Lisa Kudrow talks new comedy Time Bandits — and how her character was originally written for a man

As a dedicated cinephile with a deep appreciation for both classic films and innovative storytelling, I can’t help but recommend adding “Time Bandits” to your watchlist. The recent revelation that Lisa Kudrow almost didn’t snag the role of Penelope in the new Apple TV+ series due to her character initially being male only adds to my excitement for this project.


Add Time Bandits to your watchlist

In the latest Apple TV+ comedy “Time Bandits,” which marks the return of Lisa Kudrow from “Friends” to our screens, co-creator Taika Waititi shared an intriguing tidbit – Kudrow was almost not cast due to her character originally being male. The show is inspired by the 1981 Terry Gilliam film, featuring John Cleese, Sean Connery, and Shelley Duvall, and follows a young boy named Kevin (Kal-El Tuck) who unintentionally travels back in time and teams up with a band of anarchic bandits, led by Kudrow’s character, Penelope.

As a movie buff speaking to RT, I can share that Kudrow and Waititi revealed an intriguing behind-the-scenes story about a character transformation. Initially, the role was written for a man, but as I read the script, I kept getting thrown off by the pronouns. I thought, “This is quite amusing, this part is promising.” However, the game-changer came when the producers decided that having a female lead would make the character more interesting and dynamic, thereby adding depth to the storyline.

Waititi explained, “We went through an extensive casting call for all roles, initially considering male actors due to the character’s original gender. However, I grew tired of the monotony. It seemed every show had men heading teams of men, which felt uninspired to me.”

Lisa Kudrow talks new comedy Time Bandits — and how her character was originally written for a man

Jemaine Clement, a co-creator, commented, “You’ve proposed Lisa for various projects before, but this is the first time we’ve collaborated.” Waititi expressed his longstanding appreciation for Kudrow, acknowledging her iconic role in “Friends,” but it was her work on the comedy series “The Comeback” that truly won him over. He shared, “That show is an exceptional production and Lisa spearheaded it. Watching ‘The Comeback,’ I realized she’s a comedic virtuoso. I’ve admired her for a long time and we’re fortunate to have her on board.”

Lisa Kudrow talks new comedy Time Bandits — and how her character was originally written for a man

Kudrow contributed significantly to the script as well. Clement shared, “During takes, if something failed to elicit laughter, she’d brilliantly salvage the situation by injecting wit at the end, such as her quip in the initial episode: ‘That was quite an unnecessary use of time travel.’ She frequently brought spontaneous humor to our scenes.”

Despite her comedic past, Kudrow admits that it didn’t provide much assistance when starting a new project. She shared, “I’m not sure if it makes a difference at all because each comedy project has its unique tone. So, there’s always an initial fear where I doubt my abilities and they question whether they made the right decision in having me join their team.”

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2024-07-24 15:34