Monica Lacy on Amazon’s ‘The Kicks’ [Exclusive Interview]

Monica Lacy has enjoyed a diverse acting career by playing roles in both comedies and dramas such as Hawaii Five-O and Agents of SHIELD.

But, it’s her newest role as the quirky and idealistic soccer-mom, Sharon Burke, that hits close to home.

I recently had the chance to chat with Lacy about The Kicks, an Amazon original series about a talented young girl who joins a soccer team with a poor track record, where she explained why the show is so important.

“It’s a cool family show. And it’s all about girl power,” Lacy said.

“It’s about showing preteens and teen girls trying to be really good athletes, trying to be good at something, get[ting] along with their friends, and be[ing] good people more than about wearing makeup and dating. It’s a realistic representation of a true struggle for teenagers and families these days. It’s got funny comedy and heart.”

Lacy also identifies with the character she plays. When asked what the biggest challenges are in playing Sharon, Lacy made an interesting connection between art and reality, and how they influence each other.

“It’s probably the easiest role I’ve ever played because it’s so…my life. The lines are so blurred between real life and acting on the job. Like, something would happen at home and I go, ‘I think I can perform this scene at work.”

Lacy cited some differences as well.

“[Sharon] is a little stronger and more idealistic than I am in real life. She kind of pulls the whole family together. So, then it’s kind of fun to watch her fall apart,” Lacy explained. “I definitely don’t think I’m that type A.”

Despite the effortlessness of stepping into the role, Lacy also talked about the difficult nature of working on a family show.

“I think the biggest challenge would be, honestly, working with kids. The kids have very limited time, so, often my close-ups and really big scenes…we’d have to plow through really, really fast. That’s probably the hardest. I’m used to getting five takes, six takes to get it right. Now, I have to be spot on the first or second time.”

But working with kids has its sweet spots as well. Lacy attributes her real-life role as a mother to how protective and maternal she is with the kid actors on set.

“I find myself mothering the kids. It kind of naturally came out. I can’t help it. It’s who I am now. I’m a mom, you know? Once you become a mom, you look at the whole world differently. I found myself sheltering them.”

In preparing for the role, Lacy drew on some past experiences and tried to create new ones as well.
Lacy played soccer as a child and understands the competitiveness and trials of the sport. She also tried to spend as much time with the cast as she could in order to develop the close-knit relationship that is apparent on the show.

“So, then you’re acting from your instincts,” she explained.

When asked what surprised her most about The Kicks, Lacy admitted learning how good it was for a kid’s show.

“I think with family shows, you instantly lower your bar. And this one looks great. The directors make it look like a million bucks. It’s beautiful. And, these kid actors are so professional. The kids work really hard.”

“I was shocked as anybody to read all the scripts,” Lacy continued. “I was like, ‘wow.’ It went so much deeper than I thought it would. So, I’m happy.”

As if you weren’t already excited about the show, Lacy also teased for what’s to come in future episodes.

“There is definitely some sort of calamity at the end of every episode,” Lacy promised.

“So, they’ll resolve something, and then there will always be a cliffhanger. It gets more and more intense. The team gets very competitive with another team. I think we, as a family, grow because as a mom and dad we focus more on our daughter and not as much on our son, and that comes back to bite us in the butt,” Lacy laughed.

“Everybody struggles. First, the kids struggle. Then you see mom and dad struggle. It’s not a problem of the week show, all the episodes link and tie up together. They all hang together. It will be satisfying in the end,” Lacy said.

Lacy is a huge fan on television herself. When asked what she likes to watch, Lacy had an eclectic list to share, citing comedies like Black-ish and Veep as her favorites.

She also likes Games of Thrones, Arrow, and is a big comic book fan. “I love to disappear into a genre,” she said.

Lacy has a list of shows waiting to be watched as well. She can’t wait to eventually watch Downton Abbey with her kids.

You can catch Monica Lacy on The Kicks, available for streaming on Amazon beginning Friday, August 26th!