Nov 21 2007
Lee Pace & Anna Friel on Ned & Chuck
WARNING! The following contains minor spoilers about tonight’s episode.
A Hands-Off Attitude Lifts ‘Daisies’ Duo
by Bill Keveny, USA Today
It could be fall’s most touching TV romance, except it can’t be. In ABC’s fantastical Pushing Daisies (tonight, 8 ET/PT), a touch from Ned (Lee Pace, Soldier’s Girl) brings first love Chuck (Anna Friel, The Jury) back to life, but a second touch will send her to the great beyond permanently. Oklahoma native Pace, 28, and Friel, 31, who hails from England, talk to USA TODAY about the first-year critical hit and time-slot winner (10.7 million viewers).
Q: From your banter, you seem to get along great. Could you engage in this romantic pairing if you didn’t?
Pace: I don’t know if you could get the specific thing that Chuck and Ned have if you didn’t like each other as much as we do.
Friel: I’d be surprised. I’ve seen really great love stories and then heard through the grapevine that they actually despised each other. I don’t think I could do that, if you’re working 16-17 hours a day, five days a week. … I see more of Lee than I do my daughter (2-year-old Gracie), my partner (actor David Thewlis) and my family.
Q: What do you think of the central conceit — one touch, life; second touch, death?
Pace: It’s sensible for Chuck to move as far away from Ned as possible. They shouldn’t be in the same room together. But they can’t live without each other.
Q: To avoid contact, pie-maker Ned and Chuck have touched through beekeeper suits, plastic casings, rubber gloves and kitchen wrap. How does it feel to kiss through plastic?
Friel: It’s so hot. I highly recommend it. One of the most sexual experiences of my life (she says, laughing). The same with the plastic sacks in the car. That was thicker. Each time we do it, the plastic is getting thinner and thinner. We started with industrial strength and now it’s going to super fine.
Q: Do you ever accidentally touch while shooting scenes?
Friel: We’ve done that about three times. I have to admit I’m far worse than Lee is. … I’m entirely a tactile person. As soon as I get to work, I like to give people a big hug. So, for me, it’s really frustrating. I sometimes don’t notice and touch Lee and he says, “Anna, you’re dead.” Yeah, that’s not good.
Q: Can Ned and Chuck go on not touching indefinitely?
Friel: I always wondered how (the writers) were going to do that. The more I thought about it, I would think of my grandparents. They didn’t kiss and didn’t touch for a whole two years before they got together. I think it’s a throwback to special romance. There’s also the old Cary Grant and Hepburn movies. You watch the entire movie and then at the end of it, there’s a kind of tiny peck. We hold onto those elements.
Q: Could your characters ever have sex, other than in a dream or fantasy sequence?
Friel: Unless they invent a giant body condom, I don’t think they’re going to anytime soon.
Pace: There is something kind of sexy, that they can’t touch. There are very grown-up moments of “Oh, boy, it’d be nice to …”
Q: Will there be strains on the relationship?
Friel: We promise not to frustrate you, the audience. We will never, ever play the same note. We do hit rocky patches. There’s a whole story line about that.
Pace: They’re complicated adults. You’ve got Ned, who’s very contained and has a real hard time with any type of connection with people. Then you’ve got Chuck, who’s full of life and gets this second chance, and she doesn’t want to waste it. There’s kind of a conflicting point of view there.
Q: Will the attraction of Pie Hole waitress Olive (Kristin Chenoweth) to Ned complicate life?
Pace: Olive is a real troublemaker. She definitely throws a wrench into it. That conflict heats up.
Ha! You guys are awesome. I literally *just* read this article, and came over here to let you know about it. But it seems I was too late, since you’ve already got it posted!
The article is adorable. Lee and Anna are adorable. Anna Banana, I love it! And I think it’s adorable how Anna loves to hug people and has killed Chuck only three times on set. Too funny.
Those two have such great chemistry. And I love the reference to Cary Grant and Hepburn movies. That’s exactly what I think of when I watch this show…old romantic comedies.
Love the article…..they’re interviews are so cute, the part about the sign in next week’s episode put me in stitches. Though now I kinda wish I hadn’t read it. *curse my curiosity*
I love them. Great interview thanks for posting! And I’m glad they won’t ‘frustrate’ us too much by doing the same things over and over
love anna lee. i think that the not touching thing is actually kind of hot cuz allows for the cellophane wrap kisses which are so fetishy!
it one of the many paradoxes of the show that keeps me watching!
+agsty+first love innocense+witty banter+cinematic/artistic + excellent 2nd cast!
keep up the great job.
love anna lee. i think that the not touching thing is actually kind of hot cuz allows for the cellophane wrap kisses which are so fetishy!
it one of the many paradoxes of the show that keeps me watching!
+agsty+first love innocense+witty banter+cinematic/artistic + excellent 2nd cast!
keep up the great job.
I am totally hooked on Pushing Daisies! I love how this show is so unique and both Lee and Anna character’s are so adorably cute together.
I can’t tell if she’s kidding about the plastic wrap kiss… but I bet Saran Wrap is doing great business and not just because of holiday leftovers. Great article!