INTERVIEW: Chris Pang
September 1st 2010 10:35
Chris Pang as Lee Takkam
Finally, after much anticipation, I have Chris Pang's responses to my written questions. I had to email my questions because I didn't get the chance to interview him on the red carpet, for the World Premiere of Tomorrow When the War Began.
Regrettably, I only received six questions in reply, after submitting sixteen. So, this interview is brief, yet pithy.
Chris Pang has been working professionally in the television and film industries since 2005, in Australia and in Asia; he is currently based in Hong Kong.
Pang was born in Melbourne, Australia and loved playing James Bond and the Terminator as a kid. At the same time, Pang was studying the martial art of Wing Chung (among other disciplines) so no wonder he dreamed of being 007 and Terminator, as he really can kick arse!
The Interview:
1) You say, on the official film site, that “Lee has a lot to offer, he just doesn’t know how.” Realizing that your character had such a personality trait must have been challenging initially. You obviously like challenges, considering your martial arts background, arts which often incorporate a philosophy of peaceful harmony. What was your approach to finding your character’s voice?
2) Were there elements of the character that rang true to your own life experiences, which gave you a way to find Lee’s ‘voice’?
(Pang combined these two questions into one answer)
PANG:
Having read the Tomorrow books in high school, I already had my own mental definition of Lee and what he represented. The approach to find his character's voice for the film was just Stuart (the director) and myself speaking extensively about Lee's background, surroundings and inner and outer self. Once that was done it was a matter of reinterpreting it through and relating it to my own life experiences.
As you mentioned, I grew up in a family of martial artists and that alone would instill a certain level and understanding of respect, honour and tradition. Adding that to the fact that I was pressured to pursue medicine (and bribed - I was offered a Volvo... if it was anything else I would probably be a doctor right now) and made to learn the violin as a kid, I feel that I could relate to a lot of what makes Lee tick so you could say there is a lot of myself in Lee and a lot of him in me.
3) Actors use many ways to get into the character’s skin, just before performance, how do you prepare? Or are you one of the lucky ones, who can just instantly turn on the character, (because of your PREVIOUS preparation) and turn it off again as needed?
PANG:
For me the magic is in the moment, but the key is in the preparation. Once I have sufficiently understood, dissected and analysed the scene to a point where I know the character's internal position and direction, I'm then ready to go and see what the other actors are bringing to set. In terms of turning it on and off I'd like to be able to think I can snap out of it quite quickly, as films generally deal with high emotion, high stakes situations and nobody wants to be stuck there for too long!
4) What do you see as your character’s purpose in the film?
PANG:
Each of the characters represents something different and come from interestingly unique backgrounds. In my opinion Lee represents the realist. He is the first one to act on his hunch that something may be wrong while he waits for the mindset of the others to catch up. He also exists to break the stereotype and show that someone of introverted social underdevelopment, not necessarily funny (Homer) or sporty (Kevin) can win the girl whilst providing a counterbalance to the group.
5) What do you think your character’s impact will be on the youth of Australia, particularly the Asian youth of Australia, what qualities do you see that might be a positive influence?
PANG:
Here is an outsider - highly intelligent but introverted - who takes a chance to go where he hasn't gone before and ultimately (in terms of the love story) wins. It's a message to everyone to keep your dreams in sight, quash those excuses and take action. His inclusion as a prominent part of the film also goes to show not just Asian but aspiring performers of any ethnicity that there is a growing part for you in our entertainment industry.
6) What is the main message of this film for you?
PANG:
Essentially a coming of age story, there are many themes explored here. Being about a group of teenagers trying to find freedom and get away from parents however, I personally take away from it how important your friends and family are and just how much it means to have them beside you - hopefully it won't take a war for us all to realise that.
END INTERVIEW
I look forward to Pang's next venture, particularly in a high action drama, utilizing his skills in numerous styles of the martial arts.
Hey, maybe it is time for a new face on 007?
Calling Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson!!!!
IMAGE CREDITS AND PERMISSIONS:
Images are used here for illustration of subject and product identification purposes only, low res not meant for copying, copyright presumed that of production company and/or distributors, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Mountain Fog
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
I suspect Chris answered all my questions, and his handlers/production PRs edited them out, so I can't go into what they were covering, but I understand why, I was entering a slightly controversial area for the production company's product...
cheers matey,
fog
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Still provided some insight.
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
tanx matey!
And to Chirs Pang's credit, he was always willing, but the 'machine' around him was slow to act, lots of control which is understandable too, given some aspects of the film.
cheers
fog