The 90s was “the” decade for action movies, be it action thrillers or action comedies. For those who remember, it was also the decade when James Cameron wrote and directed True Lies (and of course Terminator 2: Judgment Day) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis in the leading roles. The action-comedy became a massive box-office hit, beating Forrest Gump in the opening weekend and eventually becoming the third highest-grossing film of 1994. Besides the commercial success, the movie also made Curtis a symbolic action heroine while reinstating Schwarzenegger’s image as the ultimate action hero and also a comedian. From their comedic timings to their on-screen chemistry, the duo slayed their roles as the Tasker couple.
Now, almost thirty years later, the blockbuster action flick is getting a television adaptation, of the same name, featuring the same lead characters. The True Lies series is directed by Anthony Hemingway and written by Matt Nix, with Cameron serving as one of the executive producers.
The plot of the CBS series, exactly like that of the original film, follows a married couple – Harry and Helen Tasker. While Harry seems like a boring computer salesman, he lives the double life of a spy. When his wife, Helen finds out that he’s a spy, they plan to work together to rekindle the lost spark in their relationship. While the new remake follows the same plot, it focuses more on Harry and Helen’s marriage and relationship.
The main characters from the movie have been kept the same for the series as well, with a new ensemble cast playing them, while a new set of characters are also introduced.
As the series is set to land on television and streaming on March 1, 2023, check out the characters and the cast members that play the same, in the all-new True Lies.
Steve Howey as Harry Tasker
Harry Tasker is a consultant for a computer business. To his wife and kids, he is the boring salesman who’s always out for meetings and conferences and never has time for his family or other familial duties. But in reality, Harry lives a double life, as a government spy. He is an elite intelligence officer who often gets out on the field, fighting crime, and catching bad guys. His sales job is nothing but a cover. But his cover is soon blown to his wife, and he decides to bring his wife on the team and continue to live the clandestine life, albeit without their children knowing.
Film and television actor Steve Howey stars as Harry Tasker. Howey is most known for his role as Kevin Ball in the Showtime series, Shameless, and the CW series Reba, besides his appearances in other popular shows like Ctrl, Sons of Anarchy, SEAL Team, and Dead to Me. Howey has also starred in movies like Bride Wars, Something Borrowed, Making Babies, and recently, the Netflix film Day Shift.
Ginger Gonzaga as Helen Tasker
Helen is Harry’s wife, a language professor, and also a mother of two. Between her job and family responsibilities, Helen is exhausted and frustrated with her mundane chores and daily routine. Although she loves her husband, her constant absence makes her suspect him of cheating. Only that she hopes he was around more and wishes that her life was a little bit more exciting and adventurous. So, when she learns that Harry is a spy, she is not only shocked and surprised but also kind of thrilled. But when Harry asks her to join him on his job, Helen sees this as a great opportunity to live life to the fullest and also use this new role to reignite the spark in their marriage.
Wrecked star Ginger Gonzaga features as Helen Tasker. Gonzaga is best known for her role as Nikki Ramos in the MCU series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Besides Wrecked, she has also appeared in various roles in other television series like The Morning After, Kidding, Mixology, I'm Dying Up Here, and Space Force. In film roles, Gonzaga can be seen in movies like Ted, Literally, Right Before Aaron, and Bad Therapy.
Omar Miller as Albert Gibson
Albert "Gib" Gibson is Harry’s teammate and partner. Gib is also Harry’s good friend and helps him cover for him when he has to lie to his wife about his work. But at the same time, he doesn’t appreciate Harry pulling Helen into the team. The character is taken from the original 1994 movie played by Tom Arnold. Arnold also appears in the series as a different character.
CSI: Miami star Omar Miller plays the role of Albert Gibson. He is best known for his role as Walter Simmons for seasons eight to ten of the procedural. Miller also stars in a main role in the series Ballers, The Unicorn, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles among others. In films, Miller had a breakthrough role in Miracle at St. Anna, and appeared in minor roles in movies like 8 Mile, American Pie Presents: Band Camp, Get Rich or Die Tryin', Transformers, and The Sorcerer's Apprentice, among many others.
Annabella Didion as Dana Tasker
Dana is Harry and Helen’s teenage daughter. She often wonders why her father is always out of town for meetings. Even when Helen starts to work with Harry as a spy, Dana comments about their busy schedule. Though there’s not much revealed about her character in the trailer/promos, it’s not hard to guess that she would be like most teenagers. Her character is also taken from the 1994 movie, in which Eliza Dushku played the role.
The character of Dana Tasker is played by Annabella Didion, a young actor who has previously appeared in series like Swamp Murders, To Catch a Killer, Dead Silent, Outer Banks, and recently, in the 2023 Rob Lowe movie, Dog Gone.
Beverly D'Angelo as Captain Spencer Trilby
Captain Spencer Trilby is the director of Harry’s intelligence agency, and ergo, his boss. When Harry gets Helen on board to work with him, she seems quite welcoming. Her character is also a reprisal of the original movie. But in the film, the role of Spencer was a male character who was played by Ben-Hur star Charlton Heston.
Veteran film and television actor, Beverly D’Angelo stars as Captain Trilby. Golden Globe and Emmy nominated actor, D’Angelo has appeared in many films, television films, and series in her career spanning nearly 50 years. She is best known for her role as Ellen Griswold in the National Lampoon's Vacation film series, and as Patsy Cline in Coal Miner’s Daughter. She also starred in the television film version of A Streetcar Named Desire, American History X, Vegas Vacation, Wakefield, and recently, in the David Harbour-led Christmas action-comedy Violent Night. In television roles, D’Angelo is best known for her appearances in shows like Entourage, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Mom, among others.
Mike O'Gorman as Luther
Luther is Harry’s associate and the two often work together (as seen in the trailer). And like Harry, he also poses as a computer consultant but is an undercover agent for the government. As stated in the official description, his character is smooth, confident, and witty, and is good at what he does. Luther also believes that being tied to a relationship can often cause issues, like in Harry’s situation, and hence agents should stay single.
The character of Luther is played by actor and musician Mike O’Gorman. He is best known for his comedy sketches of former president Donald Trump on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. He is also recognized for his appearances in various television series Vice Principals, Perry Mason, Detroiter, A.P. Bio, Killing It, and City Island, among others. After True Lies, he is next set to appear in the movie FP 4EVZ. Gorman is also the lead vocalist/guitarist for the LA-based band, Nice Enough People.
Erica Hernandez as Maria
Maria is an operative working with Harry. She is also Luther’s co-worker and shares some complicated dynamics with him. She is described to be tough but calm and calculated, which makes her a first-class spy. She and Luther have a strained working relationship due to something that happened at a previous mission, and she often takes a dig at him for the same reason.
The role of Maria is played by Erica Hernandez. She is best known for her role as Genie Farrell in the EPIX series Bridge and Tunnel from 2021 to 2022. She has also appeared in the Jillian Bell led-film Brittany Runs a Marathon and the comedy film Lazy Susan, as well as several popular television series like Elementary, Dietland, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, New Amsterdam, Search Party, and Murderville, among others.
In other supporting roles, Lucas Jaye (Merry Happy Whatever) stars as Jake, Harry and Helen’s son; Deneen Tyler as Mrs. Myers; Carlo Rota as Francois, Andy Martin as Mikkel Rand, Andrea Laing as Cherry, Liann Pattison as Donna, Ray Gaspard as Lawrence, Franco Castan as Taxi Driver, John Jabaley as Fred, Jenny Mercein as Professor Gilpin, and Owain Yeoman as Voss.