Tell Me Liesfans rejoice!
Season 2 will premiere onHuluSeptember 4th.
DEADLINE: Meaghan, Season 2 goes beyond the scope of the book by Carola Lovering.
Grace Van Patten and Jackson White in ‘Tell Me Lies’ Season 2Hulu/Disney
What did you have in mind going into this?
What did you know you wanted to do with it?
We want to see Lucy and Stephen separate and still destroying each other.
So I knew that I wanted them destroying each other from far away.
And I knew I wanted to go deeper into the rest of the ensemble.
And obviously the room was very productive and we had a lot of time.
We probably spent the first three weeks just shooting out any crazy idea that anyone had.
So you get to know everyone very, very well, very quickly.
JACKSON WHITE:Can we have a sit and talk about the stuff that was rejected?
Because I want to know.
DEADLINE: Thats so good!But you balance the twistiness with believability.
Thats a delicate balance to push it to the point where people are always constantly surprised.
Your boyfriend leaving a party with someone else.
Thats happened to a lot of people.
It happens to anyone and everyone.
Theres no characteristic of a person thats more likely to get sucked into that.
OPPENHEIMER:I think people are really good liars in general.
I think most people, if they really need to, can lie convincingly to someone.
And so I think, yeah, everyone can be pretty fooled.
DEADLINE: Jackson and Grace, how did you cope with the heaviness of embodying these stories?
But I mean, its heavy, but it didnt f me up.
Also, Lucy is in so much denial this season, that that is probably what I was in.
Thats the emotion I took from it.
All right, Ive got to go into this girls mind again and Im going to be OK.
So maybe Im not, I dont know.
DEADLINE: Jackson, what about you?
One of the things I love about the Stephen character is its not simplified.
And I think that the way that generational behavior plays out is fascinating.
DEADLINE: Where he goes home for the holidays in Season 1 and we meet his mom?
But it was kind of like what Grace said, Ive never done a Season 2 either.
And I was really nervous to show back up and do it.
Thats his wrestling match this season.
And all the nerves I had about that influenced it.
I was able to just be in my head about that.
That was just the question going the whole time is, am I a sociopath?
Did I make a mistake?
Just that inner monologue.
Because I imagine that could have been helpful.
WHITE:Yeah, I didnt have to prep anything.
It was really potent.
But yeah, like I said, it influences everything.
Thats enough for him to go nuts.
She was great in that.
WHITE:I do think Grace and I work really similarly.
VAN PATTEN:Yeah.
I think its a lot of just reacting to each other.
DEADLINE: Did either of you do any reading about personality disorders or this kind of behavior?
WHITE:Thats true.
VAN PATTEN:And I doubt either of them go to therapy or examine themselves.
Its constantly at each other and not trying to understand each other.
WHITE:I feel like everyone thinking about their early 20s…
I wasnt thinking about anything.
I cant believe I said thiS.
OPPENHEIMER:And hyper-fixating on the wrong things.
Because for me at that age, I was definitely very aware, but simultaneously completely unaware.
Also, its the first age where consequences matter.
DEADLINE: What can you tease for the viewers for this season in terms of story?
OPPENHEIMER:Weve talked a lot about this season being more of a war story than a love story.
And we definitely go into the rest of the friend group a lot more and the ramifications.
We get to know everyone, I think, a lot more closely.
DEADLINE: What were some scenes or elements that were really challenging to bring together?
VAN PATTEN:A lot of them!
WHITE:A lot of them.
WHITE:You played denial better than anyone.
VAN PATTEN:Thanks.
VAN PATTEN:Oh, that was the most challenging scene.
When we first see each other in the first episode [of Season 2].
WHITE:I love that one.
VAN PATTEN:I love it so much, but its so subtle.
Just if you read that scene, you could swap this out with friends.
It was just complicated.
WHITE:Yeah, thats the anxiety you feel when you watch this show too.
To have straightforward dialogue and then you just have to paint it.
You know what I mean?
And then you have to put the undercurrent under it.
OPPENHEIMER:It makes people uncomfortable.
I think, that was a hard scene.
You guys were so great in it, but it was a really… And like you said, that youre conveying so much without saying any of it.
And then we ended up stripping back the dialogue so that it was very sparse.
And I think that was a good call.
But yeah, editing that scene was fun because you could edit it in 10 different ways.
Do they hate each other?
Do they love each other?
VAN PATTEN:Wow.
No, no shes not.
And then she walks away.
You dont know how either of them is feeling.
DEADLINE: Meaghan, what would you ideally achieve with a third season?
I would say I think there needs to be blood.
Theres some justice that needs to be served.
Just keeping it as exciting and surprising.
WHITE:Something so cool.
I want Meaghan to make me just a, I dont know, a superhero or something.
OPPENHEIMER:Oh, thats terrifying.
He would do so well though.
WHITE:Yeah, I know.
DEADLINE: What about you Grace, what would Lucy be doing?
OPPENHEIMER:You guys.
WHITE:I would love for a threesome with Wrigley maybe.
OPPENHEIMER:We can definitely talk about it.
DEADLINE: Grace, you have a new Amanda Knox show coming up and shes an executive producer.
How are you feeling about it?
What stage are you at?
OPPENHEIMER:Have you gone to meet her yet?
VAN PATTEN:Ive met her once, and I hope to hang out with her more.
Shes so, so fascinating.
Im excited to talk about it more when I know more.
Tell Me LiesSeason 2 premieres on Hulu with the first two episodes on September 4th.
