Grace Chow on Stepping into the World of CW's New Series Good Cop/Bad Cop
INTERVIEW
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INTERVIEW ✦
With a resume already boasting critically acclaimed roles in series like Mystery Road: Origin and The Twelve, Australian actor Grace Chow is officially set to impress audiences once again in her latest venture: the upcoming CW series Good Cop/Bad Cop.
Photographer: Derec Ethan | Stylist: Luke Meakins | HMUA: Hendra | Garment: MERAKI OFFICAL
The one-hour procedural dramedy delves into the lives of Lou (Leighton Meester) and Henry, a quirky sister and brother detective duo. Set against the backdrop of a small Pacific Northwest town, the series highlights their professional challenges, including quirky residents and scarce resources, as well as their complex family relationships, particularly with their father, Big Hank, who serves as the police chief.
Chow’s character, Lily Lim, is an EVPD dispatcher described as having a morbid sense of humor, adding a unique flavor to the genre-crossing series. Given Chow’s background as an actor and popular playwright, Lily's dynamic with the police force and her interactions with the quirky residents of the town are sure to bring both laughter and depth to the storyline. Now, the Good Cop/Bad Cop star is breaking down her role in the zany new series.
Congratulations on your latest role in Good Cop/Bad Cop! Can you tell us a bit about your character Lily Lim? What intrigued you most about this role?
Grace Chow: Lily is the precinct’s dispatcher—adorable, wildly unpredictable, and morbid in the most endearing way. What drew me in was her sheer commitment to the bit. She doesn’t just like true crime, she lives it… well, adjacent to it by working in the police station. There’s something so unfiltered about her that I find irresistible. I also get to do this really fun vocal placement that is so wildly different to my own.
The show has been described as a procedural dramedy. How do you balance the comedic and dramatic elements in your portrayal of Lily? Of the two, is there one quality she tends to lean into more than the other?
Grace Chow: Lily is all heart and impulse, which makes for great comedy. I like to think of her as the tiny Kramer in the show. She doesn’t do anything halfway… when it’s funny? She’s all in. When it’s serious? She feels it deeply. Her unpredictability is the fun of it—one second, she’s doing a funny bit about death, the next, she’s dead serious about loyalty and justice. She’s chaotic-good.
Photographer: Derec Ethan | Stylist: Luke Meakins | HMUA: Hendra | Garment: MERAKI OFFICAL
What are some of the primary challenges (whether personally or professionally) that Lily faces throughout the first season?
Grace Chow: I think she struggles with understanding boundaries (or lack thereof). Like I said, Lily’s responses are a hundred or nothing! And they make total sense for her. She goes hard… so sometimes, although well meaning, she can over-shoot for her friends.
What are you most excited for viewers to experience when they watch Good Cop/Bad Cop?
Grace Chow: I can’t wait for you to fall in love with the characters, and also the actors playing them. I think you see how much we all got along and loved being around each other in the on-screen chemistry. Plus, the sibling dynamic in the show is so fun. I have an older sister, Faith. We bicker, but have some tender moments too. I’m excited for her to see it.
You've also had standout roles in Mystery Road: Origin and The Twelve. Was there a specific quality or skill you gained from either series that influenced your approach to this new role?
Grace Chow: Absolutely. Mystery Road gave me a crash course in stillness and tension—how to say everything without saying much. The Twelve sharpened my ability to make the silent moments land... But Lily? She’s the opposite—zero filter, total chaos. So I took everything I’d learned about restraint and threw it out the window.
Photographer: Derec Ethan | Stylist: Luke Meakins | HMUA: Hendra | Garment: MERAKI OFFICAL
Your career has been quite diverse, spanning television, theatre, and writing. How do you choose your projects, and is there a recurring trait that draws you to a particular role or script?
Grace Chow: The projects choose me, really. And I reserve the right to follow my fascination—whether it’s a character that feels impossible, a story that plays with form, or something that challenges how we see the world. Or maybe it’s just total fairy floss and fun! Fun is underrated… Opera, theatre, musicals, tv, acting, writing… Life isn’t a silo. Neither is my arts practice. And for me, it’s about both mastery and exploring. I like to dive into scary waters and see what happens.
What’s been your favorite aspect of being on set for Good Cop/Bad Cop? Is there something that feels unique to this production?
Grace Chow: The energy. It was fast, loose, and fearless—everyone was encouraged to find playfulness and variation—to find new ways to land a moment. I learned a lot from Leighton Meester and Luke Cook—and gee! Clancy Brown! John Quaintance! Adam Brody! Forever grateful for the opportunity to be on this journey… There’s this eclectic mix of comedy and sincerity that makes every day unpredictable, which feels exactly right for a show like this.
