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AsianConnections Interviews Bai Ling
Stars of "Anna and the King"
AsianConnections'
Suzanne Kai chatted with Chinese actress Bai Ling about her experience
working on the epic Anna and the King. Bai Ling talks of her beloved
China and her new life in Hollywood. Also, she shares her thoughts
about nudity in film and accepting "stereotypical" roles.
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.
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.
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Photo:
Andrew Cooper -
20th Century Fox
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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."
 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.
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?
next
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Click
here for Bai Ling's profile
Bai
Ling Filmography
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