'Love Hurts' Exclusive Interview: Lio Tipton

Moviefone speaks with Lio Tipton about 'Love Hurts'. "I saw how much space there was to have fun and that's what drew me to the script," Tipton said.

(L to R) Ashley (Lio Tipton), Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan), and The Raven (Mustafa Shakir) in 'Love Hurts', directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Allen Fraser/Universal Pictures.

The new romantic action comedy ‘Love Hurts’, which was directed by stunt coordinator Jonathan Eusebio (‘Deadpool 2’), opens in theaters on February 7th.

The movie stars Oscar winners Ke Huy Quan (‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’) and Ariana DeBose (‘West Side Story’), as well as Lio Tipton (‘Warm Bodies’), Mustafa Shakir (‘Marvel's Luke Cage’), Daniel Wu (‘Tomb Raider’), Rhys Darby (‘Yes Man’), Sean Astin (‘The Goonies’) and Cam Gigandet (‘Mafia Wars’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Lio Tipton about their work on ‘Love Hurts’, their first reaction to the screenplay, how their character changed, Ashley’s relationship with The Raven, working with Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan, and filming the action sequence with director Jonathan Eusebio.

Related Article: Academy Award Winners Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose Talk 'Love Hurts'

(L to R) Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) and Ashley (Lio Tipton) in 'Love Hurts', directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and what was your initial approach to playing Ashley?

Lio Tipton: My first reaction, I knew Ke was attached, so that's always kind of exciting when you read something, and you have a face in mind. Playing comedy, I haven't gotten to do it as much as I really have wanted to, and that's kind of what my roots are in. When I saw this role and just how much space there was to honestly go crazy with it and have fun with it, that's what really drew me to the script initially, and I couldn't stop smiling as I read it. So that was my first go at it. Then how I approached the character, honestly, the character kind of shifted when I was cast, but the very sardonic dry humor always remains, and I think it was exciting to explore that.

MF: Can you talk about how the character changed after you were cast in the film?

LT: When I first read the script, Ashley was portrayed as extremely gothic, and so when I went into my audition, I did up goth makeup and hair and had, I wouldn't say even more cynical approach for the outlook of my character, but it was maybe more stereotypical. Jonathan was so incredible at collaborating and really finding the voice of the character and expanding outside of these traditional character types and the boundaries that they might put up. So, we really explored that and I think found some more layers for Ashley.

(L to R) Ashley (Lio Tipton) and Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) in 'Love Hurts', directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.

MF: Was there a lot of improvisation on set and if so, what was it like for you to work that way?

LT: Yes, there was so much improvisation, which was a blast. It makes me so nervous doing it, because you just never know. I mean, some people are trained in improv, and the actors that were around me in scenes that are on the screen for two seconds, they were incredible. The improv skills of all the secondary characters, I mean, really enriched every scene and every take. I feel like the way that I kind of learned comedy was honestly on the set of ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’ with Steve Carell, and those directors just really supported and encouraged trying different things. Of course, Steve was the pro and would kind of throw these out. So, I learned in reaction. There were just endless things to react to on this set. So, I think a lot of the humor did come from working with the people around me and having the freedom given by the director and the producers to explore.

MF: Ashley seems bored with their job and where their life is going, can you talk about what they are looking for?

LT: I don't think Ashley knew what they were looking for in their life, to be honest. It's something else. I think I tried to use that, and I think Mustafa and I really kind of worked on the feeling of knowing that there is something else and that we don't always need to know what that else is to have the courage and the drive to move forward. I feel like Ashley kind of probably stays where she is, but I think the other aspects of her life creatively open her up in the end.

Mustafa Shakir as The Raven in 'Love Hurts', directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.

MF: Can you talk about the relationship Ashley forms with The Raven and the attraction between those two characters?

LT: It was hard not to bust up as we were filming, especially watching Mustafa read some of the poetry, and it's so intense and it took so much energy to not just lose it as it was happening. I think it really became this tug of war of don't laugh or I will laugh. It was a battle of who can stay serious for the longest. I think Ashley had never met anyone like The Raven and had not been seen, which I think is a very common thing where we're stuck in a place that we feel doesn't understand our hearts or that we can't feel where our soul is at in that job. When you meet someone who just sees this side of you that you didn't even know wants to be seen, I think that was the crux of our relationship, just seeing each other.

MF: What was it like working with Mustafa Shakir and creating that relationship with him?

LT: He's a gem. He's truly such a gem of a person, of an actor. The way that he approaches things, he was just so open and ready for conversations. That jacket that he wore, this is a fun little fact, that was 50 pounds and wool. It was 100% wool and we're moving it. I mean, when you are shooting something, you can't have the AC running because of the sound. So, with the lights on set, it gets miserably hot, and it would take two people to remove his jacket and carry it between shots. He had to whip this stuff around like crazy, which ended up looking amazing and totally worth it. But the poor man, and he was just so good-hearted, good-natured about it, but he went through a lot with having to just continuously do all these action scenes with an elephant over his shoulders.

(L to R) Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) and Ashley (Lio Tipton) in 'Love Hurts', directed by Jonathan Eusebio. Photo: Universal Pictures.

MF: Can you also talk about working with Ke Huy Quan? What was he like to work with on set?

LT: I mean, from the get-go Ke is, and I think you'll hear this across the board, genuinely one of the kindest, most wonderful people to work with. His energy is bright and positive and uplifting, and there's no one that can be around him and not feel excited to be there, which he really did from day one. I was so nervous going in, I think I met Ke for the first time on set on the day that we were filming, and I was nervous and anxious, and he just has this way of reminding you that we're just making a movie. There are other things in the world going on, we're just making a movie. That mentality I think is healthy to have, because we can all kind of get locked in our own heads and in our own world, and Ke has a way of unlocking that and getting people out of their shell and making people feel like they can do things that they never thought they could, which is such an incredible quality in a human. I'm so happy to watch all the wonderful things that are happening for him right now. I think as an actor, you just never know when your next job is going to be, and to watch and witness this incredible Hollywood story, which it is, in a way it's a redemption story, and I'm so happy to watch someone so kind succeed in the way that he is succeeding. He truly deserves it.

MF: Can you talk about the friendship between Marv and Ashley, and creating that with Ke?

LT: Because I didn't have much time with Ke off set, I had no idea how it was going to come across, but I think the genuine love that I instantly felt for Ke was something that I could easily pull from for Ashley. As cynical and as curmudgeon as Ashley is, I found that Marvin is very similar to Ke in that you can't help but want to have them succeed and you can't help but be drawn to their positivity even though Ashley despises it. I think that the relationship with Marv, Ashley really holds on to Marv because she wants to believe that there is something better and more, and he does represent that, as miserable as she is in other situations.

(L to R) Ke Huy Quan, producer Guy Danella, director Jonathan Eusebio and stunt designer and coordinator Can Aydin on the set of 'Love Hurts'. Photo: Universal Pictures.

MF: Director Jonathan Eusebio has a background in fight coordinating, what was it like working with him on the action sequences?

LT: I mean, honestly the trust that was there, but also, I learned so much seeing how he put the scenes together. I had never really understood the choreography and the character arcs that are placed within the choreography. There's always a goal within the fight scenes. We're not just fighting. There's never just a fight sequence to have a fight sequence. Jonathan was very particular about every fight has a different goal. I think the best example of that is when Marvin is trying to save his star employee plaque and there's this huge fight going on, but it is so important that he just keeps this safe, and that allows a richness into these fight scenes that I really don't think I understood could be such a part of a film before. He very much makes me rethink fighting and action within a story and kind of had a high bar and to the character development as well within them. So, it wasn't just action. I mean, he had a vision and I think that's what really amazed me.

MF: Finally, were the action scenes fun for you to shoot?

LT: Are you kidding? It's like being Superman for whatever length of time that you get to do that action sequence. I just felt like I dressed up and put on a cape and could go out and conquer anything. But also, stunt people are some of my favorite crew members. They're so kind and positive and have this level of support and go-get-them attitude that is infectious. So those were some of my favorite days, and they were long, but everyone just had the best attitude towards it, which is not always the situation. It was very fortunate I think that that kind of environment was the case in ‘Love Hurts’.

Love Hurts

"You can't break up with your past."

R1 hr 23 minFeb 7th, 2025

Showtimes & Tickets

A realtor is pulled back into the life he left behind after his former partner-in-crime resurfaces with an ominous message. With his crime-lord brother also on his... Read the Plot

What is the plot of ‘Love Hurts’?

Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan) is a successful realtor who’s past as a violent hitman comes back to haunt him when his former partner (Ariana DeBose) reveals that his brother (Daniel Wu) is hunting him.