Liza Lapira portrays Lisa on FOX newest comedy series, Traffic Light, which revolves around three best friends since college, Mike, Adam, and Ethan, who are now in their thirties. Each man finds himself in a different stage of life. Ethan is perpetually single, while Adam just moved in with his girlfriend, and Mike is married and has a son. The series follows the group as they try to balance their friendship with the different demands in each of their romantic relationships.
Lapira will next be seen in “Crazy, Stupid, Love” opposite Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon and Ryan Gosling. In our interview she discussed her relationship on the series and what attracted her to the Traffic Light.
A GROUP OF FRIENDS NAVIGATE LIFE AND RELATIONSHIPS IN THE SERIES PREMIERE OF “TRAFFIC LIGHT”
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, ON FOX
Friends Mike, Adam and Ethan are each at different points in their lives in terms of their romantic relationships. Mike is married to Lisa and the two have a young son. Family demands stretch Mike thin in terms of time for himself and he finds himself getting his “me” time watching movies in his car, and thinking Lisa has no idea it’s going on, when she’s all too aware of what he’s up to. Adam has just moved in with his girlfriend Callie and he finds living together is a whole lot different than “she comes over a lot,” and they are just starting to figure out how to balance their life together with the previous freedom of their lives apart. Ethan is perpetually single and thinks dating the same woman for three weeks is an extended commitment in the “Pilot” episode of TRAFFIC LIGHT airing Tuesday, Feb. 8 (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
ADAM TRIES TO WIN BACK A LOST PUPPY ON AN ALL-NEW “TRAFFIC LIGHT”
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, ON FOX
Mike and Ethan learn that Adam has been hanging onto “CJ,” a stuffed animal he won for Callie at a carnival when they were first dating – and a sort of “go-to” move that Adam has used in the past to win over the ladies. When the guys get rid of CJ, Callie becomes noticeably upset over the missing toy, so Adam tries to win a replica to replace Callie’s before she figures out what happened to it. Meanwhile, Lisa’s company hosts a charity tennis tournament, and she teams up with Ethan’s former flame to form the “Smash Sisters.” But their plans for intimidation on the court take a turn when Ethan reunites with his ex-girlfriend in the all-new “En Fuego” episode of TRAFFIC LIGHT airing Tuesday, Feb. 15 (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
TRAFFIC LIGHT airs Tuesdays,(9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Can you relate in your personal life with the upcoming episode where Mike was having me time and he was totally unaware that his wife knew what was going on? It’s the common mistake men do make in relationships. Is there any way that you can relate in your personal life to this?
Liza Lapira: Absolutely and it happens both ways. I don’t think it’s restricted to sex as much as guys alter information or maybe don’t present the whole truth. It’s kind of like a self preservation thing and what David said about trying to avoid an argument. I think girls do it, too. Lisa does; Lisa has her chocolate shake time that she doesn’t tell Mike about. Callie wants to get away from Adam when they move in, too, and she creates a lie to be like oh, I have this responsibility, I can’t hang out with you. So, Adam even says it in the pilot, we all do stupid stuff, when we all try to control the information and the joke of it is, and we even explore it in the pilot, is that we know. For example, Mike is doing that, stealing away 15 minute chunks in his car to avoid the immediate being put to work and Lisa is hip to the game and she’s not even calling him out on it, like she’s mad, like, hey, why are you doing that? She’s kind of like, yeah, I know you’re doing this, but, honey, I’ve got to go for a jog now. So, take the kid, you know, you guys can watch Iron Man in your car together and I’ll be back in a half an hour. I think a less smartly written sitcom would make a whole episode about how he lied and she found out. But we kind of just breeze through it, like, yeah, babe, I get it, but I need my me time, too, so I’ll see you in 20 minutes. And it’s realistic and funny to me.
Most actors accept roles that are somewhat similar to their personalities. What drew you to this role, in particular, and were there any similarities in your personalities?
Liza Lapira: So, I’ll go first. There are a lot of similarities and a lot of differences. I’ll start with the differences, just because they’re so vast. She’s wonderful in terms of being in a committed relationship. She’s very stable. She’s one who handles the responsibilities of life, i.e., a child, being a wife and mom, being amazing at her career and can balance it very well. Again, of the group I think she does the best or the second best or she’s up there in terms of the job that she does doing it, which may or may not be saying much. Whereas in life I’m less of a super human. I don’t think I do as well as she does. Where we’re similar is that, you know, she’s a smart ass and she gives as good as she gets and what I like about Lisa is she leads with being a lady, whereas maybe Callie is more of a firecracker and is more expressive of it, I think Lisa has those elements in her, but she leads with being a lady and so she’s nice and grounded until she’s not. Meaning once you mess with her kid, then it comes out. Or, if you’re competitive in sports, then it comes out. Or if she’s having a battle of wits with her husband about a GPS, then she’ll roll her sleeves up and go for it, but I like that she doesn’t lead with that, but I also like that when the situation calls for it she’s quick to go there. And I love, love, love the banter she has with her husband and just in life. She’s very quick witted and, as I said, gives as good as she gets. And she’s very flirty with her husband. I think there’s also an element of still wanting to be a girlfriend, that old adage or cliché, hey, even though you’re married you’ve still got to be his girlfriend or he’ll go get a new one, which is a joke. But I think there’s something about her that these are two people who are definitely still attracted to each other and that’s not a TV vice. I actually watch all my married friends and they still flirt – at least my friends that are in healthy relationships – they’re still flirty and they’re still the same kid. They’re just older now and have responsibilities, but they’re still in their heart, they’re still that kid, they’re those kids that fell in love.