Lulu Wangwas feeling uncertain.
Not long after the release of her acclaimed autobiographical filmThe Farewell,Nicole Kidmancame calling.
Would she be interested in adapting Janice Y.K.
Nicole Kidman and Brian Tee in ‘Expats’.Prime Video
Wang had her reservations, then decided to pass.
Bound by the tragedy that befalls Margaret, their lives irrevocably intersect.
How does that period relate to their stories?
Amelyn Pardenilla and Ruby Ruiz in ‘Expats’.Prime Video
I wanted to capture that energy the hope, the resilience and remind people of that.
Its the same resilience that the characters have to fight for.
What was the creative intention behind that?
Sarayu Blue in ‘Expats’.Prime Video
And I said, But you’re the star of it.
And they’d be like, No, no.
And I’d be like, No, but you are.
Ji-young Yoo in ‘Expats’.Prime Video
I wouldn’t have done this series without them [and their standalone] episode.
That’s how important it was to me.
Theres a starry cameo from everyones soon-to-be-favorite nepo fur baby,Chauncey Wang-Jenkins.
Howd he book the gig?
I couldn’t get through eight months or however months it was in Hong Kong without him.
We had to have an animal trainer for him.
He worked for free, but he got free training.
I think he did a great job.
So like spread the word.
So he wasnt a diva on set?
He was a good boy?
In all seriousness, he was truly an emotional support animal for all of us.
Everybody was so excited to see him and it really lightened the mood.
This is your first foray into TV.
How are you feeling about the TV landscape; will there be more of it in your future?
I hope to do more television, for sure.
And I love the time that you have to really dive deep into characters.
One of the series' themes is home: leaving home, making a home.
What is home to you?
It’s about community, the connections you build in any place.
The east coast is home for me as well.
Sometimes we recognize home in totally strange places.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The first two episodes ofExpatsare streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
New episodes release Fridays.
