Lisa Kudrow on Apple TV+’s ‘Time Bandits’ and the Comeback of ‘The Comeback’

When Lisa Kudrow was approached to star in a serialized adaptation of the 1981 film ‘Time Bandits’ for TV (July 24th on Apple TV+), she jumped at the chance to work with creators Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement and Iain Morris. “I love the way they tell stories and their sense of humor.” In this version, Kudrow plays Penelope, the leader of a group of thieves on a time-traveling mission to save the world. Kudrow’s part was originally written for a man, “so it took a long time before the scripts stopped having male pronouns.” One thing Kudrow responded to was Penelope’s false sense of confidence. “I just love that kind of fake thing. That’s the confidence that’s fun to play. I like to inhabit confidence.” Despite her character “facing danger every episode,” Penelope still finds a way to be a blunt and possibly mean leader­—in a funny way—to her group, which includes an 11-year-old boy. “There were talks about, ‘Should I, just in case, do a take where I’m not so mean?’” But that behavior only exists in her character. “I don’t act like that. I don’t have as much to prove as Penelope does.” Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.