CBS’ Elementary is turning out about to be one of TV’s biggest new hits, but Lucy Liu had doubts about signing on to the Sherlock Holmes reboot, she tells Emmy magazine. What ultimately persuaded her to agree to star as the show’s female Watson? Casting British actor Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock.
“I know it sounds crazy, but I was really looking forward to doing a comedy. But one of the main attractions was Jonny,” the gorgeous actress, who looks decades younger than her 44 years on the cover, revealed. In fact, she refused to commit until the actor had signed on.
The two, whose on-screen chemistry has fans cheering for a romantic liaison between the characters, share an off-screen fondness for each other. “If you’re going to spend a lot of time with someone, you really need to be able to get on with them,” Miller, who was once married to Angelina Jolie, told the magazine. “It’s nice because we have a very similar sense of humor. Still, you usually have to explain jokes to her about three or four times,” joked Miller.
The feeling is mutual. “He knows a million jokes and he remembers all of them — and he can pull them out of his hat at any minute, which I love,” she raved.
“It’s a really strong family unit being formed here,” Liu said. “It’s nice to know that you can enjoy the company because I don’t think that’s always the case.”