BAI LING: That recorder is so small, it’s like a telephone. Hello!
CHRIS NEUMER: Nope, just the backup recorder. The main one is coming out soon. Here’s a copy of the magazine. It’s something I started as well as that I write for.
BAI LING: Wow. [Looking at the cover] Hey, Tom Jane! We dated for a while.
CHRIS NEUMER: Since I don’t know your history with him, I will say this and try to be careful with it: I have never met an actor who talked so knowledgably about the craft of acting as he.
BAI LING: Really?!
CHRIS NEUMER: We had this whole conversation about how you go about preparing for acting in front of handheld cameras versus cranes that was fascinating. I’d never even thought about that aspect of things and to have him discuss it in such detail was amazing to me.
BAI LING: [pointing at tape recorder] Is that tape recorder working?
CHRIS NEUMER: No, that one’s not, but I come prepared. Here’s my third.
BAI LING: Wow.
CHRIS NEUMER: And here we go. You buckled up?
BAI LING: I’m ready.
CHRIS NEUMER: It must give you great pleasure to finally be able to talk about something other than Star Wars and Sky Captain.
BAI LING: I’m happy talking about this.
CHRIS NEUMER: I’m saying. It seems like talking about Star Wars all the time no matter where you go would get tiring. Especially with the same questions being asked all the time.
BAI LING: (laughs)
CHRIS NEUMER: I enjoyed The Beautiful Country a lot more than I thought I would.
BAI LING: Yeah?
CHRIS NEUMER: I saw the beginning shot of Damien with the water buffalo and I thought, "Oh, man, this is going to be long and slow."
BAI LING: You got scared, huh?
CHRIS NEUMER: Not scared, I was just afraid that it was going to be long and boring. Then it changed and it was just long. Long and good. I really appreciated your performance because it was so different than most. You were playing a character who was dead inside. It seemed as though you, as an actor, would normally try to play a character who was lively and energized, and this was the exact opposite of that. How did you go about getting into that mindset?
BAI LING: I don’t know. To be honest with you, every time the producers and directors would ask me, "Are you ready to be on set and shoot?" I’d say, "Yeah, but I’m only ready to get on set. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I get there." You’ll probably be surprised about what I’m talking about with acting because it’s different from most of them.
CHRIS NEUMER: Oh, I’ve read some of your interviews, I was looking forward to it.
BAI LING: For me, acting–I’m not acting. You call it acting, but, whatever role I do, I’m literally, I’m actually living life, I’m not doing anything. I’m not preparing anything. I read the script, it’s not Bai Ling’s journey. It’s like I have a secret love affair with my character. Sometimes my character challenges me, gets inside me or leads me or helps me, it’s her journey, but I’m giving the heart and soul to it. And we’re having this silent dance to find the harmony between us, the character and me. So that’s what I’m doing, unconsciously. I love the camera, I think the camera is the most honest thing. It doesn’t judge or have any preconceived notions or anything, it’s just flat, like a mural. If you give the truth, it shows up on screen and you can watch the truth and it makes things more powerful. If you lie, it shows up as a lie. And also, most exciting for me, is that I get to experience that feeling, when that thing surprises me or you or the audience. A lot of actors or great talents are preparing when they do the research, that’s the best tool for them. They can only get what they’re thinking. But life, the emotional journey of the character is like a wild river, there are no rules. It’s like random. Like, [pointing at Chris Neumer] why do you put your finger here against your lips?
CHRIS NEUMER: I was thinking.
BAI LING: But you can do this too [crosses arms] or this [puts finger on ear], why do you do that? There’s an unconscious way of conducting yourself. It’s a miracle. I like to make that observation through it, whatever happens, it brings great joy. If you ask me how I did it, like you did, I don’t know. I literally have no clue.
CHRIS NEUMER: But what kinds of things do you think about to prepare yourself for getting out there and getting into the life of your character?
BAI LING: I don’t prepare, I don’t think of anything. My mind is literally empty. I just basically am empty there and open everything up and you don’t know what’s going to happen and I don’t know what’s going to happen. When I’m there, the earth will speak to me or the set will speak to me or the character, whatever, the atmosphere; something will help me. I always trust instinct.
CHRIS NEUMER: So you don’t particularly like to rehearse.
BAI LING: I don’t like it, but I don’t mind if the director needs it. When I’m rehearsing it, it might be different than when I’m in front of the camera.
CHRIS NEUMER: Have you seen your performance in the film?
BAI LING: I saw it the final cut in Berlin a while ago.
CHRIS NEUMER: I was surprised how long ago this was shot. But were there any specific things, and feel free to cite other films you’ve been in, where you did something that you were happy that you did where you captured something special?
BAI LING: Actually with a lot of them. When watching myself…normally I don’t like to watch it for the first time because I just feel uncomfortable. But after that, when it comes a second time, I am completely like sober, it’s like that part of life is gone. It’s not me. I am so objective. I feel like I have no prerogative for why did I do that, if only the thing can be good, it comes from inside. You say that you’re thinking and your finger is doing something, but it’s not because you’re doing it–the fact that you’re thinking that–it’s what happens with real human behavior. So for me it’s like, "Yeah." There are some moments in the film that were cut out. They are beautiful moments, because they just happened. I am literally moved. I feel like, "Wow! This is such a gift because why would this be a dream?" I wouldn’t imagine that I would pray like that. That’s why I need a space like all of that is coming to me. If I am thinking one way, then your mindset nothing can come. You’re preset. So I’m as wild as everything that can happen and now we have a great freedom and you can, I don’t know… all the camera cuts, you can they have lots of freshness, lots of nuances. Some things come very naturally. I don’t even know it. Like once, I remember now that you were asking me, that little boy dies…that environment… actually that environment is not very helpful for me because everybody is sort of joking around.
CHRIS NEUMER: I was going to ask you about that?
BAI LING: Yeah, I am the only one basically, that is in that mood. Because okay, imagine if I have a special motivation, I’m okay with it and I like it. It’s the only way you can hold that innocent dream. I can talk to that little boy, not a man. That’s just my character. It’s a little secret. I can be open and completely honest with him. So when that scene is taken away it is taking part of my dream away. So, it’s like, I wouldn’t even think, but I’m thinking now. While I was there, I was just watching my life like a fountain going to a river. I would just like cry. I would just…I don’t know why, I would just feel sad. It would just come to me. But the film is not real. You know what happened, when I’m holding him, right. He’s supposed to be dead. Now he starts to cry.
CHRIS NEUMER: Damien?
BAI LING: No, the little boy. He says, "I’m okay. Don’t cry." "She’s crying." And he’s not crying because he was moved by me. He’s not supposed to be cry.
CHRIS NEUMER: And it seems like that would help you, though.
BAI LING: I don’t need that. No, no, it’s not helping me. No, listen to me, it’s not helping, and you know why? When he starts to cry we have to stop filming because he’s not supposed to cry.
CHRIS NEUMER: He’s supposed to be dead.
BAI LING: Yeah. So he’s crying. That would just interrupt my emotion. He went to the bathroom and brought this towel to me and said, "Don’t cry." He’s not to cry. But, I can’t explain, I need to be [in the moment]. "She’s really crying," he’d say. He was concerned. Then we’d have to stop him from crying. But, he was really sad. It takes a long time to get him to stop crying. I don’t know what I’m going to do. He’s dancing around. They didn’t shoot like that. They didn’t have any time. Basically, in a way, I’m kind of suffering. I’m holding it. There’s only so much you can give. I’m completely out there, exhausted. I’m like half waiting, but everybody was cheering you out. They’re joking around there in front of me. Because they want me to be happy, but I can’t stop. For me it’s like irony. You know, he’s dead and I’m believing that.
CHRIS NEUMER: You’re doing such a good job you’re hurting yourself?
BAI LING: Yeah, in the meantime, everybody’s talking to the boy and like, "Hey, be happy". They are joking around eating food, throwing things, and making jokes. But to me, it’s like, ‘What am I going to do?" I just have to hold on to this little space. Basically in that time, it’s like this river. Just this thing in the river, you have to stand. And then it opens. And the water comes, you have this I can basically just close it a little, little bit. I have to be on the edge holding for like an hour. It’s really difficult, but I don’t know why I was able to do that.
CHRIS NEUMER: Do you find that different directors have different styles that work better with that approach to acting?
BAI LING: I think, no matter who they are, no matter what; I could act with a wall. I believe I do what I’m going to do. I believe what I have to do. You cannot be there, because everything’s just there. I have to just pretend it’s not there. It has already affected me so much. For me, I’m lucky in a way because I don’t have to cross this threshold. Every time the director says, "Oh, I’m trying to do this. We want you to cry a lot at a certain moment at a certain sentence." Then, that’s what they told me, "Oh, you’re too early." I’m just laughing to myself, I say, "I’ll try." I was laughing. I can’t guarantee, but I understand what you say. I’m so scared. I don’t know. Because, I don’t know. Were the cameras rolling?
CHRIS NEUMER: Well, there are certain directors, like Robert Altman, for example, who enjoy the fact that his actors and actresses do things that aren’t on cue, you know. If somebody trips and stumbles, he likes that. There are other directors who need everything to be a certain way. It’s like as soon as that guy trips, it’s like, ‘That’s it, we’re done, cut.’ Do you prefer working for the directors who allow these things?
BAI LING: No, no, I prefer a challenge. You know what I mean. It’s like whomever is with me. It excites me. For example, I worked for Mike Binder for Man About Town. He’s an actor, he’s a very good actor and very good director. He knows exactly what he wants. So one time when we were like shooting he said, at rehearsal, ‘Why are you doing that?’ I don’t know, it’s my instinct. He said, ‘No you have to go with my instinct.’ I said, ‘Okay, what do you want?’ He told me what he wanted. Of course, naturally, that’s easy. My mindset is different. I did exactly what he wanted. At first he said, "No, no, no." I said to myself, "Forget what I think, it’s not my film. Listen to the director and go with it." Just tell me what you want and I’ll go with it. My instinct told me this, but maybe I have another instinct. You know, he says, "I want this." You still have freedom. For example he says, "Don’t move your hand." You cannot go beyond here. Normally, with my instinct, I’ll maybe do this [taps hand on chair]. I still can’t go there, but maybe I can go up. And you find your instincts. Maybe I won’t move my hand, I’ll move my shoulder or something, I don’t know. If you have your own freedom, there’s no limitation. Even though Mike says not to move anything, I still have my rhythm and time. Then you have that freedom. Freedom to not move or to move or talk differently. The speed will change. There’s always freedom and there’s always surprises. And I’m all up for those. That’s what I think, I like all the differences, I can always find my freedom. Well, it’s fun for me.
CHRIS NEUMER: What challenges, and again, feel free to use an example from The Beautiful Country, or other films that you have done, what have been some of the bigger challenges that you have tackled as an actress?
BAI LING: For example, I don’t want to forget this. There was a scene in this movie where we’re eating, we’re starving, [and there were maggots were in our food]. So, we’re eating this worm, right? The boy wouldn’t move, I didn’t think. But, I’m there, I’m on camera. I said, "Just look as it as the older woman taking care of him. You feed him." So, I’m going to show him how to eat it. I grab the worm and I put it in my mouth. I play my mom. I never thought about it before. I would never even if you tell me.
CHRIS NEUMER: Eating worms, huh?
BAI LING: I put it into my mouth. I was chewing it. I was hoping that the director would say cut and I wouldn’t have to swallow it and I could spit it out. And I was chewing it and he didn’t say cut. [Laughs] But in that moment, I was there. So, those are the challenges. It’s gross, but how else can you do it?
CHRIS NEUMER: Well, that was a challenge that presented itself during the middle of the scene. Was there anything working up to or going into that you wanted to accomplish, like looking ahead. Somebody said of Johnny Depp once, they thought he took a role in Secret Window because he wanted to play a character named Mort. I don’t know why, but that was why they said he took the movie. Is there anything like that where you going into something like, I would really like a woman who’s like this, or I’d like to play like an assassin. Any challenges like that, you specifically take a roll because you want to try something new.
BAI LING: Not really. I think, just my instinct when I read the script. Whatever, if there’s music. I feel the character, I’ll play it. Not specifically. It’s based on my instinct. Maybe I will realize later on. For example, for one film I cut my hair and shaved my head. That’s something. My hair was just this long [holds hand near her thigh] and to have to shave it so I was bald.
CHRIS NEUMER: For me, that’s just Monday.
BAI LING: But for women, to shave, Asian woman, either you’re a prisoner, a criminal. You know, nobody would shave on these steps. That’s a great challenge for me. They asked me to shave and the next day I said, "I’m not going to do it." In the back of my head though I knew I was going to do it. I went in the next day and we did. So, that’s something, it shows vulnerabilities. When you don’t feel your hair is shaved, you’re healthy. You look beautiful. There’s no hair. If you have no hair, especially for women, you really feel the nakedness. Well, we shaved my head and I forgot when I took my shower. I jumped in the bathroom when I saw it. I hid it. I jumped back in. It’s just weird. Why do I accept myself? I don’t know. There are other problems too, like when I didn’t return to China. That was a problem. There are serious, challenges. As a human being, you learn so much. You learn to appreciate all of those memories that you have.
CHRIS NEUMER: Are there any boundaries or challenges that we’ve been talking about here, that when you look to the future, you’d like to try a roll where you try something different.
BAI LING: You just enjoy it…I don’t have a plan. I’m just open, just like excited for the next day. But there’s one thing, I’d like to do a musical. I love dancing, good dancing. I’d also like to do a mysterious, sexy love story, I’d like to do that because I think I have that element in me. My faces and my characters are all pretty different. I like to discover. I want to show all of them. You know, and let them surprise me or surprise the audience.
CHRIS NEUMER: Do you have anything else that you want to add?
BAI LING: No, I think that when you are free and you let life take you, you can be happy. Like I think that I am doing something completely beyond my wildest dreams. My first Hong Kong film, I was there for the Asian acting awards. All the things are normally going to happen to one person. For others to look at. What can you do? What can you do wrong and right. Controversial, controversial, how do you say that?
CHRIS NEUMER: You got it right.
BAI LING: Controversial, and I feel that in a way, I’m just like anybody else. It’s a great journey. I’m adventurous. I’m having a good time.
Bai Ling photos courtesy of the Retna Photo Agency.
