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An
Interview with
Bai Ling ("Anna and the King") |
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AsianConnections: Your role in "Anna and the King" is one of the more serious roles for an Asian woman actor in an American film. Bai Ling: I think I am very fortunate to have this opportunity to portray that role. Because I really like her. And also I have to thank her for giving me this opportunity to talk about the love. Because that's what her character in the movie represents. I think the movie is a story about learning about love, and what the meaning of life is, and the simplicity of love and purity of love.
Bai Ling - on shaving all of her hair off for her role: It's strange things you would take a different perspective, but that was really really hard for me because I'm not "Tuptim." I'm an actress in Hollywood. I'm Asian, you know, and hair is very very important for us, it's part of the beauty, how people perceive us. You know, I've to go completely from this extreme to how long my hair was [pointing to below her waist] to that extreme, which is I cannot accept in the beginning. Even
though I read the script, my instinct tells me I have to do it.
But somehow took me like three months to meet my instincts ?[that]
I'm actually going to shave my head, and oh actually my manager,
she said something very wonderful while I was struggling during
this process. She said, "Bai Ling, you are shaving your
head, not your talent"�Now I said, "Wow, that's very wise."
And it's like, I'm kind of afraid of changing, afraid of taking another step of life. So I was crying so badly, I just? When I'm thinking back I can still feel I can see the first features on my hair. I feel so painful. It's really really difficult challenge. But I also learned tremendously. I learned to appreciate things when you have it. Like when I have hair, I don't care about hair, but when I start to lose it, wherever I go, I look?the first thing is the hair. Because I know I'm about to lose it. And so I learn in life, and we only treasure things when you start to lose them. You know, I think right now I learn much more, the truth of life is enjoy and appreciate what you have instead of worrying about what you don't have. So all these things I think basically bring a positive message to me, and I'm glad I did it, because I jump into this period piece, become a modern woman, I look differently. I think my life journey will be different AsianConnections: You said that you are an American citizen now. When did that happen? What made you decide to do that? Bai Ling: Um, because at that time I had this film where I was shooting in Malaysia, but at that time my passport was expired. So my country citizenship was ignored, so I cannot go to work. You know, I'm lucky enough to have a lot of friends to help me, so I got my [American] passport just before that, and I stayed. So I managed it somehow, to get there to [do the] film. Otherwise I don't know what's going happen. Either I cannot go, or I go and I cannot come back, I don't know. It's really really tough, at that time I was extremely worried. But somehow also for the freedom, because American, you really like, you have a great privilege, and to travel, to go anywhere and people look at you differently when you have that passport. Because so much?either you have People's Republic of China's passport, every country you go, oh my God, you know, letters, everything, they just don't give you a visa, it's so difficult. AsianConnections: Have you returned to the People's Republic of China? Bai Ling: Yeah, I did go back two months ago to see my grandmother�You can see that China changed, so I did not have any problem. Going back, I haven't been back after "Red Corner" for two years, then my aunt called me, and she lives with my grandmother, I grew up with my grandmother. And my grandmother is basically a lot of my life, so I need to go, so I went back, and I had the best time with her. AsianConnections: How do you feel about your homeland China versus your new home in America? Bai
Ling: I'm so positive about China. I think the future's
in China. It's changed tremendously. And if you go back like,
before I left [of course, I'm back and forth] and people are, even
my friends you know we're struggling, money, we're poor. But
right now they have cell phones, they have golden rings, their homes
are like hotel rooms. I'm so happy [for] everybody. You know, I
talk to my friend, my classmate, I haven't seen him for a long time.
He called me, he said "To be honest with you I'm so happy,
my life is so good here, I don't really want to leave."
I said, why do you want to leave then? [He said] "I don't."
You know, before, everybody wants to leave, you know, [in] China,
he's talking [about] play[ing] mahjong, and then he goes to eat
hot pot?and I said, oh�you live much better than me here!
It's really fantastic there. And I think China's changing
slowly, you know?I think the country is like a person. It will change
itself, at it's own time. I really believe in that, it's changing
now. I'm really hopeful. AsianConnections: Do you see yourself going back to produce and direct films in China? Bai Ling: Actually, I really enjoy being an actress. I think somehow, that keep me always on the romantic side, the feminine. Somehow I think produce and direct [films] will make you hard, you bring the male part of you out, you become tough. Somehow I don't like to see myself going into that direction. I like to be romantic and poetic. I don't know? |
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| AsianConnections wishes to thank Bai Ling for contributing her valuable time for the interview, for which this would not have been possible. |
Basically
every time I play a role I feel like I'm having a love affair with
the character I am playing. So I had a wonderful experience
with her, even though it was tough. Because I have to go through
all [these] difficulties in order to match her. For example
I have to shave [my head]. And right now, excuse me just when I'm
talking I learn that you know, maybe that's a test I have to do
in order to play her. I have to clean up myself. And I'm just thinking
of now, therefore I have to shave. 
So because?you know, of course I was very very sad, and I also learned
a lot. I thought, it is not really I am cutting my hair, it is basically
I am saying goodbye to my old life, a lot of things have been with
me for so long.  |
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