Warning: The article below contains major spoilers for The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window, streaming on Netflix.
Creators and showrunners Rachel Ramras, Hugh Davidson, and Larry Dorf's (Adult Swim's Mike Tyson Mysteries) latest television series is unlike anything comedy fans have seen before. Directed by Heathers' Michael Lehmann, The Woman in the House weaves absurd comedy into a bonkers murder mystery. The Netflix original series follows Anna (Kristen Bell) attempting to prove that her neighbor's girlfriend, Lisa (Shelley Hennig), was murdered.
The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window star Shelley Hennig sat with CBR to discuss Lisa's murder, her surprising backstory, and the joys of working with her co-star Tom Riley. Hennig was "dying" to act on a television series directed by Lehmann, and she dishes on how he nailed the thriller comedy series' absurd and unique tone.
CBR: What has the reaction to the show been like for you? What was it like watching how people might have gone in expecting one thing from this series and then being like, "Well, this was not what I expected!"
Shelley Hennig: At first, I was trying to warn people, especially my family. Actually, I saw the email that came in from Netflix that emailed everybody that the show was coming out and it had adjectives that describe the show, and my favorite one was absurd. So I started warning people, and then I was like, "You know what, I'm gonna stop doing that. I just want to see what people gather and what their reaction is."
I've had people call me and tell me that they cried -- which really threw me. [laughs] I was like, "I'm sorry, you cried?" And they're like, "Yeah, it's so sad." I was like, "That is a unique response." I've had people call and say it's hilarious. I've had people ask me a million questions. This is my type of show where it makes you ask a lot of questions. I've always been a fan of things that you're not totally sure how you're meant to feel. So for me, this has been so fun. I also saw on Instagram, somebody posted something like, "I just watched Kristen Bell get railed in The Woman in the House in front of my girlfriend and my mom." [laughs] I died. Kristen responded to it and was like, "Sorry, dude." Just all the things you did not expect to see, you see in it. My favorite being Kristen Bell's character Anna fighting a 6-year-old. Full-on battle. It's self-defense, obviously, we're not promoting beating children unless they're trying to murder you.
One of your first acting roles was in the horror film Unfriended -- a great horror film. Was it cathartic to have a big onscreen death when you're playing Lisa and to play up the comedy of that more?
Well, I just thought it was really cool to be dying in a show where Michael Lehmann is directing. That's pretty iconic. There are a lot of iconic deaths in Heathers. We can add this to his list of iconic deaths, hopefully. [laughs] I just thought, "How cool is it that I'm dying, but with Michael." So that's kind of where my head was at on that.
To speak a bit more about your character, Lisa, the flight attendant who turns out to also be a clever con-woman. What was your reaction when you learned what your character's secret backstory would be?
Well, I didn't know really, until I got the part that there was like a whole other character I'd be playing. I call this a show of the gift that keeps on giving. For me, it was very exciting. As an actor, it's always exciting to play multiple different roles. Yeah, so it was just fun to play the different dynamics with people. I got to be Chastity with Ben. I got to be Lisa with Tom. I got to be Lisa with a little side of Chastity with Kristen. I just thought, "How cool." That really was such a cool part. I was just happy to be there.
Was there a certain moment that stuck out to you when The Woman in the House was poking fun at some of the tropes that it's referencing from movies like Gone Girl or series like The Flight Attendant?
Yeah, the trick was to just play it as straight as possible. I think Tom [Reily] actually did that so well. I thought he had a really hard job to do, just based on reading the script. He really nailed it. The whole puppet mastering -- I was dying, and like he has to keep a straight face. [laughs] That's really, really hard to do. Yeah, I think, as I said, the trick was to just take it really seriously and then let the lines be absurd.
If Lisa didn't die, do you think that she would have teamed up to help Anna solve a different murder? The show ends with the suggestion that maybe there's more murder-solving in Anna's future...
Probably not. Once Lisa decides she doesn't like somebody, you're forever on their shit-list. So who knows? Maybe she could if she was alive -- RIP, Lisa. Maybe she could pretend to be helping her, but she's trying to get something out of it like money or something. But yeah, I played around with the idea that Lisa could always come back as a ghost because, with Anna, we never know if she's really saying something or not.
When I spoke with the show creators, they mentioned there's an outline for a possible Season 2. I was curious if you'd be interested in reviving your character in some form? Who knows, even playing like Lisa's twin sister -- which wouldn't be out of line for this show.
I would carve out a whole year to do another season of this show. I think it's so good. I was just happy to be a part of it. Working with Kristen was just beyond my wildest dreams. She was another gift that kept on giving. She was just so fun to play with, so I'd be more than happy to be in another season or at least see another season.
What was something that surprised you when you were developing your on-screen dynamic with Kristen Bell?
Something that surprised me was how freakin scary she could be. That look. We both just did that frenemy thing times 10. It was palpable. I came in with like Real Housewives of Pasadena-vibe. And Kristen basically brought the same [vibe], and it just worked. I think we had a little too much fun doing the scene by the trash can. That was really, really charged. Don't mess with Kristen Bell! [laughs] That's what I learned.
What do you hope audiences take away from this show?
I don't have any hopes for that. I want them to take away whatever they take away from it. That's the most fun part for me, to listen to or read everyone's response. I just let them have their reaction and it's very satisfying. Shout out to Tom Reilly who spoke so highly of me in another interview. I have a write-up for him on what it's like working with Tom Reilly: the sharp-witted angry Brit, phenomenally agile actor, unwavering in his performance, puppet master, instinctive, untaught, primal at times, scary AF, and a person who always makes sure you have a chair to sit on. That's what it was like working with Tom Reilly.
Watch Anna try and fail to solve Lisa's murder in The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window, streaming now on Netflix.