- 8 hours ago
Emmy-nominated actress Joey King joins The Hollywood Reporter's Tyler Coates for a conversation about her lead role in Hulu's limited series 'We Were the Lucky Ones,' about family members who are separated during the Holocaust, while at a live event hosted by the San Vicente Bungalows in Los Angeles.
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00:00I've never experienced anything like it. I've played so many interesting people, and I'm just so grateful for all the things I've ever done, but there is something so specifically emotional and just deep-rooted tied to this project for me.
00:14Thank you for joining me. So the first question I want to ask you, how did this project come your way, and what was your first reaction to the material when you read it?
00:31So Tommy Kale kind of approached me. We were supposed to work together on a little rendition of Fiddler on the Roof, and it didn't happen because the studio was like, oh, no one wants to see a musical about Jews, I guess, probably.
00:50So then that didn't happen. And then Tommy was like, but I have another project I'd love to talk to you about.
00:56I'd never seen the material yet when he kind of approached me about this, just based on his description, said yes, before I'd even seen anything.
01:04And he was like, well, hang on, let me get you some material when it's finally ready, and let's see if you're still interested.
01:11And I was like, I know I'm going to be interested, but I can't wait.
01:14So I read the book in that time, and then I read the script, and it was just like, it was one of the easiest guesses.
01:19Like I said, I said it before I even saw the material, so it was just everything was so easy about saying yes to this project.
01:24But I'm just so darn glad I did, because it was amazing to work on, and I'm just so proud of what happened and the final result.
01:33Absolutely. Well, congratulations on this show.
01:36You know, I've read, you kind of call the novel by Georgia Hunter, who is her family, that this story is based upon.
01:43You kind of called it like kind of the Bible for you and your fellow actors.
01:47And so we'd love to hear about kind of reading that book, but also any of the other research that kind of went into this as you're preparing for the role.
01:55Yeah, Georgia's book was really this guiding light for all of us.
01:58You know, it was such an amazing piece of material to be able to pull from, because everything that we really needed to know about our characters was absolutely in there.
02:06The writing in the book and the adaptation in the script was just so great.
02:09And so I'm just so thankful that that was the material we had.
02:13And we also had access to Georgia, whose family this is based on.
02:17It was so nice to just be able to talk to her and ask her questions.
02:21And we were lucky enough to each have time with Georgia to be able to pull more additional information about the people we were playing from her.
02:31And so I asked Georgia, I was like, do you have any additional information from the family about Helena and what she was like, you know, outside of the war?
02:41Because I wanted to get to know who Helena was outside of this terrible event, you know, because she was a woman who had spunk and humor and so much vibrancy outside of the war.
02:52And so I got some really wonderful tidbits from Helena's grandchildren, and it was just, it was all kind of surreal to be able to have access like that to the family.
03:01Yeah.
03:02I mean, when you're playing a character like that, does this automatically heighten the stakes of your performance to know that this is a real person and she has living ancestors who may remember her?
03:11So what is it like to kind of give me that on your shoulders?
03:16It was a lot of exciting pressure, I guess.
03:21Like, there is a responsibility there.
03:24Like, it's something that you feel the weight of.
03:26You want to be so respectful to the people that you're playing, and you want to get to know them so well, and you want to do right by them, you know?
03:34Because Helena's not here to see this show, of course, but I got to spend time with her children.
03:39I got to spend time with Anna and Ricardo and be, you know, amazed by them and have them share stories about their mother with me and their grandchildren and their children.
03:50Like, it's just so important because, you know, the point of this show is that, of course, they were the lucky ones because during this time, the goal was to wipe every Jewish bloodline off the map.
04:02And so it just is so touching and amazing to be able to play this character, this person, and meet the family to see how unsuccessful that goal of wiping off bloodlines.
04:13Yes. I mean, the title itself, you know, I was talking with one of my colleagues earlier tonight, you know, for a Holocaust drama, you're going and you know it's going to be a tough, heavy experience as a viewer.
04:26And I imagine as a performer as well.
04:28But the title itself indicates there's a lot of hope to this story.
04:31Interesting. Was that something that was kind of at the forefront of your mind from the beginning, that this is a hopeful story told amid just a horrifying event?
04:41There was always that guiding light, kind of like what we said with George's book.
04:46Of course, we know we're telling a story where the people were playing, they survive and that's so wonderful.
04:53But there's also something like really interesting about knowing that, but playing people who have no idea what's going to happen to them.
05:01So, you know, I know that they all survive in the end, but there's so many scenes that are just so rough and so heavy and sad and just terrible things are happening.
05:12But and the people that were playing, they don't know that they're going to make it out of the situation.
05:17And so making sure to like implement that, not foreshadow, even though, of course, the audience already knows, too, that they do survive.
05:26That was really an interesting thing to play with.
05:29Of course, most most shoots, every single project shoots out of order.
05:32So that was always something to keep in mind as well with like where we were shooting, where we were in the story.
05:37Well, you know, I'm kind of curious about that because, you know, I think this first episode is really interesting because you get to see the family dynamic.
05:46You get to see the individual interactions that all the characters have with one another and the different relationships they have.
05:53Every every family member has a different relationship with everyone in their unit.
05:56So what was it like to to kind of build that family kind of behind the scenes while also knowing you'd be separated for a lot of the show?
06:08You're kind of in and out of order.
06:10What was that like working with your your fellow ensemble members?
06:14It was so fun.
06:15I mean, it was just so nice because this is a real testament to Tommy and Erica, our showrunner and everybody who had a hand in casting.
06:24And Fiona, our lovely casting director, because they just like pick the most talented people in the world and also the kindest people in the world.
06:32So we had about two weeks before we shot to kind of rehearse together and get to know each other.
06:36And it became really fast, like family.
06:39And, you know, there's a lot of us who get separated.
06:42We don't get to shoot very much together.
06:44For example, you know, Henry Lloyd Hughes, who plays Ginnick and his wife in the show, Hertha Moran Rosenblatt.
06:52We I didn't really see them like on set ever, but I was hanging out with them all the time offset.
06:57So we really kept tight and kept up hanging out all the time, which was amazing.
07:03But I one of the other elements to that, which was I got to experience like their performances for the first time as a viewer, because I wasn't there to see any of it.
07:12And it was just so moving and shocking.
07:14And everyone in the show is so beyond talented and nice.
07:19And it's just you don't really get that combination very often.
07:22We were really blessed to have this.
07:26I don't know.
07:26It was just it was perfect, really.
07:28Yeah.
07:28Well, it sounds like you're making family like behind the scenes.
07:31It's pretty incredible.
07:32And because of that, there's this element of when there's scenes where we're talking about missing each other, there's like a real like, you know, you pull from your real life, of course, and what you can relate to the character.
07:45But also we became so close, like you pull from missing that actual person that you've developed a lovely relationship with and it becomes real.
07:54And and that was really special.
07:56Yeah.
07:56You know, I always like to ask this question, any actor, you know, kind of how they I mean, every actor's process is very different and kind of and sacred in a way.
08:06But, you know, when an actor goes into a role like this, their their work, the day job is very intense.
08:13The material you're working with, how do you kind of leave or do you leave work at work and kind of like decompress at the end of the day, especially with something like this, which such it's, you know, very harrowing.
08:25Yeah. Yeah. You know, sometimes like I'm definitely not I'm not a method actor and I am I applaud anyone who is because that is I am able to go home and and like reset for the most part.
08:40But there were days, you know, I would it was some really, really tough days.
08:43Like I would call my husband on FaceTime and I'd be like, this is what happened today.
08:47And I would kind of tell him about the scenes and I would kind of I would surprise myself because I would start crying when I was on the phone with him about how emotional I got during, you know, this scene or even more so what happened to me would be I would get really emotional in between takes and in between setups because I would think about like how horrible the situation was of this scene that I was filming.
09:08And it would really, really affect me. And so this show in particular surprised me with moments that I wasn't able to totally shed the skin when I got home, because normally I'm just like immediately able to kind of like shed the day.
09:22I don't like think too much about a take. I didn't like, you know, I'm really I'm good about just being like, OK, what's done is done.
09:29But this show show got me a lot of times and surprised me.
09:32Yeah. Was that something bonding with your co-stars over?
09:36I mean, I mean, I imagine everyone kind of had that experience that they had to kind of shake off to.
09:41Absolutely. Again, like that was a huge part of the reason we became so close.
09:46Another thing, too, is like, I don't know about anyone else, but like when I feel emotional or I cry or something, there's like in front of people, there's like a sense of shame that comes with that.
09:57Of course, like in a scene, like, no, it's my job. I'm I'm really in the moment. That's wonderful.
10:01But like outside of the scene or in between a take, if I like stay emotional or I am emotional, I feel this sense of like, oh, this is so shameful.
10:09Like, this is so embarrassing. Why am I so emotional? But not with this show, because I think that we just were this like great support system for each other.
10:18Every single person had at least one moment or more where we got emotional at different times and it surprised us all.
10:25And we were there for each other. We'd hold each other, not just the cast, but the crew, too.
10:29We would really lift each other up and there was no shame.
10:32And that was a really freeing feeling to be like, I'm really emotional, but like, I don't feel bad about it because I'm around people who, like, get it.
10:41Absolutely. You know, the character, Helena, her character is so alive, for lack of a better word, just like a big personality, very spunky.
10:52It brings a really, it brings a really incredible levity to this very heavy show.
11:00So I'm curious to you, what were the conversations like with the directors and showrunner about how to kind of modulate how much of like a lighthearted mood to have in a certain scene to kind of counterbalance this very kind of heavy material?
11:17Helena was always kind of the spunkier one in the family by nature in real life.
11:24And so a lot of the scenes that have levity to them are things that really happened.
11:29You know, this is like me telling Mila, you know, no Jewish eyes.
11:33Like, it's funny, but it's also horrible.
11:36But like, that's actually like something that really happened in real life.
11:39And they took that and implemented it in the story.
11:41But everything I learned about Helena's personality, one of the tidbits that like, I was like, I'm not going to share this, but you guys are fun.
11:48I'll share.
11:49Her grandkids were like, I was like, tell me something about your grandmother.
11:53And they were like, she never wore a bra.
11:55And I was like, I was like, okay, like, that's an interesting fact.
12:01I love it.
12:01But like, they were kind of just telling me all these fun facts about her, about like her sense of humor and what a free, wild spirit she was.
12:08And as much as it's funny, it's like really cute.
12:10It also gave me a really good idea of like, this person who actually has so much like love of life and freeness to her.
12:18Like, what would she be like during this harrowing time?
12:21And like, how would her personality adapt and change?
12:25And so, you know, Helena was really just like this light of a person.
12:31And so we see throughout the whole series, her light really dim and it breaks our hearts.
12:35And then we see her get it back.
12:37And I really love playing with that side of her because that's, you know, I want to honor who she really was.
12:42And she had a lot of light.
12:43Yeah.
12:44It's just a full persona, I suppose.
12:48Yeah.
12:48Kind of tagging onto that, like when you're playing a real person, I know I've asked you this question already, like the kind of responsibility you have.
12:55But when you're kind of creating a character as an actor and you have, you know, what you read on the page and what your kind of your perspective of this person is versus the people that you're talking to really do her.
13:06How do you kind of meld those things together yourself and bring in what you want to bring in as an actor while also keeping those kind of realistic elements in the back of your mind?
13:18That's a really good question that I wish I had, like, some, like, amazing, eloquent answer for.
13:24But, like, the truth is that the writing was so great.
13:28It was all so there.
13:29And my job was, like, made so much easier because of that.
13:32And I also do truly feel that, like, 90% of acting is reacting to the situation that you're put in.
13:39And the actors that we were blessed to be with were so amazing.
13:44And so, of course, I did my prep.
13:48Of course, I did my notes.
13:49Of course, I did my research.
13:50But, of course, I left room for spontaneity.
13:52You know, like, I knew who Helena was.
13:55I had researched and studied her and really, you know, gone deep and not just Helena and the family but this period of time, of course.
14:02And I felt really confident in my knowledge enough to, like, let myself have these moments where I wasn't overthinking exactly how I wanted to say these things or what exactly the inflection I wanted to bring to bring light to this.
14:17Like, I really wanted to just be there in the present.
14:20And I do think that, you know, the research that I did prior allowed me to have that spontaneity.
14:27Yeah.
14:27You know, and again, like, with a period piece, I imagine all the crafts that are around you kind of puts you in that place.
14:34I mean, from the costume design to the production design and the hair and makeup.
14:38Like, how much of that is a part of your process in finding a person?
14:43It's really big.
14:44I think, too, like, with a period piece specifically, like, it's such a specific look.
14:49And when you put that on and when you have the hair and not just the hairstyle but also Helena passed as Aryan.
14:55And so they decided to lighten my hair to make me look more Aryan.
15:00And so, like, when you have that and you have the hairstyle and you've got the red lip and you've got this beautiful 1940s dress and we're wearing real undergarments from the 40s.
15:08Like, it all helps so much.
15:11There's no piece of this that I could have done alone.
15:14And every piece was so essential to building Helena.
15:19Yeah.
15:20You talked about, you sort of talked about when you were talking with Tommy Kale about doing Fiddler.
15:25Fiddler, which I still am hoping.
15:28Yeah, right.
15:30Exactly.
15:30Big fan.
15:31That's who I was going to play.
15:32Yeah.
15:33But, you know, you're Jewish.
15:38A lot of the most of the cast members on the show are Jewish.
15:40And I'm curious, like, what about that element was so important for you?
15:44And how much of your own, you know, kind of family background did you bring into the show?
15:49You know, I think that one of the best parts about being an actor is that we play people that maybe sometimes we have nothing in common with.
15:58And so I do think that when actors who aren't Jewish play Jewish people, that's wonderful.
16:02I think it's great.
16:04I love it.
16:05But to have an all-Jewish cast was like, there's really something so special about it.
16:10I've never experienced that before.
16:12And it brought a different feel.
16:14You know, everyone had such a personal, like, ferocious tie to this and this feeling.
16:21And that was so special.
16:23And, you know, I've said this before, but it's true.
16:26It's like, when you do, when you are Jewish, the thing that you bring to this from your own family, for my case anyway, is like, I've never, like, I don't remember the moment I learned about Holocaust.
16:37You know, like, I didn't, like, go to school one day and come back and be like, oh, my God, this horrible thing I just learned today.
16:42Like, when you grow up Jewish, you just know about it.
16:45And so there's something, like, that's, like, deep in there, in you, that you're just so connected to, that you've always known and you always feel.
16:56And the heaviness of it and the weight of it and just bringing that into this show, like, I've never experienced anything like it.
17:03I've played so many interesting people and I'm just so grateful for all the things I've ever done.
17:08But there is something so specifically emotional and, like, just deep-rooted tied to this project for me that I, it's hard to explain other than, like, it's just in my roots.
17:19Yeah.
17:20Did you ever expect to do something about this subject matter or was that ever anything, you know, kind of on your radar or something to achieve as an actor?
17:29Absolutely.
17:30This is, it's something that I've always wanted to find the right thing that feels right.
17:40You know, I mean, I think that there's a lot of wonderful projects out there about World War II and there's a lot of amazing tellings from different perspectives that are real stories and some that are fictionalized.
17:54But I couldn't be prouder that this is the one that I got to be part of.
17:57Yeah.
17:58Kind of last question for you.
18:00Thank God I can't wait.
18:03I'm like, I feel like I'm like.
18:05I saw you get laced up by the back.
18:07I was like, we got to get this movie.
18:09Every question I answer, I'm like, does it seem like I'm taking shallow breaths?
18:12Because I am not.
18:16Well, we'll lay you out soon.
18:18You know, is there, if you can think of, like, one thing, one message, one, you know, kind of guiding light from this show that you hope an audience member takes from it?
18:28I mean, there's so many things that could come to mind.
18:32But I think the biggest thing that I hope people feel is a general sense of heightened compassion that they can bring with them for other aspects of life.
18:45I just hope that this show has that lasting effect more than anything else.
18:49I think it does.
18:50Thank you again for joining us.
18:52Congratulations.
18:53Thank you so much.
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