Bai Ling - The Bastardly Interview(1/2)
Bai Ling is a woman of mystery and intrigue. Her participation in VH1rs But Can They Sing left us with memorable performances of which thatrll never be duplicated. It was a Bastardly dream come true when I was fortunate to meet Bai Ling and really dive into the mind behind the woman werve seen in movies, television, and on the red carpet with her bold fashion sense. Beyond the red carpet of nipple slips and daring style is a woman with a lot on her mind and werre here to set the record straight with prior controversies including George Lucas and Nick Carter. Currently, Bai Ling is set to appear in several episodes on ABCrs Lost. Get to know one of our favorite Bastardly Ladies and maybe yourll understand why I canrt enough of this amazing woman.
posted on February 5th, 2007 @ 12:30 pm by Jackson,
Are you shocked at the popularity you gained from But Can They Sing?
I have no clue. I wasnrt anticipating anything when I started to do this show. The producer approached my management company and said they wanted to have Bai Ling on the show and I have no clue what it is but Irve always been very musical; I like to sing, I learned to play the violin when I was a child. I think if I was not an actress Ird be a conductor or musician because I love music; itrs the highest form of art. But the popularity, since Irm on the other side of the camera so I donrt really know or am aware of because itrs something that I consider as a gift and Irm so lucky to have grown so much more popular from the show and a lot of people like me because I think I made fun of myself and made a lot of people laugh; I think they like that energy of fun, that pop culture kind of ######y and modern energy. But now Irm walking down the street and somebody I donrt know will say to me, "Call me, call me" and I know what theyrre talking about. They all tell me that they loved the show and without me that the show was boring. This show was really not about singing but it was about the show and entertaining people. I think in that way my craziness served that purpose because no one would ever know what I was going to wear or what I was going to do so it was really really fun.
I hear you have a new VH1 Reality TV show in the works, what can you tell us about it?
Actually werve already signed the contract so two producers are going to follow me around and we just need to find the right form for me and VH1 and for the audience, my fan, to see. What would the fans like to see me do? I think itrll mostly be about me and pop culture, style, fashion, my life; a modern girlrs life. I think the fans would have the most intelligent ideas.
Do you feel like yourre at a disadvantage for some roles since English is not your first language?
Of course, for sure but probably my mind or the way Irm living life is programmed different where Irm doing things to try and do things. I do things for love. But I love to do what I do and I feel like everyone has their own unique talent. I found mine, that Irm really good as an actress because for me itrs very natural, very easy, and very truthful. I have a lot of joy when Irm doing it and I feel very powerful inside of me when Irm doing it because actors think of the emotional journey of the character. Itrs exciting, unknown, and scary but itrs really wonderful when something happens and I even surprise myself. So I feel like of course language is a tool to communicate with the audience to understand what we are thinking and to interpret what is on our mind but at the same time I think silence is more meaningful and beautiful to me.
Of course English is not my first language so I think that the native American roles wouldnrt cast me but therers a lot of actors out there that need jobs too; they have their own talents and somebody like me whors more exotic, having a more foreign exotic flavor and something more with mystery and being intriguing because I think a lot of people see me as a mystery because they donrt really know me so if that role comes along and the director really likes me then theyrll cast me.
What do you look for when reading scripts? What type of roles do you want to try next?
Yeah, there are a lot of things. Up until today I feel like I havenrt done anything because I feel like everyday I start from zero. I feel like a child looking forward to tomorrow and I think every day is like a page in a book where the next day I will unfold that page for me to find out or for life to surprise me. I think there are a lot of things that I want to do but right now what comes to my mind would be a musical because I sing already and they didnrt show the best of me as a singer since that show was all for fun. I think if the key is not right for any great singer then they could embarrass themselves too. If the songs and the key did fit me then it could be so beautiful. I think Ird like to do like a Casablanca type of love mystery but a lot of music in the club and itrs a woman where shers changing her appearance but we donrt know who she is , what shers doing, or where she comes from, or where shers going to go,
abercrombie fierce, and why type of relationships shers going to have with different people. Like a musical, thatrs something Ird like to do; very sensual.
When yourre not reading scripts, going to readings, filming, etc, what else do you do with your time? I once read that yourre writing a novel?
I donrt know but I think the title of the book is going to be controversial; itrs going to be called, ###### in Tibet. Itrs based on my story, when I was 14 years old and to live in the Peoplers Liberation Army for 3 years; fascinating. It was the most precious time of my life. 3 years in Tibet, I was there breathing the air, dealing with the high altitude, the coldness, the cruelness of the armyrs strict rules, and the freedom and beauty of the nature. And the music; when you sing the whole mountain echoes back to you. Itrs beautiful. Irm almost finished so when Irm writing I donrt read, I donrt watch anything, Irm in my own time universal zone of my story. I donrt like to watch TV. I have a TV but I donrt have cable. I barely watch it, maybe once a month. Irll watch maybe like Discovery Channel animals, I love animals. I like silence sometimes. I like to walk around, sit on the beach, listen to the birds, watching waves go by.
Do you feel a responsibility or pressure as a Chinese-American actress to positively represent to China?
I think I donrt have to have any personal goals to portray anything differently because there are a lot of beautiful men and women from China, Asia, from all over the world in different areas that are very successful. So in their own way they are their own star shining. All that Irm doing is because I donrt know anybody, I donrt know English, I have nothing so basically Irm finding my dream and I think that encourages people that you can find your dream and to follow your heart sincerely and give all your love to it. And of course Irm a girl I want to have fun, yeah Irm ######y, I like to have all parts of me experience and show the truth of myself. I think anyone who wants to be a role model has to be loyal to your own character because all these colorful things thatrs why this world is wonderful, itrs not only one color so I can only live life truthfully to myself and the loyal and beautiful thing of being Bai Ling. I just enjoy the gifts of life and being me and to be the best I can be to my audience and to society or wherever I live. Irm very lucky to have been able to travel everywhere; Irm always working in different roles and not being typecast.
So I think that if people watch carefully theyrll know that Irm an example of someone who can do things differently and also I donrt have pressure on me because naturally I feel like Irm doing what Irm supposed to be doing; I think Irm doing it beautifully and with all my heart and joy. Donrt forget joy, thatrs very important because if you live only under duty then you will not be happy. You have to have fun. Irm a free spirit. I feel no pressure. I think when you lead a life where you donrt feel pressure naturally then you probably end up doing more than you want to. You are here, werre all here for a reason and I feel that if you follow your heart yourll do a lot of great things for others, for yourself. I just hope, as people who donrt really know me, they probably see me as dressing ######y and going to these places but watch my movie and see how each role is different. I really hope that my audience, I really love my audience because without them werre nothing, werre not doing anything, so I really care how they would see me as who I am because you donrt always see everything.
For instance, for the Oscars I dressed very elegantly but they donrt want to use my picture because they like something where my nipple showed off or something ######y, I donrt know why. So itrs not up to me but I do have another side, I hope people would see me as a whole thing and just not corner me into a certain type. I so much more than that they donrt hear the melody of who I am. I sincerely want to give the best I have for each character I play.
Are you close friends with other Chinese-American actors like Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi, etch?
Actually I donrt hang out with them a lot because we all have own our schedule, our own way of living life. I think all of us are also always traveling around the world and itrs hard to get together. When we see each other we say hi but not really hang out. I donrt know where they are, they donrt know where I am. But Irm proud of them and Irm very happy for them.
How often do you go back to China and how are you treated?
I was just there for Chinese New Years. China has changed tremendously. I was there and gradually the USA fades away, gradually Hollywood fades away. I decided Ird have no phone, only email once in a while when I want to check it. I told my agent those 2-3 weeks to just leave me alone that Irm going to be wit...
Bai Ling - The Bastardly Interview(1 2)
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