The 1994 movie True Lies is a classic for a lot of us. The movie stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as an international spy and Jamie Lee Curtis as his wife … who might be shacking up with a car salesman on the side.
The movie is getting a facelift in March 2023 with the release of the TV show by the same name. The show stars Steve Howey (Reba and Shameless) and Ginger Gonzaga (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) in the lead roles, but with a twist. This time around, the wife finds out about her husband's real job and the two decide she should join him.
LittleThings recently chatted with Steve Howey about what viewers can expect from the series — and just how he survived solo parenting three kids during the COVID-19 lockdown that began in March 2020.
First things first, for the fans: The True Lies show will definitely feature cameos from people who appeared in the movie. Of course, Steve couldn't tell us which actors to expect, but just trust you can expect them.
With that out of the way, let's jump in.
As Steve points out, "James Cameron's multi-million dollar blockbuster True Lies is about a spy that has a cover identity as a computer salesman. His wife gets involved with this other guy who is trying to woo her." As those of us who have seen the movie recall, first Arnold kidnaps his wife and the other guy to scare him off, then Jamie Lee and Arnold get kidnapped by a real terrorist, and of course Arnold has to save the day.
The new TV show offers a different take on a similar story: when Ginger Gonzaga's Helen finds out about her husband's job, she decides to become a spy, too. The movie spices up the pair's marriage, but also offers them a whole host of new problems — the least of which is how they'll hide their jobs from their two kids.
Steve is a dad himself to his three kids with ex-wife Sarah Shahi. Their son William Wolf is a teen, and twins Violet Moon and Knox Blue joined the family in 2015.
When it comes to fatherhood, Steve is all in — he even delivered the pair's first son and one of their twins in their home. He says, "I delivered my firstborn at the house I'm in now, and the twins were born at home as well. I delivered my daughter, and the OB/GYN (who is legally allowed in California to deliver a home birth) delivered her brother."
Steve has certainly had plenty of adventures as a dad of three. Like a lot of parents, he was hunkered down with his kids for several months during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Unlike a lot of parents, he was totally solo for several months, as his ex-wife had been filming in Toronto when borders shut down.
He learned a lot during the experience, including the fact that he could handle the job — and also that parenting three kids by yourself is a lot like being Shelley Duvall during that harrowing ax scene in The Shining.
Steve says, "In February 2020, their mom and I filed for divorce. She was in Canada shooting her show, Sex/Life. March 2020: international shutdown, COVID is here, everybody shut down. She got stuck in Toronto. I had no mom, no dad, no nanny, no brother, no sister: nobody. I had three kids — an 11-year-old and two 5-year-olds — by myself for six and a half months."
He continues, "Three kids: morning, noon, night. I did it."
He then adds, "Did you ever see The Shining? Do you remember that scene with Shelley Duvall, in the bathroom, and then Jack Nicholson hits the door with the ax? 'Here's Johnny!' I used to lock myself in the bathroom in the corner, and the kids would be clawing at the door, 'Dad open up! Dad, why is the door locked?' That was me. Shelley Duvall. 'Please go away!'"
On that note, True Lies premieres on March 1, 2023, on CBS at 9 p.m. CST. The show will also stream on Paramount+.
