In Peacock’s new comedy “Laid,” the time period “body count” all of the sudden turns into all too literal. When Ruby (Stephanie Hsu) finds out that her exes and former hook ups are dying one after the other, she’s tasked with determining what might probably be inflicting such a cursed affair. To take action, she recruits her roommate and BFF AJ (Zosia Mamet) whose penchant for all issues true crime — and Staples — turns out to be useful. AJ attracts up “Ruby’s Sex Timeline,” a whiteboard filled with pictures, Submit-its and yarn that tracks Ruby’s literal physique depend: each man she’s ever slept with, who now danger dying if the 2 pals can’t clear up the thriller sooner relatively than later.
As high-concept a comedy because it will get, “Laid” nonetheless performs with conventional rom-com tropes inside a decidedly fashionable (and sex-positive) sensibility. This can be a story the place ugly deaths (from sepsis to automobile crashes) exist alongside operating gags about Amanda Knox, wedding ceremony kimonos and a Saint Bernard named Ruby Sizzling Sauce. Whereas it’s Ruby’s sexual exploits and romantic entanglements that drive the present, her relationship with AJ anchors this more and more hilarious (and oft-dangerous) journey down reminiscence lane.
A number of days forward of the present’s premiere (all eight episodes are actually streaming on Peacock), Hsu and Mamet sat down with The Occasions on a sunny afternoon at Suá Superette on Larchmont to dish on all issues Ruby and AJ. Giddy round each other and sometimes sending one another into suits of laughter as they reminisced on the present’s quick-paced eight-week shoot, the 2 actors shared why this high-wire conceit feels so grounded, which visitor stars risked making them break on set, and why audiences could also be prepared for a “twisted, f— up, dark rom-com.”
This dialog has been edited for readability and size.
Ruby’s (Stephanie Hsu) sexual exploits and romantic entanglements drive the present, whereas her relationship with AJ (Zosia Mamet) anchors this more and more hilarious (and oft-dangerous) journey down reminiscence lane.
(James Dittiger/Peacock)
I wished to listen to about your first impression whenever you heard the premise of the present.
Stephanie Hsu: I all the time reply this one first. I need to hear you discuss it.
Zosia Mamet: I imply, I knew it was you once I learn it, and I feel I in all probability would have felt in a different way about it if I didn’t know that data. Simply because I feel this can be a powerful present to stay the touchdown on. It’s very excessive idea. However I knew Stephanie’s work, so I used to be like, “Oh, she will be able to land this plane with a grounded, amazing quality.” I simply beloved a lot that it was one thing that I had by no means come throughout earlier than and so uncommon in our business the place we’re so obsessive about remakes and prequels and sequels. That was probably the most thrilling half.
Hsu: That’s very type of you to say. As a result of I really feel like whenever you have been formally hooked up, I used to be like, “OK, we’re gonna land this plane.”
You’re each getting at how wild this premise is and the way difficult of a tone the present has. A lot of it rests in your shoulders, Stephanie. How did you discover a technique to thread that positive line of discovering an in on a personality like Ruby who appears like a strolling, speaking ‘Am I the A—?’ publish?
Hsu: Nicely, there’s undoubtedly a vulnerability to taking part in somebody like Ruby as a result of she is your antihero hero. Nevertheless it’s humorous. Individuals all the time ask, “What is it like to play such an imperfect woman?” And I’m like, someone inform me who is ideal? I really feel actually enthusiastic about most of these characters. It’s enjoyable to be chaotic. However then I really feel like with Ruby, her elementary need is to seek out love. The query she’s asking is definitely a really harmless, earnest query that I feel lots of people ask, which is: How the f— do you discover love this present day?
Hsu on taking part in Ruby in “Laid”: “I feel really excited about these types of characters. It’s fun to be chaotic. But then I feel like with Ruby, her fundamental want is to find love.”
(Marcus Ubungen/Los Angeles Occasions)
[A server arrives with Hsu’s drink, “Ruby’s Love Buzz Matcha.”]
Hsu: Oh my gosh. They made a particular drink for the premiere. I’ll describe it. There’s sizzling sauce and matcha and a phallic stick of maraschino cherries, which is definitely very humorous. The worst appearing I’ve ever executed is in Episode 2 of this present. It was day one in every of filming. One among our props guys was like, “What do you think Ruby’s drink is?” And I’m like, “Wait, isn’t this scene taking place at 10 in the morning?” So it’s a morning scene, however we have been at a bar as a result of, I assume AJ is a bartender?
Mamet: Yeah, which I additionally came upon that day once I needed to bodily bartend, which I’ve by no means executed in my life. In order that was the worst appearing I’ve ever executed.
Hsu: And I believed it will be humorous if she was ingesting a vodka soda with maraschino cherries for breakfast. However that doesn’t actually learn within the episode.
Mamet: Didn’t you make your self sick since you ate so many maraschino cherries?
Hsu: Yeah. [Laughter] Anyhow, the purpose being: you’ll be able to’t watch an a— for a very long time. You must discover a technique to love her. And I do love her. I really feel like I do know so many people who find themselves single, who’re actually residing a model of Ruby’s life.
A part of the enjoyment of watching Ruby is her relationship with AJ, and simply seeing you two work together, it’s clear there’s precise chemistry right here. Was that rapid?
Mamet: We simply received fortunate. It was actually very natural. We Zoomed for the primary time with [creators and executive producers] Nahnatchka [Khan] and Sally [Bradford McKenna], who have been our chaperones. It was very humorous, like Mother and Mother ensuring the whole lot went OK. Stephanie was carrying overalls and a bandanna. She got here on the display screen, and I used to be like, I really like you. Instantly. I feel we work in very related methods. We’re very big-hearted folks. We put on that outwardly. It made it very simple.
Mamet on working with Hsu: “I think we work in very similar ways. We’re very big-hearted people.”
(Marcus Ubungen/Los Angeles Occasions)
Hsu: I got here late to the Zoom. That’s a bizarre behavior of mine. Time is a assemble. Anyway, generally you go on to those issues, and individuals are speaking about, you already know, the biz. However Zosia, instantly, most undoubtedly was speaking about her horse. And I used to be like, “OK, yeah. She gets it. Cool.”
Mamet: We talked rather a lot about animals in that Zoom.
Hsu: I actually really feel like Z is that scene companion you all the time want for in appearing faculty. Like, the quantity of depth and soul she brings. AJ might have completely been a greatest pal trope. She made her so dimensional, so filled with coronary heart and flawed. We had no alternative however to only launch headfirst into this undertaking collectively.
Mamet: I all the time felt, standing throughout from you, like there have been no fallacious solutions. It doesn’t matter what, we have been going to determine it out.
Ruby is a multitude — chaos, actually — whereas AJ is a little more straitlaced, and there’s a stiff physicality to her. Zosia, how did you discover that?
Mamet: I need to reply that in some wonderful actorly means, however I’m only a very bodily individual by nature. Oftentimes, I don’t even actually notice that I’m doing it. That’s in all probability simply my work into characters. They discover their means into themselves by way of my physique … which I assume does sound very actorly, truly. However now that I give it some thought, it has rather a lot to do with the rhythm and tempo of how they communicate. This was a really dialog-heavy present, at a really quick clip. That in all probability had rather a lot to do with how that got here out.
Hsu: It may be the quick skirts.
Mamet: These skirts! [Laughter] I had this sneaking suspicion they have been making them shorter and shorter. However, yeah, completely. Costume is the whole lot. It informs how you progress when you’ll be able to’t fully sit down. Nevertheless it was enjoyable. Brief, quick skirt. Massive boots.
That and an iPad with a stylus, and there’s AJ.
Hsu: Oh, and the intercourse board!
AJ (Mamet) with Ruby’s intercourse timeline.
(James Dittiger/PEACOCK)
Proper! Can we speak concerning the intercourse board? What was it like seeing it on set for the primary time?
Hsu: Once they pitched me the season, I went into the writers room they usually had the timeline up there already. They didn’t have the yarn at that time — we hadn’t budgeted for yarn, but. And really, the timeline is precisely the way it was, together with John Early as himself, which was wonderful. Seeing the reveal of how the intercourse timeline appears to be like in individual is insane. There have been so many moments the place you’ll learn the script and it’s so humorous. However then after we began truly filming it — seeing, for instance, Josh Segarra getting thrown up into the air, after which dying on the windshield, or seeing the intercourse timeline board dwell, it was like, OK, so that is the tone of the present. It’s completely singular and type of quirky in its personal means.
I’m so glad you introduced up John Early as a result of that’s one in every of my favourite scenes within the present.
Hsu: I knew the day that John Early was going to be on set, I used to be going to not be OK. I used to be not going to have the ability to maintain it collectively. I’ve recognized John since faculty. Once they confirmed me that timeline within the writers room, I requested the writers, “Do you guys know John Early?” They have been like, “No, we’re just huge fans.” However I knew John so I went house that night time and texted him. They hadn’t written the episode but. However we have been principally like, “If you want to do it, we’ll write you an episode.” And he mentioned sure. I’m simply glad I didn’t smash each take of his as a result of he’s simply one of many funniest folks.
Actors Hsu and Mamet star as greatest pals in the dead of night comedy “Laid” on Peacock.
(Marcus Ubungen/Los Angeles Occasions)
Mamet: And we had Kate [Berlant].
Hsu: That was a tough day, too. She’s simply too humorous.
Mamet: In that pantsuit, together with her hair in a bun.
Hsu: So many individuals. Brandon Perea. Simu Liu. All of the cameos are unbelievable. Everybody was very recreation to let it out.
Mamet: To come back play.
Hsu: I do hope folks really feel that enjoyable, recent feeling from the present. I hope they really feel like they’ve wind of their hair from it. It’s been actually thrilling to listen to folks take into consideration their exes, which is what rom-coms accomplish that effectively. They make you consider all of the loves you had or might have had. If that begins to come back up, then which means we did our job proper, you already know? As a result of it’s in the end a narrative about feminine friendship. And it’s a thriller. However we’ve been pitching it as a twisted, f— up, darkish rom-com.
Mamet: I feel we’re usually given these two reverse ends of the spectrum when it comes to discovering love: the fairy story model or the fairy tales aren’t actual and that is actuality model. I really feel like our present, hopefully, lives someplace within the center. No person is ideal individually. No relationship is ideal. That is clearly a really excessive idea, however I feel the subtext is that everybody’s received one thing. Everybody has a problem. Everybody has a previous. Everybody has baggage. It is going to by no means be that day by day you get up and the solar is shining and your hair appears to be like excellent and your husband doesn’t fart. Life is life. I actually appreciated fascinated about that rather a lot after we have been capturing.