Posted in: Interview, Movies, Sony | Tagged: michelle williams, Peggy Lu, sony pictures, tom hardy, venom: the last dance

Venom: The Last Dance: Peggy Lu on Michelle Williams & Marvel Future

Peggy Lu (Venom: The Last Dance) spoke to Bleeding Cool about working with Michelle Williams, Mrs. Chen's Marvel future & more.

While Peggy Lu had a traditional upbringing, she could never pursue a life in acting until she reached higher education. Since her debut in 1995 in an episode of Wishbone, the actress built her near-30 year career on television with the occasional film appearing in projects like 20th Century's Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002), MTV's Awkward, Comedy Central's Workaholics, TNT's Rizzoli & Isles and Animal Kingdom, and CBS's NCIS: Los Angeles before landing her scene-stealing role as shop owner Mrs. Chen in Sony & Marvel's Venom in 2018. She reprised her role in the 2021 sequel Let There Be Carnage and the upcoming The Last Dance in the Tom Hardy-starred franchise. Lu spoke to Bleeding Cool about working with Michelle Williams (who played Anne Weying) in the first two films (but wasn't announced for The Last Dance), if Sony has any plans to expand her character outside the Venom franchise with her cameo in the animated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in 2023 with the upcoming theatrical release of Kraven and Spider-Man Noir MGM+ TV series, and how she got into show business.

Venom: The Last Dance Star Peggy Lu on Mrs. Chen's Future, Michelle Williams' Anne Weying & More

Bleeding Cool: Your scenes were largely limited in the film at Mrs. Chen's convenience store. However, you had a few memorable scenes with Michelle Williams as well, especially when you played Venom in the second film. What was that like?

[Michelle's] nice, quiet, and a great actress. That girl…she's on point and embodies Anne, the character. You could see the chemistry between her and Tom. They seem like they're good friends the way they talk to each other. Tom is a good friend to everyone on set. She's cool.

Did Sony tell you plans for your character's future in that Spider-Man universe, perhaps a cameo in 'Kraven' or 'Spider-Man Noir?' I enjoyed your cameo in 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse.' What does the future lie for you and Mrs. Chen?

Were you surprised?

Definitely.

Me too. Can you imagine how surprised I was [laughs]? No, [Sony] did not tell me anything. I didn't even know there were [plans for] two and three. I was happy [my character] did not die or get eaten [laughs].

You've done so much on TV. Do you feel more at home doing that or films?

What's more important is the people you work with. Acting in movies, TV, or theater, when you have a good environment, everyone is cool, easy to work with, and that's your best; it doesn't matter to me. It's like that any place where you work. If you work with good people, everything is great. When you work with yucky, icky people and it's yucky, it doesn't make it fun. If I work with good people, it doesn't matter to me. Good acting is good acting.

Is there another universe you might want to visit? Have bigger opportunities come by since the Venom franchise?

Like Spider-Man [laughs]?

Like another Marvel or DC project, perhaps something other franchise?

I like Marvel. The franchise is so huge. Since everybody needs to eat and I have this convenience store, they should all come to my store, right?! [laughs]. Anybody who needs a 7-Eleven around the corner? Where are you going to get your Slurpees, right?

What are your acting inspirations like growing up and your motivation to get into performing?

In my culture, growing up, we weren't allowed to watch a lot of TV or movies. It was all about school, and I didn't discover acting until I got to college. I met a girl in my sophomore year who told me she was a theater major, which surprised me. I didn't know there was such a major called "theater," and that's how it started. I called my parents; they said, "Hell no! You got to finish college, then you could do whatever you want." After college, I moved to New York City to study acting, which is harder than I ever expected, more so than pharmacy school.

Do you have anything else lined up with upcoming projects?

I'm in talks to be in a couple of movies, not necessarily in this arena.

Written and directed by Kelly Marcel, Venom: The Last Dance, which also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple Rhys Ifans, Alanna Ubach, and Stephen Graham, is exclusively in theaters.

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