Interviews

An Enchanting Star: Interview with An Nguyen

By Daniel Montgomery

Thursday, August 28, 2008

DM: The Cinderella story has been told in film many times, but never quite like this. What inspired you to take part in this particular telling of the story? Were you previously familiar with the 9th Century Chinese folk tale that inspired it?

AN: I wasn’t previously familiar with the original story. When I first read through the script, I was crying my eyes out because I discovered so much empathy and strength in this amazing character of Ye Xian and I was thrilled David entrusted me with her. Even though her journey in ‘Year of the Fish’ is utterly heartbreaking I knew I could embolden her with my spunk and optimism. I worked really hard to get the role and it was a staggeringly great opportunity especially as my debut film.

DM: The rotoscoping animation effect gives the film its distinctive look. What was it like to film in live-action and then to see the very dreamlike finished film? Did it surprise you in any way or did it turn out exactly as you expected?

AN: I love the look of the film. One of my favorite scenes is the rain scene in the park with me carrying the bucket. Its so beautiful; I would love to have a large print of that image on my wall. I knew David was going to make us look really beautiful with the rotoscoping and I also knew it would be infinitely more flattering than the footage we had on digital video. I’m very proud and happy with how the film turned out.

DM: You have a unique life story that itself would be worthy of a feature film: separated from your parents, shipwrecked, caring for your aunt when you were very young. Your character in ‘Year of the Fish’ also finds herself very far away from her father. Does your life experience inform your performances or your choices as an actress?

AN: Thank you. Yes, I have had a very rich life experience and I definitely think it adds to my work. I believe because I had immigrated at such a young age I grew up having a lot of empathy for everyone around me. It was hard to watch my family struggle to assimilate in Middle America and feel displaced when they had just lost their country, their home and everything they knew. Similarly in the film, while my character is the one who is new to her surroundings I think she feels a lot of heart towards her new family and tries to see them in a good light despite their ill will towards her.

DM: You appeared in ‘The Brave One’ with Jodie Foster. Is it a drastically different experience to work on a large-budget film as opposed to a small-budget indie like ‘Year of the Fish’?

AN: Working on a big-budget film like ‘The Brave One’ with Jodie Foster was an entirely different experience from working on a small-budget indie like [this one]. Both require long 12-hour days of shooting but there is a lot of set-up on a Hollywood thriller like ‘The Brave One’ so you spend most of the time on set waiting. Whereas on ‘Fish’ I was working almost all of the 12 hours because we were covering so much material in one day. We were also trying to be very low-key on the set of ‘Fish’ because we had a lot of crowd scenes downtown and very little time. The set of ‘The Brave One’ had so many people involved you could never meet everyone and there would be a crowd of fans every night who’d come to watch.

DM: You have worked both on stage and in film. Do you prefer one over the other? Is there one you’re more interested in pursuing, or would you like to balance both?

AN: I love working in both mediums. They’re both so different and luckily I’ve had wonderful opportunities playing drastically different parts in both stage and film. As long as there is the possibility to sink my teeth into a great role with commited, creative people then I will be there!

DM: Filming on location in New York City’s Chinatown certainly gives the film a greater authenticity. You grew up in the Midwest but currently reside in New York. How long have you lived in the city, and how important do you feel it was, as a New Yorker, to have been able to use authentic city locations?

AN: I’ve lived in NYC for 12 years and have been happy to call it home. It was very inspiring to use authentic locations in the city that I never even knew existed! There’s no place like NY. Its loud, dirty, pulsating and great and so damn photogenic.

DM: Randall Duk Kim plays three wildly different characters in the film. What was it like to work with him in each role? Was it intimidating to act opposite such a veteran?

AN: I met Randall when he was in character as Auntie Yaga so I kind of always saw him henceforth as I did in my initial impression of him which was as my fairy godmother. He was so commited to that character that I think he ate live prawns in one of the scenes and even after shooting for eight plus hours in that costume and heavy makeup he would devotedly be there for me when they turned the camera around for my closeups.

DM: Do you have any future projects in the works that you are able to discuss? What are your hopes for your career? Any actors and directors you most aspire to work with?

AN: I’m in talks to star in a film called ‘The Sorrow of War’ based on the best-selling novel in Vietnam about the Vietnam war. Its a sweeping romantic story about two young lovers who struggle to find each other again after surviving the brutality of war. Its going to be an amazingly beautiful film shot in Vietnam and throughout SE Asia and a great opportunity to work in a language my family can understand.The hope for my career is that I can have the best time I possibly can! That each project will enrich my life and I get to meet amazing new people. There are so many actors and directors I admire. Right now I’m really looking forward to seeing Olga Kurylenko in the new James Bond film. I thought she was really fearless in ‘Hitman’. I also love Seth Rogen, Rachel Weisz, Hugh Jackman, Jane Adams (whom I got to meet on ‘The Brave One’) and my prince Ken Leung, and the works of Wong Kar Wai, Anh Hung Tran (Scent of a Green Papaya), Lars Von Trier, and Sophia Coppola all of whom write delicious parts for women. A dream role of mine would be to remake ’_Below Hypothermia” in English language. Its a film by Hong Kong auteur Patrick Leung about a cold, calculated hitwoman who discovers love.

Check out the film review here