Kriti Mehrotra
Giving us an unprecedented tale of morals, struggles, professionalism, and desperation, ‘The Cleaning Lady’ can only be described as an emotionally-driven crime drama series. After all, it follows a quick-thinking Cambodian doctor who arrives in the US to acquire medical treatment for her ailing son, only to end up becoming a cleaning lady for an organized crime group instead. The situations Thony De La Rosa (Élodie Yung) faces are thus complex, to say the least, but she continues to fight for survival.
This Fox series explores every aspect of how Thony finds herself trapped in Las Vegas, Nevada, forced into hiding and menial work after the system fails her. Yet, it also examines the world of organized syndicates and how money often seems to be the only thing that matters. Therefore, everything from barren spaces and rocky plains to a bustling city life plays a role in completing the production’s look. And now, if you wish to know precisely where its filming took place, we’ve got you covered.
The Cleaning Lady Filming Locations
The show’s pilot was reportedly shot in early 2020. So, when Fox picked it up for good, the cast returned to film season 1 in full between August and November 2021. The show is set against the backdrop of Sin City a.k.a the Entertainment Capital of the World, but was it really filmed there? Let’s find out!
Albuquerque, New Mexico
‘The Cleaning Lady’ is filmed entirely in Albuquerque, New Mexico. From what we can tell, this compelling production is filmed predominantly in the city, with just a few scenes being shot in the surrounding areas. As the largest city in the Land of Enchantment, Albuquerque offers numerous local establishments and scenic regions, along with parts of the Chihuahuan Desert, as location choices for film and television production.
In other words, the series perfectly features New Mexico and its charming roots, without ever being too explicit about the fact that it’s not Las Vegas, Nevada, in any way, shape, or form. As per a New Mexico Film Office press release, this Fox series employed over 2,000 local individuals during season 1’s shooting process. This included 200 crew members, six principal actors, and more than 1,800 background performers and extras.
In fact, showrunner and executive producer Melissa Carter (‘Stargirl’) stated, “After shooting ‘The Cleaning Lady’ pilot…there was never a doubt that we would shoot the series anywhere else but in New Mexico.” We should mention that Albuquerque has served as a filming location for countless other shows and movies as well, such as Fox’s ‘Deputy,’ ‘Big Sky,’ ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘Breaking Bad,’ ‘Sicario,’ and ‘Rent.’
Read More: Is The Cleaning Lady Based on a True Story?
