not even like, Oh, shes acting like Peter Falk.
It wasnt that at all, actually.
And I felt that watchingRussian Doll, and thats so rare.
And its not about how good an actor someone is.
Its not about how attractive they are; its none of that.
I think she was very surprised when I dropped the scripts in her lap six months later.
One of our shared favorite movies isThe Long Goodbye.
Elliott Goulds performance in that…
In fact, lets California split.
Lets talk about Gene Hackman, not even inFrench Connection, but inNight Moves.
We started talking a lot about The Dude [inThe Big Lebowski].
Theyre allowed to be lone wolves who have thoughts and just do their own thing.
That really is historically a mans game.
Its very Martin Sheen staring at the fan inApocalypse Nowand The End [by The Doors] is playing.
I wanted to be Brando with The horror, the horror, or Dennis Hopper being a photographer.
And none of that was ever available to women.
I think that character has a lot of sexuality to her.
LYONNE: Well, first of all, thank you.
DEADLINE:Thats exactly what I mean.
LYONNE: All my characters are sexy, baby.
No, Im just kidding around.
But I just mean that theyre not following romance.
Thats not dictating their journey.
In other words, following their romantic life is not at the core.
I think Charlie has the sun on her back.
Shes a desert rat, and she loves it, and she loves people.
Their life choices are not run by chasing a boy.
DEADLINE:How did you two come to that together?
Was it a discussion that you had early on?
Its just kind of our combined taste.
DEADLINE:Rian, youve said you wrote Charlie Cale for Natasha like a bespoke suit.
I literally built the show around Natasha.
DEADLINE:You made thePoker Faceera interestingly mutable.
The bigger answer to your question is that its very character-based for me.
Its not like I want to be in a world without technology.
Its fun to me to explore character.
Like the Nick Nolte character who purposefully lives in the past, or Ron Perlmans character.
I guess a lot of the characters are people who live in their own little weird bubble.
At least I havent found it to.
So, its not that I feel like dodging around technology is something we had to do.
DEADLINE:It felt like a nod to the mystery of the week era though.
Especially the digital watch.
JOHNSON: They say everything old is new again.
But its also a little bit of a fun trope.
But I love the been there, done that stuff.
So, embracing trellis climbing, I think, and embracing magnifying glasses and embracing…
DEADLINE:The old ice cube locked-room mystery trick?
JOHNSON: One hundred percent.
Youve seen it a thousand times.
What does Director Bong think of that?
JOHNSON: I remember I emailed Director Bong and asked his permission to use it.
And he was like, Yes.
It was very sweet.
DEADLINE:Have you spoken to him since?
JOHNSON: I havent.
I dont think it is playing in Korea yet, so Im not sure if hes seen it yet.
But I should get in touch with him.
That made me very happy when I came up with that.
It was like, Oh, this will be good.
DEADLINE:And Charlies ability to read lies is reminiscent of Marta inKnives Outtoo.
Marta vomits every time she lies.
Whereas with the Marta character, it was an obstruction.
It was something to make her life harder.
So, it was an obstacle, whereas, in this one, its the exact opposite.
Its something to take the place of them being a detective and it being their job.
Theres still the Jessica Fletcher element of it.
DEADLINE:People think theyd love to have the ability to detect lies or force truth on people.
Detecting lies, I think that would be hell.
Which is, how is every episode not just over in five minutes?
I was like, that would really break her heart.
JOHNSON: Well, thats something I could see us getting into in the future.
I think thats fertile ground for going forward.
It starts at the highest point, and it literally ends at the lowest of the low.
JOHNSON: Yeah, absolutely.
DEADLINE:She cant get close to people.
Imagine how disappointing it would be to know every time they lied.
I think there are good people, but good people disappoint you.
Thats also why she has such a water-off-a-ducks-back jot down vibe to her.
I think its a survival mechanism.
Its almost like you have to adjust by having a tremendous amount of generosity for human weakness.
LYONNE: Thats beautiful, actually.
Youve never put it that way before.
And especially for the little guy.
Theres something really profound about not being in a state of judgment around that almost.
DEADLINE:It feels like Season 2 will really explore the blessing-versus-curse personal side of her gift.
JOHNSON: Something involving her father, and I think we will inevitably get into that.
But anyway, its exciting to think about it.
Oftentimes, I think people want to be reductive and make it this one thing that happened.
DEADLINE:What was the evolution of Episode 8 that Natasha directed and co-wrote withRussian Dollwriter-producer Alice Ju?
And I also thought tonally, the episode would very much be sort of aVertigo, Hitchcock-stylized thing.
So, she was in the writers room and she and Alice wrote it.
I think Natasha, as good a performer as she is, at her heart shes a director.
I feel like everyone is pushing her to make a feature.
I think thats really where she comes alive and where she really shines.
The easiest way I can explain it is Hitchcock and Salvador Dali having discourse around things.
But a big thing for Rian was this kind of, Lets lean in and not be afraid ofVertigo.
DEADLINE:That is so Hitchcock.
I want to be a woman that constantly wears a silk robe.
LYONNE: it’s possible for you to accomplish this goal.
This is within your reach.
It gave me that additional confidence of, Holy Shit, we really are getting it.
That is also a very feminist action, frankly.
Karina is just an empirical genius.
Because boys rock, you know what I mean?
Its really fun to be able to play together in that way.
I just want to make a mention of that because I think its so, so rare.
DEADLINE:Whats next for you?
LYONNE: I really want to write and direct my first feature.
Im just a movie lover that got ensconced in this television run fromOrange is the New BlacktoRussian DolltoPoker Face.
DEADLINE:What aboutRussian DollSeason 3?
Im very grateful that its finally here.
My job is to keep my head down and focus on the work.
Thats what I do.
I work really hard, and I love what I do, andPoker Faceis hard as hell.
Ive got to memorize 60 pages a week.
You have all these brilliant actors coming in who want to do an incredible job.
Its almost like youre also the mayor in a weird way.
And I love these jobs.
So, Im trying to really get quiet and figure out what this new iteration means.
DEADLINE:And Season 2 ofPoker Face?
JOHNSON: Thats something thats really up in the air.
Also, right now my priority is getting the next Benoit Blanc movie going.
DEADLINE:Is that cast and ready to go?
JOHNSON: Oh, no.
Im still working on it.
Its very up in the air.
DEADLINE:Do you have an endpoint in mind forPoker Face?
Because this all comes from the notion of those shows that were meant to go forever.
Well always find ways to keep the ball in the air, and thats its own fun challenge.
And again, to me, theres something very comforting about that.
Its not like we have a four-season arc planned out and some big dramatic ending.
