Since 2012, actress Lucy Liu has been portraying a female version of Watson, the famous fictional doctor who is both confidant and assistant to Sherlock Holmes. In the television series 'Elementary,' Liu is Dr. Joan H. Watson in the modern-day adaptation. "I think that Watson and Sherlock has a wonderful dynamic that is shown very deeply in the novel and all the short stories," the actress shares about the relationship of the two beloved fictional characters. As Watson, Liu garnered a 2013 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress, and the Best Drama Actress Award at the 2013 Seoul International Drama Awards. She also made her television directorial debut during the show's second season with the episode 'Paint It Black.'
Lucy Liu recently chatted with Filipino media and other Asian journalists from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore through a conference call. "It’s my pleasure," she says, "I just want to say that I am very proud to be Asian and I am very proud to be taking time to be in this press conference, it was a no-brainer because I get to be asked by my own peers in this press conference."
Read highlights from the special phone interview with Lucy Liu as she shares her thoughts about her role as Dr. Watson, the fourth season, and the world of Sherlock Holmes, the fictional character enjoying many adaptations.
Question: Before you started doing Elementary, were you already a fan of The Sherlock Holmes series?
Lucy Liu: I knew about Sherlock Holmes but I never really did or never really learned about it or knew about it, because I didn’t grow up reading those stories, as I came from a Chinese family. It wasn’t at the top of our list but when I did start the show and after reading all of the short stories, I really love some of it and that’s how it basically began.
What do you find interesting about your role as Joan Watson in Elementary?
I love the relationship she has with Sherlock. I think that Watson and Sherlock have a wonderful dynamic that is shown very deeply in the novel and all the short stories; but basically, the connection between the two of them having many very interesting cases and they’re all fascinating how they solve. Their relationship is what is kind of the core and foundation to the show, and something that we develop over time. She started as his companion, there is more of an emotional connection before they became partners together, so that’s why I think it's what we’re juggling into the show the most.
What is your reaction to the approach of changing Watson’s character into a female?
To me, I didn’t have to do very much. To me, its all in the writing and Rob Doherty, the creator. It’s magical how he created that character, and even though the character is a male in the actual novel and short stories and so. His idea, originally, was that Sherlock was kind of uncomfortable with women in general and he thought that it would be interesting to have a partner who’s a woman and had to be around him all the time. The idea wearing an uncomfortable sweater that’s itchy but you have to wear it all the time; so that’s the idea of how Watson is as a woman… important but also altogether you wouldn’t want to be with on a regular basis.
After two seasons of being Sherlock Holmes’ partner, how have the relationship between the two characters gone so far?
So far the characters are starting as companions and as we progress. Now they’re still partners but their friendship has deepened quite a bit. Now we’re introducing the father in the fourth season, we will really get to see the dynamics between Sherlock and his father and also how Joan Watson as someone who cares and protects him in a different manner. So it’s more of an emotional relationship now rather than a work relationship and that’s how it transformed itself from season 1 to season 4.
What have you brought to the role in the past three seasons, and do you think the dynamics between the two characters would have been different if the Watson was a man?
Men and women have very varying relationship like of a brotherhood or camaraderie, and i think we’ve developed that and i think Rob had a wonderful job writing that in the story because Rob continues to have different relationships with women and the dynamics are clearly not sexual between them. So I think that also allows people to see that there’s more into relationship other than being together which a lot of people have asked me about.
In the past three years of being on the show, what has surprised and pleased you of how the show has developed and how the fans have responded to it?
To me I feel like, what’s been so amazing is the cast and the characters that we continually bring, and so many guest stars that you wouldn’t expect. I had so many people that I admire that have been on the show and I remember Martin and his wife and how I came to admire him and told me how he love the show. I love that for me, this is the longest running show that I’ve done which helped to have a strong relationship to people that you work with. I think that I have really grown a lot from this particular family and I’ve been feeling an intense amount of gratitude.
You’ve directed Elementary for the second time, in this season. So what lesson have you learned in directing and how have you changed your approach on acting?
Directing is a whole different ball game. You study the mechanisms. Funny because when you watch the audio for film and television, it’s magical and the behind the scenes is even more magical because you have the script. To communicate, to connect and read page isn’t always easy but is done in a beautiful manner like art. I feel like when I’m directing, I would be a part of a giant painting, making colors and connect them together to make a beautiful work. I also love being intimate with the crew and really getting to know them and creating something together. It’s good to be directing with a group of creative people. I found that my life has changed significantly from directing because of doing things in a different way.
Watson tends to solve cases independently every now and then, like without Holmes. Would we still have more of that? How do you feel about those episodes where she just solves cases on her own?
Watson does solve mysteries on her own especially doing different things. For a while, she had her own cases, but now that they are connected, they still have to do things together which I think you would also see in the next season as well.
What are some similarities between you and your character?
I think that she is not American which I think is important. She’s very down to earth and she likes to eat a lot, which I like to do as well.
What do you think about your portrayal, script and the show from transcending it to gender issues which makes it charming in the beginning of the show?
To me I don’t really think about how to channel something. I think the act of doing is such a powerful thing to do. I think only when you act you get to see and understand how you support in life in gender, race, age, creativity and style and in anything that you do. I think when you move forward you eventually catch up. I think we need to catch up to what we’re doing because we live in the world of all kinds of people, culture and society and that is something that I look up into. Going back into entertainment, we see that in supplemental happenings in life and how we live. I try to pay a lot of attention to it because I think if you think hard, it becomes an issue when you live with your guardians and live by an example, it becomes a reality. Working on trying to be all the time and when you highlight something, you end up always thinking about it. Especially in the case of entertainment, it’s probably the entertainment that has a lot of something to do about it.
Who are your favorite fictional characters that you would like to see on television or on film?
There are so many things that I have grown up on watching television like Charlie Brown or Derek Martin, people that are not fictionalized today. Anything that’s an incarnation of that. A lot of the original materials are being revived through generations of Star Trek or Star Wars. I think there is a beautiful uncapped thing about things that we can find in other cultures like in Asia–in China, Japan, so many beautiful stories that we could probably enhance and be shown in the United States but also I think some people are already creating them so we should be fast in making it, especially with the internet. It’s a different way of living now because you have to keep up with everything, which I don’t mind because there is always something I want to explore.
How was it working with John Noble [actor who plays Walter Bishop in 'Fringe'] during the fourth season?
John Noble is an absolute gentleman. He is so sweet and kind. He is the opposite of all the characters that he plays. He is such a lovely man. He loves his children and his grandchildren. I hope that he can stay longer in the show.
At the end of the season three, do we expect Dr. Watson to help him out again like what he did in season one? What can we look forward to in the next season?
I think that for sure, Dr. Watson is not going to be anything more than a friend to him. She’s not going to be his companion but his acquaintance, and emotionally going to be behind him but not engaging him in that manner. Some things are going on, a lot of dynamics in their relationship this season. They are going to have friendship than companionship.
—
'Elementary' stars Jonny Lee Miller as detective Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson in a modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD’s most impossible cases. In its fourth season, Holmes and Watson must rely upon one another to rebuild their lives, all while withstanding the untimely return of Sherlock’s estranged father, Morland Holmes, played by new cast member John Noble.
The Season 4 of ELEMENTARY premieres on RTL CBS Entertainment HD on November 11 Wednesday at 9:55pm, express from the U.S. For more updates on the series and other shows follow RTL CBS Entertainment on Twitter (@RTLCBSEntertain) and like on Facebook (/RTLCBSEntertainment).
