Everyone loves a good underdog story, especially one where the protagonist finds a way to learn and beat the system. Bonus points if the character is actually a genuinely good person, and even bigger points (in my opinion, at least) if this badass person in the limelight is a woman.
We get a little glimpse of something exactly like this with Fox’s most recent drama, The Cleaning Lady, an adaptation of the original Argentinian series, La chica que limpia.
The production first received a script commitment way back in October 2019 with a pilot order following soon after in January 2020.
After setbacks throughout the year and casting adjustments, The Cleaning Lady finally received its long-awaited series order in early May 2021!
With that, here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming Fox series, The Cleaning Lady.
Who’s in charge of the show?
The Cleaning Lady is a joint production between Warner Bros. Television and Fox Entertainment.
Melissa Carter from Queen Sugar and more recently Stargirl is the show’s executive producer and showrunner.
Co-executive producers include The 100’s Melissa Kwok, who is also credited for writing the script, Pretty Little Liars’ Shay Mitchell under her Amore & Vita Productions banner, and Rose Marie Vega and Paola Suárez.
Michael Offer, director for Homeland and How to Get Away with Murder directs and executive produces the pilot.
What’s The Cleaning Lady about?
Many may be able to resonate with the story being told in The Cleaning Lady as not only is it a step towards the network’s commitment to inclusivity, but it also aims to explore issues around immigration and the marginalized in today’s society.
Thony De La Rosa, the show’s main character, is a Cambodian doctor who moves to America in order to get the proper medical treatment for her sick son. However, as Fox puts it in their official logline, “…when the system fails and pushes her into hiding, she refuses to be beaten down and marginalized.”
That’s when she becomes a cleaning lady for the mob, using her quick wit and intelligence to get in with the criminal underworld and play the game by her own rules.
Who are we going to see?
When casting was first rolled out, Shannyn Sossamon (Sleepy Hollow, Wayward Pines) had been cast in the lead role. Back then, the character was a Filipina doctor named Reyna Salonga. However, when the character was tweaked, Sossamon exited the project and the role was left to be recast.
In April 2020, Daredevil alum Élodie Yung was cast for the lead role, further adjusting the main character to match the actress’s personal background as well.
Joining her as fellow cast members are Adan Canto (Designated Survivor) as mobster Arman Morales, Vincent Piazza as Gavin Ross, an FBI special agent who crosses paths with Thony, and Martha Millan as Fiona De La Rosa, Thony’s sister-in-law.
Thony’s son, Luca, will be played interchangeably by two young newcomers in the industry – twins Sebastien and Valentino LaSalle.
The Cleaning Lady is set to premiere on Fox on Monday, January 3rd at 9/8 central.