INT: Edison Chen

Set
Visit Intro / director
Takashi Shimizu / Edison Chen / Amber Tamblyn / Takako
Fuji

You may know Vancouver-bred Asian
actor Edison Chen as Lau Kin Ming
from the Infernal Affairs series. You will now see him under a new
spotlight as he makes his English language and horror debut as one
of the leads in THE
GRUDGE 2. Other journalists and I recently had the
opportunity to exchange blows with Mr. Chen and here’s what he swang
back at us.

Edison
Chen

Is this your first English language movie?

Yes, it is. I’m pretty excited about it, pretty
pumped up. My character is Eason. I’m a reporter for a local newspaper,
but I am actually from Hong Kong. I left Hong Kong because, I guess,
it’s too boring. It’s all entertainment. So, I want stranger stories,
stuff that’s abnormal. So the closet place I could find work, that would
pay me, and for stories like that, it was Japan. I picked up on the
grudge story, from Grudge 1 and I’ve been doing an ongoing
investigation. I’ve been to the house, I’ve interviewed the detectives,
I’ve interviewed everyone but Karen. Karen is Sarah Michelle Gellar’s
character.

So the story starts off with me trying to find her,
then the grudge starts happening to me. I kind of have to help her
sister try to find out [what happened]. I’m the information-giver. She
comes here, not knowing anything, just kind of thinking it’s a tragedy
but there’s actually something behind it. In the beginning I really
don’t care for her much, to be honest, because I’ve got the grudge and
I’m trying to save myself. But then after I hear her story and
everything, I kind of form a friendly relationship with her. We go and
attack this grudge thing together.

How did you find out about this role? Was it
written for a Japanese person initially?

I’m not quite sure how they changed the script and
the story and all, but they approached me when I was actually on
vacation. My phone was off, and I kept getting these emails from my
agent saying “you’ve got to call me!” One day I checked my email, thank
god, and I called and I got on a conference call with Taka and Shimizu.
They said, “Have you read the script?” I said, “I haven’t read
anything,” They said, “We really want you.” And I was like, “Well, sure…
Have you seen anything I’ve done before?” [laughs] And he was like,
“Yeah, yeah. I really like your work.” I’d seen all the Ju-ons before,
and The Grudge 1 so I was very excited to be a part of this. I came to
Japan and started filming – that’s basically how it happened.

What’s the difference shooting here in Japan?

Actually, I filmed a movie in Japan last year. But
this movie is different from that. It’s different in the way they
delegate work, it’s different in the working hours, it’s a different
level of professionalism. I mean, compared to Hong Kong, it’s a vacation
for me. In Hong Kong, you work 15 to 18 hours a day and the crew is much
smaller than this. Time is so tight. It’s like, move-move-move. The
script is written on set and it’s basically, “OK, say this!” [laughs].
“This is what happens.” You’re like, “What? Why?” “Just do it, please,
go!” Here, at least, there are enough people to just guide me through
the story.

Shimizu has been really helpful with me. Whenever I
have any questions, he’ll stop everything and give me pointers. It’s a
lot different. I mean, I can’t… the budget is different too, so I can’t
really compare the two. I mean, I can compare them in the way of
everyday work but if that money was brought over to Hong Kong for an
Asian film I don’t know how they could do it as well, but I can tell you
that for the first few days, my assistant was here with me. My American
agent had told me no one has assistants on the set. And I’m like, “What?
No assistants? Are you sure?” And then my assistant came for the first
two days and he was like, “I don’t have anything to do.” They’re doing
everything; it’s just been an amazing experience.

You grew up in Vancouver, Canada, yet this is
your first English-language film; can you talk about that?

Yes I grew up in Vancouver my first language is
actually English so I actually got into the entertainment business by
chance. This one time I went to Hong Kong for the summer and I got cast
in a commercial. They were going to New York, I love New York, and so I
said yes I’ll do it. And when I came off the plane, lots of Paparazzi
were taking pictures of me, offering me movies and then started to learn
my Cantonese. I’ve been working for about 5, 6 years and this is my 23^rd
movie. I’ve waited for this day and I’m happy it’s come so quick for me.

So this is your first Hollywood movie?

Yes.

You’ve shot films in Japan before, what makes
this set different than other Japanese films?

Just look at the set, you can tell the difference.
There’s nothing like this set up ever in any movies I’ve shot. The first
day I came on the set, I was like wow there’s a road in there, there’s a
tree, like real trees, it was unreal to me. Anywhere in the world people
are filming movies and I guess the whole feeling I get from every set
and every crew is that they want to do a good job, get it done and
hopefully everyone is harmonious.

In that essence everything is the same but the
little tidbits like what you have for lunch, like this right here is
unbelievable to me, this right here (pointing at the craft table) I’ve
never seen anything like that on a set before.

In Japan?

In Japan it wasn’t like that either.

There’s usually no catering whatsoever.

No, its lunch, dinner and if we work overtime,
midnight snack. And then everything else is like you bring to the set.

What’s been the most rewarding and challenging
aspect for this project for you?

Just to work with everyone has been quite rewarding
for me, I can tell that they’re really into their job and really respect
it. The lighting people are very proud of what they do, the camera men,
the production managers here are something that I never encountered as
well. They take care of you to the full extent. Producers in Hong Kong,
I’d see them on the set once or twice throughout the whole movie, here
they’re detailed via everything. How are you doing, what do you need,
you got the script, are you ready, need anybody to help you translate
etc? It’s just been unbelievable and a learning process as I want to
become a Director one day.

Before I worked with maybe 10 or 15 directors and I
saw their directing styles. Now I see the production of it and what it
can really mean. And just to be able to break into the American market
is unbelievable to me too. I thought maybe like a lot of people like Jet
Li, Jackie, Chow Yun Fat, they got their breaks when they were 30
something. And my whole career, I was thinking maybe if I shoot one or
tow Hollywood movies before I retire, I’d be happy. And here I am,
already, so quickly and doing this. I’m very happy.

How old are you?

I’m 25.

Your character knows a lot about The Grudge
before Amber gets here. What kind of stuff doe she learn and audience
will learn that we didn’t learn in the first one?

You’ll learn the origins of exactly what happened
to Kayako. In part 1 you get the sense that they want to undo The
Grudge. In this one, its kind of wanting to undo the curse forever, to
the root of what happened in the very beginning. Before anyone entered
the house or the murder of the whole family. That’s what I start
learning in this movie cause everything that happened before I already
knew. So that’s an adventure that me and Amber are taking together.

Are you more comfortable now that you’re able to
act without having to worry about the language?

It’s much better for me. I can fully understand the
meaning of the whole script, I don’t have to worry about my
pronunciation being right, I don’t have to stress about the script
supervisor coming to tell me, okay you’re saying this wrong. And like I
said, English is my first language so I kind of get into the mood and my
role a lot better. The words flow instead of being forced or
premeditated, I go there and I just go!

Do you feel any pressure joining this trilogy?

I don’t feel any pressure from the movie itself. I
feel the pressure that I’m an Asian actor from Asian cinema and I’m
getting a chance in Hollywood and I hope I don’t screw up. I know
there’s a lot of actors in Asia, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, China that are
looking to get the break. I’m not saying that I paved the way at all but
I hope that I made a good impression on the people that watch the movie
that they’ll further and trust more and more Asian actors into the
circle I guess.

Do you find it challenging as an actor to have
to deal with the supernatural elements in the film?

Yes definitely. This is my first horror movie. The
whole pace, like action movies are like bam bam bam. I didn’t know what
the pace of a horror movie was. In the beginning Shimizu said well you
have to walk faster. And in the beginning I thought it would be easy,
Kayako comes and I go AHHHH.

Its get harder when there are 40-50 people looking
at you expecting a certain reaction or emotion out of you. Its been a
lot more difficult than I thought it would be, more difficult than an
action movie for me. I have to catch the exact pace, tone, moves, set,
setting, lighting, everything is kind of new to me and was a bit
difficult to kind of adjust.

Who are most of your scenes with?

Me and the ghost and me and Amber. That’s basically
the only person I touch base with.

There seems to be a phenomenon recently with
Japanese actors turning up in Chinese productions and vice, versa. How
do you feel about that?

I think that’s great. I think that Asian cinema
itself should unite together and make better movies together. It
shouldn’t be about “Korean movies are the best, Ha Ha Ha” or “Hong Kong
movies had its hey day”. If we put all of our insight and talents
together we can make something special, it’s just that if these people
are willing to do that. When I came here to promote my Japanese movies,
I was telling them that I hope one day to shoot a Hong Kong, Japan,
Korean production…together…the best of the best. Film has no boundaries,
film is film, it’s for everyone to enjoy. How come we don’t all come
together and make moviemaking?

It seems that in Hollywood that Chinese American
male actors that aren’t Kung Fu or famous in Hong Kong are impossible to
get cast in anything at all. Has that been your experience?

I had some offers before, I turned them both down
because they wanted me to speak like a Chinaman and that was when
William Hong was out and I thought that was enough. And the other one,
they wanted me to play a Chinese character and I didn’t think I could
really do it, understand Yakuza culture, to study it in three weeks and
deliver. So this is perfect for me that I can play exactly where I’m
from.

You’re talking about the Kung Fu element, but I
think its starting to change with Ang Lee, Andrew Lau who just filmed a
movie with Richard Gere, those aren’t action movies, they’re dramas,
it’s a start. I see TV shows in America having more Asian actors in them
and they’re not doing Kung Fu, and I’m proud of that and wish them the
best and hopefully, more and more the acceptance will grow.

How do you feel about Infernal Affairs being
Americanized?

I’m excited to see The Departed. I want to see how
they translate the story to an American story. Because the story itself,
the main element of it is very Asian. Even in Chinese the name, its
called “Moganto”, it means the 18^th level of Hell. Its really
about, yourself, the battle within. I really wanna see how Scorsese does
it and I’m sure, the actors will do a great job, I just want to see the
interpretation of Andrew Lau’s Infernal Affairs.

Do you think they’ll be releasing the second and
third movies in the states?

I heard that The Departed is actually all three in
one; they kind of took the best and put it in there. I don’t think they
were supposed to do that but I think they did.

Coming back to The Grudge…tell me about your
relationship with Shimizu, your communication. I know his English isn’t
so great, what are the challenges?

His interpreter is perfect. She’s speaks the
American English, not localized Japanese English, so she’s precise and
clear. I can speak with Shimizu in Japanese but only at lunch. On the
set I need the interpreter there. He’s very clear about what he wants,
he’s not shy to tell you that you did something wrong. He’s very
specific down to the motions you use and the feelings you’re supposed to
feel.

Like I said before, I was supposed to walk into the
Grudge house. He said moved faster, I said but I’m scared, he said; but
it doesn’t look right on the film and the way I’m gonna edit so I said
oh, okay. You say it that way than I’ll move faster, but if you just say
move faster, than I’m like why? He gives you a command and the reason
and as an actor you feel more comfortable.

How was it doing your first scene opposite the
Grudge spirit?

It was just yesterday that I did that. It was
pretty intense. During the rehearsal, there’s a TV and I’m supposed to
see her reflection, I was just going through the motions but on set, she
was there, and I didn’t know that she was already standing in position!
It was kind of shocking, with the lighting specially, everything kind of
meshes and blends, becomes so real to me and is kind of scary.

Of course there’s an extra push I have to give
myself, maybe it because I never filmed horror, its different for me.
Also, I see her in the dressing room and she’s some cute girl and then
she’s standing next to me and its Kayako and I’m like oh my God!

Is your singing career still something you’re
pursuing?

I do music for pleasure, I have a bunch of friends
who are deep into the music scene, I jam with them in the Studio …I
haven’t done music in a year and a half actually, so, I’m not gonna say
I won’t do it ever again but its something that I take less seriously
than acting.

Have you been on any other set where you felt
something or seen something?

I’ve been on sets where I felt I’ve seen ghosts but
never been on a set that was purposefully made to freak you out. In Hong
Kong there’s a lot of supernatural with movies.

What kind of ghost have you seen?

I’ve seen a red girl ghost in Malaysia and its very
scary. I feel things, I don’t know if they really are. When I was young
I saw an old woman in my house, I cant explain it.

So you believe in ghost obviously.

Yes I do, very much so. I think you go anywhere in
Asia and they’ll tell you the same things. Because of the spiritualism
of Asia, they’re very deep in that. In Thailand you go to houses and
outside you have small version of the house. You ask; what is that? They
say; its the ghost house…I’m, not going in there!

So its part of the culture, people believe that
there are spirits specially in Chinese culture, they believe that after
a few days, the spirit visits the house and family, you’re supposed to
have oranges and chicken out for them. Its just imbedded in the culture
that this is real, there are so many folklore.

What does the red ghost mean?

I asked about it, supposedly red ghost are more
hateful and powerful.

When did you see that one?

While I was watching the World Cup actually!

Thanks to Edison for the
sparring session! Break an arm or two with The Grudge 2 my man!

VISIT THE OFFICIAL GRUDGE 2
SITE HERE