Zoe Chao had a special connection to the beloved sitcom Party Down before she was cast in Starz’s new revival. “I was a fan of the show. My partner has watched both seasons six times — each,” the 37-year-old revealed to HollywoodLife in an EXCLUSIVE interview alongside her co-star Tyrel Jackson Williams. The Afterparty star said that her boyfriend, a “super fan” of Party Down, was thrilled after she was cast in the new season. “It was a big day when I got the part in our household. He lost his mind,” she said.
Season 3 of Party Down, premiering February 24, features the returns of OG stars Adam Scott, Ryan Hansen, Martin Starr, Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, and Megan Mullally. Since Zoe knew so much about the show already, she was admittedly “so excited and then terrified” when she was cast, because she knew “how highly-anticipated this comeback is. ”
“I think we both felt a lot of responsibility and didn’t wanna eff up a perfect thing,” the actress said about herself and Tyrel. The duo join the Party Down cast alongside fellow newcomers Jennifer Garner and James Marsden.
In Party Down, Zoe plays Lucy Dang, the catering team’s chef. And it was a role that Zoe actually found “super relatable,” because of her own history in the service industry.
“I connected most to the idea of being in a catering job, but wanting to pursue something else,” Zoe shared. “I think Lucy loves food, clearly, and is a food artist. I think for her she has aspirations to make art and that’s not what Party Down is. But in general I worked in the service industry for four and a half years. You make a lot of sacrifices to pursue certain dreams, so that’s super relatable.”
Party Down returns to Starz on Friday, February 24. The new season will feature six episodes and will conclude on Friday, March 31.