True Lies at WonderCon 2023

by Transmute Jun

The 1994 James Cameron film True Lies (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Arnold) was one of the most popular action/comedy films of the era, and provided the inspiration for the new CBS True Lies television program. Both the film and the show center around Harry Tasker, a government spy who is living a double life, with Helen Tasker, his wife of many years, completely unaware of his dangerous career. When Helen is unknowingly thrust into the middle of one of Harry’s missions, she must deal with a world she can barely comprehend, where the stakes are life and death.

This storyline made a great movie, yet it only takes one episode of the television show to cover this same ground. So where does the series go from there? At WonderCon, FoCC Blog had the chance to speak with cast and the creator of the new hit show.

Matt Nix, the series’ creator, understands that True Lies thrives on interesting characters. His goal is to introduce new villains (and also some new allies) who have various quirks. He referenced the idea of ‘what makes a great Batman villain’ by pointing out that characters of this kind are often similar to the heroes, save for 1 or 2 important aspects, which make all of the difference. One such character is Episode 4’s The Wolf (played by Matthew Lillard), a socially awkward nerd whose eagerness to make friends reveals his lack of success in this area. Yet The Wolf is also a terrifying assassin whose every decision could mean the death of someone. The Wolf was very popular with viewers, and Nix stated that it is his intention to bring back the character for future episodes, if possible.

Steve Howey, who plays Harry Tasker, was a big fan of the True Lies film, having seen it in theatres as a teenager when it was first released. Yet he wanted to define his own image of Harry, understanding that he was not going to be re-creating the Schwarzenegger version of that role. Howey’s Harry is more in touch with his wife (particularly after she joins him in working as a spy) and interested in the lives of his children.

Omar Miller (who plays Gib) enjoys his role as both a spy and the tech expert (the ‘guy in the van’) for Harry’s team. Gib is very focused on his job and the technical expertise that he possesses, but Miller revealed that upcoming episodes will feature Gib’s father (played by Keith David), and also touch on Gib’s relationship with his mother, and even a potentially romantic relationship with a woman. 

WonderCon attendees were excited to be treated to an advance screening of a True Lies episode, and enjoyed the lighthearted banter between Howey and Miller during the series’ panel.

True Lies airs Wednesday nights on CBS.

Do you watch True Lies? Join the conversation on the FoCC forums!