Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with the next interview from my SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW blitz at Comic-Con. Once again, I'd like to thank the powers that be for letting us give you guys one-on-one Q&As with these SKY CAPTAIN people. They aren't very long interviews, but nice little teasers at the flick, which I absolutely fell in love with and predict many of you will, too. It hits a certain kind of geek dead in the heart, but still somehow appeals to a much larger audience. But, I've already written my review. You folks are here to listen in on a short chat I had with Bai Ling!
Ling plays the silent baddie "Mysterious Woman" in the film. She is the face of the villainous Dr. Totenkopf throughout most of the movie and kicks lots of ass. You might recognize her from THE CROW... She's also appearing in EPISODE 3 and we talk a little about that toward the end of the interview. English isn't her first language and she does speak it well, but I've tried to keep as much of her voice intact through the transcription as I could, so keep that in mind when reading. So, sit back and enjoy!
QUINT: How did you first come to be involved in the movie?
BAI LING: Since my own journey is mysterious to me and the character is mysterious, so everything, seemed to me, was mysterious. I don't know... it's my fate. I come from China to Hollywood. I did not even speak any English... I know nothing... Fate played a role and bring me here. Probably, this role also... Along the way somehow I'm supposed to be this mysterious sexy woman from the future or the past.
Actually, I worked for Jon Avnet for RED CORNER. He directed me. I think somehow since I come to Hollywood from China people discover me here a much more fashionable sexy woman than while I was in China. At that time in China if you talk about sex it's something not very nice, but I discovered something beautiful... It's more of a compliment to a woman if you say, "You're sexy."
QUINT: Yeah, I can tell you're digging on it by your earrings...
BAI LING: Yeah. "Sexy." I got this, actually, two days ago I was doing this premiere in New York for Spike Lee's movie (SHE HATE ME), so I was walking in the East Village... I (had been) shooting in China, in Hong Kong, I was jet-lagged. I got there I just wandered and got lost in New York City, so I found these earrings.
QUINT: You don't talk in the film at all, but you're a constant threat from the beginning of the film on to the climax...
BAI LING: Yeah, I think that somehow it's much more powerful, much more mysterious when you don't talk. You know, actions speak louder than words. I had a great time doing my character. It's difficult, actually, playing her because of the costume and everything. They made it have to be perfectly on you. It was uncomfortable, it was tight. Everyday we were shooting, often I get up for my call time at 5am... after the whole day I feel like a caged animal. I want to jump and get out. It was very difficult.
Also, in the film... sometimes they ask you to see a blue star... I look at there and the camera says, "That blue star told you..." I said, "Where's the blue star? There's no blue star!" He says, "Of course (there is)..." I say, "There's a yellow one, a green one..." Finally I take my sunglasses off and they change colors! You know, it's like you're inside of a perspective. I'm inside this cage of dress; beautiful, uncomfortable dress, behind the sunglasses my perspective completely changed.
My character is very mysterious, but I don't even try to figure her out. I was daring, dangerous, seductive... enjoy that moment. I also got a chance to kick Jude Law's butt! A lot of woman are like, "Oh, Jude Law! Handsome good actor!" I said I was much more lucky than most women because I got to kick his butt.
QUINT: So, did all the blue screen work on SKY CAPTAIN help you prepare for doing STAR WARS: EPISODE 3?
BAI LING: I don't really prepare anything when I'm acting, very much. I just show up there and see what comes to me. Of course, when I walk into STAR WARS I wasn't surprised because I did this one and STAR WARS actually gave me some of the set, more than SKY CAPTAIN. Probably had more money! We see half of it or quarter of it or 1/3rd of it or 2/10ths of it. Something!
But it's fun to do. Somehow Science Fiction, comic and all those kinds of film are really the future of the cinema because they much more fit people's fantasy because people don't like to see suffering on a day to day life. They want to see something different, other-worldly.
QUINT: I know that Lucas is pretty strict when it comes to info on his films, but is there anything you can tell me about what you're doing in EPISODE 3?
BAI LING: I think I'm a little afraid because I signed a contract! First, when I got the job, I went to this premiere where I was saying, "I'm gonna be in STAR WARS!" and the next day I get a call from his office saying, "You're not allowed to talk about it." So, I don't know how much I can talk about it, but I play somebody very cool. I don't know what's the ending of the film, but when I was filming there I felt like I was jumping from the sky to visit all those characters I was seeing in the film. It's a weird feeling. It's very strange... You're among there, you're there, but I feel like it's not real, but it is real. I'm jumping all over... it's not me anymore. That's fun to do in the science fiction movies.
I'd like to do more of these comics characters, something mysterious and cool. It's so much more fun to play than a real character because you're allowed to play and have fun.
QUINT: Besides STAR WARS do you have anything else coming up?
BAI LING: I have 6 movies coming out. I have Spike Lee's movie SHE HATE ME. Yesterday, I did the press junket and premiere in New York. It's going to open at the end of the money. I play a lesbian in that movie! I have A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, which I did with Nick Nolte and Tim Roth. It's Terrence Malick's project.
QUINT: Oh, really? That's really cool. He's an Austinite, same as me.
BAI LING: Yeah, he lives there. He's my friend. Actually, he wrote the role for me. Then I have FACE, which was in Sundance for the drama competition. I play a woman 20 years of age across. I just finished a film called LORDS OF DOGTOWN. I have a role in that one. And I finished another film called THREE EXTREMES in Hong Kong, which is actually the first Hong Kong movie I've ever done in my life... With Chris Doyle, great cinematographer. I just came back a week ago.
There you have it, squirts! Up next is biggest interview from the set, which I'm immediately diving in to so expect Jude Law's interview to hit later in the day... and wait 'til you hear his dirty joke!!! 'Til then, this is Quint bidding you all a fond farewell and adieu.
-Quint
