By Ada Tseng

APA chats with Lynn Chen, one-half of the first ever Asian-American lesbian duo in a theatrically released feature film: "Saving Face," Alice Wu's anticipated directorial debut, which also stars lovely ladies Joan Chen and Michelle Krusiec.

Lynn Chen is part Jersey girl, part New Yorker, having spent most her life between the two cities. But for the past six years, it's been all about New York, New York, as she pursued her acting career, landing the recurring role of Regina on All My Children and guest-starring in three of the four Law & Order series, before she landed the role of Vivian in Alice Wu's Saving Face.

Growing up in the Garden State, she knew she wanted to act very early in life. Her mother was an opera singer, so by the age of five, little Lynn was performing in opera houses and dreaming about following in her mother's footsteps. At 13, after seeing Joan Chen in The Last Emperor, her eyes were opened to the art of acting, the impact of film, and the possibility of Asian actresses on the big screen. After taking time off from performing to explore other interests -- including double-majoring in women's studies and music at Wesleyan University -- Lynn returned to her calling, refocusing on her dream of being a professional actress. Little did she know, she'd one day be casually lunching with Empress Wan Jung herself -- not just as a long-time fan, but as a fellow cast member.

Lynn Chen talks to APA about her experience working on her first feature film, the insanity of being whisked around at Sundance, and the excitement of being an inspirational face for Asian lesbians everywhere.

APA: Can you describe what Saving Face is about?

Lynn Chen: It's a movie about a young, closeted, lesbian surgeon, played by Michelle Krusiec, about the relationship between her and her mother, who's played by Joan Chen. She [Michelle's character Wil] becomes involved in her first serious relationship with me. My character's name is Vivian. Vivian is very much out and very secure with her sexuality. So, at the same time, while Wil's starting this relationship, her mother Joan, or Ma, shows up on her doorstep pregnant, and she's been ostracized by her community in Fleshing. So, while she's trying to hide the fact that she's a lesbian from her mother, her mother also has a secret about who the father is.

APA: Does the movie takes place in Queens?

LC: It takes place in New York. The character Wil, they both grew up in that community [Flushing, Queens], which is a mostly Chinese immigrant community, but they both now work in Manhattan. Wil's character lives in Brooklyn, Vivian's character lives in Chinatown. So, they both have left that little world. There's a group of aunties and uncles, and it's a bit of a scene. I think those characters are happy to go back and see everyone, but for the most part, they've outgrown it. They've become Americanized in a lot of ways. They're in their late 20s, and they're not willing to put up with the same things they were willing to put up with when they were younger.

APA: Does your character represent a stronger force, since she's open with her sexuality and knows what she wants?

LC: All three of the female characters are very strong in very distinct ways. Mine, she's very sure of who she is, and that's the difference between her and the other two characters. But, at the same time, she's not perfect. The character is a ballet dancer and she wants to do modern, but she's sort of tied up in the ballet world, because she wants to please her father. So, she has faults, she has problems, but in general, she's very happy with what's going on in her life. She isn't afraid to ask for it.

APA: What initially drew you to this project?

LC: When I went into audition, there were very few parts written for an Asian female lead, so everyone I knew was going in for it. And I went in, read for it, and Alice and the casting director, Heidi Griffith, asked me if I had read the script yet. And I said, "No," and they said, "Well, you better go read it." So, I got a copy and read it that night and loved it, so I emailed Alice that evening and told her I thought her script was terrific. Mind you, this was the very first
script I'd picked up and read through the whole thing, so I was thinking, "Wow, maybe all scripts are so well-constructed and well-written." [laughs] But no, they are not all that good. But yeah, I emailed her and said, "I love this part, and if you're looking for someone to play the strong lesbian character, if there's going to be a straight girl to play it, I'm your girl." So, I basically jumped through hoops for four more months, through a lot of callbacks and tests, and finally, a couple weeks before we started shooting, I finally got the call that I got it.

APA: What was it like working with Alice on her first feature?

LC: This was my first time working on a feature also. Going into it, I didn't know what to expect, but Alice knows what she wants, but she gets you to do things in a way that it doesn't feel like she's asking much of you. She never makes me feel bad about my choices, and she really works with actors. She has this ability to just stay so cool, and she's really smart in general, so I just jumped into it with complete faith in her abilities.

APA: What about working with Joan Chen? Were you a huge fan?

LC: Yeah, actually Joan is one of the main reasons I wanted to be an actress. When I was younger, it was a big deal when I got to see The Last Emperor. It was PG-13, and I wasn't allowed to go see PG-13 movies yet, but my mom said I could go. So I went to go see her and I just remember she really stuck out, and I have just been following her career since. When I found out that Joan was attached to the movie, I was already on my fourth callback, and at that point, I really wanted the part. And then I heard Joan Chen was attached to play Ma, and I thought, "Oh my God. I have to get this part."

APA: How was the chemistry between you and Michelle? It seems like playing a lesbian was something that didn't really faze you at all.

LC: No, not at all. Initially, when I was going through the audition process, they tested me against this other girl, who I didn't really feel that much chemistry with. I wasn't really feeling her. And then, when I found out they cast Michelle, before I was going to go for my final screen test, I basically rented all her movies. I had HBO on Demand, so I watched all her episodes of Mind of the Married Man... and I got to know her.

APA: So basically, you stalked her...

LC: [laughs] Well, I figured out what her acting style was, how she looked. I sort of already had this mini-crush on her, like my character is supposed to have, not knowing what to really expect in the flesh. But yeah, she and I did the scene together a couple times, and I already respected her as an actress at that point. And, she's just an amazing actress and a wonderful person. It was pretty easy. She and I had never done a love scene with another woman before. And, I had never done a love scene at all. So, I just felt at ease, knowing that she was going through this for the first time as well.

APA: So you guys got to go to Sundance this year. How was that experience?

LC: It was pretty crazy. I don't think anyone can really prepare you for what Sundance is like. I had read about the scene, and people in the industry had told me what it was going to be like, but when you're actually there, you can't prepare for the craziness of just seeing what you're seeing and being thrust from one place to another. Park City in general is such a tiny little town, and I don't think it can handle the population growth that happens [laughs]. So it's just a very hectic experience -- very exciting, but very tiring.

APA: What were some of the reactions you've gotten from people who've seen the movie?

LC: Sundance is the first time that I had people afterwards coming up to me and telling me how much they loved the movie. The thing that surprised me at Sundance were the people who I didn't think would like the movie. There was a sports bar we went to in between interviews, and a bunch of jocks came up to me! These big white jocks came up to me and were like, "Hey, loved your film."

APA: Oh, come on. Of course straight guys are going to like an Asian lesbian movie...

LC: Well, right, the idea of it. But I didn't know that they would -- after reading the description -- actually go see it.

APA: That's true, because it is a woman-oriented movie.

LC: Right, but that's the thing about the film. I think whoever ends up going, initially there might be some hesitancy into going to see it, because they might think it's a chick flick, but I think once you're in there, I think anyone can relate to it in some way. After Sundance, the response from the San Francisco Film Festival was just overwhelming and amazing. I had a couple of Asian lesbians coming up to me and talking to me. That was great.

APA: Yeah, because I'm sure there haven't been many Asian lesbians portrayed on screen like that.

LC: Yeah, I just heard from someone statistically that we are the first Asian-American lesbian couple to be in a feature film that is going to be theatrically released.

APA: Really. Wow, that's cool. You're making history.

LC: I know. I wasn't even thinking about that. I don't think Alice even really thought about that when she was making the movie. When we all heard that, it was just icing on the cake.

APA: Is the acting industry as tough as everyone says it is?

LC: Yeah it is. It's funny. When I first started, everyone was like, "This is a horrible industry. Get out of it while you can." And I kind of naively said, "What are you talking about? It's fun. I get rejected all the time, but it's OK. And I'm just glad to work while I can." And yeah, now, it's sort of like, "Yeah they were right." [laughs] But there's no turning back at this point. I feel like I've committed my life to it, and I've also really fallen in love with acting, so I don't want to leave.

APA: What is your perspective on Asian-American roles in Hollywood now?

LC: I think it's a very exciting time right now. There's a lot of Asian-American directors who are very talented and are beginning to break though, and I think a lot of them are conscious of the lack of good roles for Asian-American actors, so I think they're responsibly casting Asian-American actors in those roles, and that's exciting. Also, this year during pilot season, the roles that I was going up for that were specifically Asian are getting a lot better. But, you know, I still turn on the TV and see some horrible stuff now and then, so that saddens me. But I do think it's slowly getting better.

APA: As an actor, when you're going for roles, are you mostly going for roles specifically written for Asian-Americans or ones that aren't?

LC: I'd say about 60% of the time I'm going for roles that are not, roles that are open ethnicity. The times where I am going in for something that is specifically Asian, I'd say most of the time, it isn't for what I consider to be a stereotyped role. I think they're thinking Asian in terms of diversity for show, for the project. But in general, lately, I haven't come across anything that I had to put my foot down and say, "Absolutely no, I won't do this." Which is something I did a few years ago. But that's not to say it's not out there.

APA: But at least that's optimistic, that it's changing.

LC: Yeah. But at the same time, there's been so many times where I've been so close to something, and it's always been me and three other white girls. And it's like here's what we really want, but if you want something different, here's Lynn Chen. So it's still a barrier.

APA: What do you do in your free time when you're not working?

LC: I watch a lot of movies, and I take my dog out for walks -- like three hour walks sometimes. And I'm obsessed with video games, so I play a lot of video games.

APA: That's fun. What else can we expect coming up from you?

LC: I have a few projects I'm working on. I've been writing a couple of scripts and writing some music. And, also I've been prepping for the Saving Face junkets.

APA: We're looking forward to seeing it. Thank you so much for your time.

LC: Thank you.

Saving Face opens the VC Film Fest 2005 in Los Angeles on April 28, and opens nationwide May 2005.

http://www.sonyclassics.com/savingface/

http://www.vconline.org/ff05/

Published: Thursday, April 14, 2005