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Interview: Liza Koshy Talks ‘The Naked Gun,’ Meeting Her Comedic Heroes, and Working with Hollywood Icons
August 5, 2025Ben MK
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With supporting roles in such films as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken and Good Burger 2, comedian Liza Koshy has come a long way from her humble beginnings on the social media platform Vine. Best known for having her own YouTube channel and starring in her own YouTube Premium comedy series, Liza on Demand, the 29-year-old actress has since gone on to work on projects starring some of Hollywood's most recognizable stars, including Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron and Ken Jeong. And now, with The Naked Gun, Koshy is taking on what might be her biggest and most high-profile on-screen role yet, acting opposite Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson in a years-in-the-making follow-up to one of the most off-the-wall and laugh-out-loud comedy movie franchises of the '80s and '90s. I caught up with Liza Koshy to chat about The Naked Gun, and to find out more about what it was like working alongside the unforgettable big screen pairing of Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. The original Naked Gun films are so iconic for the comedy genre. Was there a moment when you were working on this movie that you realized that it had the potential to be just as iconic and beloved, if not even more so, for a new generation of moviegoers? Koshy: Oh man. I mean, this is a fresh take. It's a continuation of where Frank Drebin was, but through the lens of his son, Frank Drebin Jr. So, I think it speaks to all generations, all audiences, because it's a joke after a joke after a joke. And it's just jam-packed with cultural references brought to you by Akiva Schaffer, and brought to you by Doug [Mand] and Dan [Gregor] and the writers. So there's so much that you won't notice the first time around, which is why you have to see it twice or thrice. 
This sequel is directed by Akiva Schaffer, who's better known as one third of The Lonely Island, and produced by Seth MacFarlane, who's best known for Family Guy. Coming from a comedy background yourself, were you a fan of both of their works going into this project?Koshy: I have taste! Absolutely, dude! The Lonely Island formed a solid brick in my exposed brick foundation of my comedy, for sure. I mean, Andy [Samberg], Jorma [Taccone] and Akiva [Schaffer], with their heinous "[Bleep] in a Box" and "[Bleep] in My Pants," is something that I sing subconsciously in my sleep. It is an incredible feeling to be a part of a vision of someone's that I've admired so much. Of course, the big draw for audiences is Liam Neeson taking on his first ever comedic starring role. What was it like acting with him? And even though you've technically been working in the genre longer than him, was there anything he taught you about comedy? Koshy: No one's ever framed it like that! You're right, I have been doing this longer than Liam Neeson. Eat it! [laughs] The man came in ready to go and ready to play. He is so wicked brilliant. There are so many great sketches that he did with Stephen Colbert, auditioning for the Easter Bunny — that's where Liam got his start in comedy, was with Stephen in those silly little sketches that are all of two minutes long. It's just him improvising and winging it, and it's so brilliantly dumb. And that's exactly what this movie is. 
Last but not least, you're also sharing the screen with the one and only Pamela Anderson. What was that like for you, and did she happen to pass along any words of wisdom to you?Koshy: We had shared a scene for all of two seconds, and all I'm able to say to you, and what I want to say to her, come the day I see her again, or [when we're] reunited on the sequel, is that she's so brilliant, so resilient, so strong, and so ridiculously cool. She took a break and wanted to say more, so she came back. And that's something I've done before. So, yeah, she's a truly inspirational woman in this industry. |
The Naked Gun is in theaters now.
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