Perhaps the most prominent young Vietnamese-American actress and famous name-brand model, Katie Luong tells of how honesty is Hollywood's most overrated policy.
By Angela Kang
Kathleen (Katie) Luong's radiant smile and attractive charm makes it no wonder that she is considered one of the most recognized Vietnamese-American actors in Hollywood. She was born in Vietnam, but immigrated to Southern California at a young age. Her extensive resume spans anywhere from national commercials, including such prominent brands as Tylenol, Levi's, and Coca Cola, to popular TV shows and film. Katie guest-starred in "Baywatch," "JAG," and "The Magnificent Seven" and took on the lead roles in such films as Timothy Linh Bui's, "Green Dragon," Marie Giese's, "Hunger," and "Missing Brendan," to name a few. Most notably, Katie acted beside Hollywood powerhouses, Charlize Theron, Patrick Swayze, James Spader, and Eric Stoltz, in her cameo role in the film, "Two Days in the Valley." Expect to see her soon in Victor Vu's "First Morning," which is currently in post-production and set to hit festival circuits soon. Currently, Katie is working on Eric Brose's mocu-mentary and re-teaming with Victor Vu for his new endeavor, "Spirits in Exile."
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Interview with Kathleen (Katie) Luong
July 8, 2003
Interviewed and Transcribed by Angela Kang
Angie: Katie, you first started doing Vietnamese karaoke music videos, and now your career has propelled to doing films, commercials, and television. How did your career gain so much momentum so fast?
Katie: It started in high school when someone asked me to do Vietnamese music videos, but I didn't know anything about it. So I said, "No, no." But they said they just wanted a girl to walk around in the back, so I said okay. So I kept doing that and they kept asking me to do it for about a year and I really liked acting. And I knew someone who told me to go to Hollywood and get an agent, and I did that. From there, I started going out for commercials and little extra work.
Angie: I know you've done Levi's commercials. Were they looking for Asian faces in particular for their ads? Or was it difficult for you to break into the commercial industry?
Katie: No, I mean whenever they were looking for a young Asian girl, I went out for it. I think it depends; I think I got lucky that all the commercials that were looking for Asian girls, I ended up booking most of them. I think I did like three a year, not too much, but it was nice.
Angie: Some say that Dustin Nguyen and you are the only recognizable Vietnamese actors in the industry. How do you feel knowing that there's only a handful of Vietnamese people in Hollywood?
Katie: Because the Vietnamese culture doesn't really have a big art industry, I think it's a bit unfortunate. I think our country went through a lot of wars, so it was really hard to build on something like that. But it's nice to know that there's not much competition.
Angie: Do you think it's part of the Vietnamese culture to value things other than the arts, like education or a promising occupation?
Katie: Yeah, they definitely value that a lot more. Even for my own family, my parents are the same way and everybody else I know is the same way. They're just not very open to art. Art is an expression of freedom and your independence, and in our culture, a lot of people aren't open to expressing themselves in that kind of way. That definitely defines why we don't have a big art industry.
Angie: So how did you parents take it when you told them that you're going to Hollywood?
Katie: It wasn't really like that. My mom and dad are cool with anything I do. At first, they didn't support it, but they weren't against it. As long as I come home in one piece, I think they're happy. Before they ever saw my work, they only saw me in commercials. They didn't really talk about it and they didn't even tell people I was in them. They would say, "Oh no, she works with computers" and stuff like that. And then they saw "Green Dragon," in which I spoke all Vietnamese, and I think from that, they had a different perspective of what I love to do. And now they tell people, "Oh yea, my daughter's an actress." They don't really say anything. I think they're just happy that I'm happy.
Angie: So you mentioned "Green Dragon." Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Katie: "Green Dragon" is basically a film that takes place after the fall of Saigon where a lot of the refugees from Vietnam were transferred over here and they had to stay in these camps around the US waiting to be sponsored. And my role is the second wife - one of the three different families in the film that deals with issues about not knowing what would come next after the war, where they would be and who was out there. I play the second wife and show what she has to go through, in terms of all that's happening.
Angie: So do you think that the movie encapsulates how Vietnamese culture is, in terms of being war-torn from the past?
Katie: From my knowledge, from all the people that I know that's around me, my family and my friends, we've all gotten over the war. We don't even talk about it anymore; no one cares about it. It's just like, okay that happened and it's in the past. "Green Dragon" is just a part of what Vietnamese people went through that a lot of people out there don't know. It's just a part of what Vietnamese people went through.
Angie: Many of your past roles have been about the Vietnamese experience. Do you purposely choose Vietnamese-related themes to act in, or do you think that Vietnamese aren't given opportunities to play diverse roles?
Katie: I don't really choose. I think every opportunity that comes across to me, if I'm right for it and I get the chance to act, I definitely just take it. And like I said, there aren't that many Vietnamese actors out there, so I'd probably be fortunate to get the chance to go out for Vietnamese roles. Yeah, I don't really get to choose. I don't really get a choice. Of course if one day, I get a chance to diversify and do everything else I can, I will. But for right now, give me everything!
Angie: So if you were given an opportunity to act in a role that you didn't quite agree with, but you said that you would take everything, would you still go for it?
Katie: No, you know what, I do have my bounds because there are just things you don't want to take as an artist. You don't want to put yourself in a position where you just can't do it and you'll make yourself look bad. It's just not worth it. I think that definitely is the boundary I would step away from.
Angie: So in that sense, you're pretty choosy with the roles you take?
Katie: I'm not choosy, but if it's something that I can't do or if it's something I can't portray, I'd rather just not take it. It's just not worth putting yourself out there. Later on, someone else will look at your work and say, "Gosh, she's horrible!" You just don't want to do that. But I'm not choosy - there's really not much for me to be choosy from.
Angie: So you chose to act in "First Morning." What's "First Morning" and tell us why you chose to act in that.
Katie: "First Morning" is basically about a family. I play a young daughter who just goes through a lot of problems in life. And it basically is surrounded by her family and how they're trying to deal with her problems and they don't know what's going on with her and stuff like that. There's a secret in the past, which is why the family's not talking about anything. But in the end, the secret is revealed.
Angie: So when can we expect "First Morning"?
Katie: "First Morning" is in post-production right now. So once he is finished, he's going to try to put it in festival circuits and stuff.
Angie: How's working with famed Vietnamese director, Victor Vu? Why do you keep choosing to re-team with him?
Katie: He's become someone I consider my best friend. He's an amazing person. I worked with him on "First Morning" and also a short film. Working with him is comfortable. He allows me do what I want to do, but at the same time, if he wants me to do something, we collaborate and we understand each other's views of things. I don't see how anybody can turn that down. He's a wonderful director - very smart and very awesome.
Angie: So what do you see in his work that differentiates him from others?
Katie: He's just honest in his work; he's very passionate. He's truthful about what he wants to do. I think anybody that is like that will succeed somehow in their life.
Angie: I hear you're very interested in the arts. What kind of art do you do?
Katie: I do photography. I do self photography and baby photography, but mainly for babies. It started as a hobby a year ago, but then I just started shooting my niece. Lately, I've been getting a lot of referrals. Photography is an amazing hobby to take up.
Angie: So you're obviously very interested in being off-camera, as well as being on-camera. What do you see as being the main difference, besides the obvious? What do you prefer?
Katie: Behind the camera, you're able to capture things. When you're standing in life right now, everything is so huge that you can't see the little things that you can see through the camera's square lens. That's all you see and there's so many things that are amazing that pass you by and that you can't see with the naked eye. To me, that's so beautiful because you can capture something that will probably never be the same again. Being in front of the camera, you're taking yourself into a different place. I guess it depends on what the role is, but definitely you're putting yourself in a different position; you're in front of people.
Angie: You're also very involved in martial arts, right?
Katie: Well, I took some martial arts classes when I was little. I took tae-kwon-do and some kickboxing classes. But a lot of times you go for roles and they ask if you know martial arts. I just lie and say that I do. Why not? Most of the times, it's just technical stuff when they're shooting anyways. It just makes no sense when they say they prefer us to be more professional, like black belt. And everyone else I talk to says that they were trained for months because they knew nothing about martial arts.
Angie: So how do you feel about actors and directors expecting you, as an Asian, to know martial arts?
Katie: The last time I was in an audition, they asked if I knew martial arts. I said, "You know what, I'll be honest, I don't know. I took it a long time ago, but I think it's like riding a bike - I can pick up on it." That's just something I know I can learn. So I pretty much base it on that.
Angie: I heard from an Asian American actor that he gets offended when people ask him to play martial arts roles because they are already stereotyping him as a karate-chopping Asian man, when really he's so much more. So he won't take those kinds of roles. Do you feel that at all? Or do you think, "Hey it's a role and I'll take it."
Katie: Honestly now, it's a role. It's martial arts, but if the character has a lot of humanity, heart, and strength, and the story is great, I don't see why I should turn it down.
Angie: Last question, who do you see as role models in Hollywood?
Katie: I like Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett.
Angie: Great, thank you Katie.
Katie: Thank you very much.