‘The Cleaning Lady’: Where Was FOX’s Thrilling Crime Drama Filmed?
FOX‘s newest crime drama, The Cleaning Lady, already has viewers hooked after just two episodes. Now, many fans want to know everything about the series. Thony De La Rosa’s time in the U.S. takes her to Las Vegas, but was The Cleaning Lady really filmed there?
‘The Cleaning Lady’ takes place in Las Vegas
Elodie Yung stars in The Cleaning Lady as Thony, a Cambodian doctor who moves to the U.S. with her son, Luca. She’s in search of medical treatment for Luca, who was diagnosed with a deadly immunodeficiency disorder. However, when Thony’s visa expires, she becomes trapped in Las Vegas, unable to receive care for Luca.
Thony supports herself and Luca by working for a cleaning company alongside her sister-in-law, Fiona (Martha Millan). One night, a cleaning job at an underground fighting ring puts her in grave danger. She witnesses a mob murder, but saves herself by offering to clean up the mess.
Mob leader Arman Morales (Adan Canto) commends her for the job well done and asks her to become the mob’s on-call cleaner. Feeling desperate for a way to save her son, she agrees to the job, but only if Arman can protect her and find care for Luca. How long can she keep herself safe from the criminal underworld?
Where was ‘The Cleaning Lady’ filmed?
Thony’s work with the mob happens all over Sin City, but The Cleaning Lady was actually filmed in a nearby state. Season 1 filming took place mainly in New Mexico — specifically, Albuquerque and its surrounding areas. However, there were a few days of filming in Las Vegas.
According to New Mexico Film Office, the production employed “approximately 200 New Mexico crew members, 6 New Mexico principal actors, and over 1,800 New Mexico background and extras.”
The Cleaning Lady had initially filmed its pilot in New Mexico before later returning to the state to film the rest of season 1. As showrunner Melissa Carter told Albuquerque Journal, they looked at a few other locations. However, Albuquerque’s beauty won them over.
“We were really fighting for it to be in Los Angeles or Santa Clarita, California,” Carter explained. “Once we visited Albuquerque, we saw it could completely be done. From the high end to the rest of it, [Albuquerque] did look like the suburbs. We found amazing locations and amazing crews. It’s a bounty of riches.”
Martha Millan gushed about filming in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Even the cast loved filming in Albuquerque. As Yahoo reported, Millan told Albuquerque Journal that she “immersed” herself into the city’s community by spending time on the beach and at local events.
“Seeing the Sandia Mountains as the backdrop to the city, I would cry every day going into work,” she said. “Albuquerque brings some earthiness and nature. The Sandias are one of my favorite places now. Even the sunsets are amazing. I went to Chaco Canyon, and it was so magical. I can see why the landscape lends itself to many different shows.”
The Cleaning Lady airs new episodes on Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
