November 12 2005
Source: goldsea.com
Michelle Krusiec Nominated for "Saving Face" Role
This year's best actress nominees at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards, the Chinese-speaking film world's equivalent of the Oscars,are Shu Qi, Miriam Yeung, Chen Shiang-chyi _ and Michelle Krusiec.
Krusiec's surname stands out, but she is ethnic Chinese. She's a Taiwanese-born actress raised in the United States by adopted parents _ her Taiwanese aunt and American uncle.
Krusiec, 31, is a budding Hollywood talent. Her TV credits include ``ER,'' ``Cold Case,'' ``Without a Trace'' and ``Monk.'' She's also appeared in the movies ``Sweet Home Alabama,'' ``Daddy Day Care'' and ``Duplex.''
But one of her biggest career breaks has come on her native island, where the Golden Horse winners were set to be announced in Taiwan Sunday.
Krusiec is a best actress nominee for her performance as a Chinese-American lesbian juggling the demands of her girlfriend and widowed mother in the U.S. independent film ``Saving Face.'' Krusiec's life is coming full circle.
When she was 5, her Taiwanese parents sent her to live with her aunt in the U.S. so her mother could better cope with her two other children. Her aunt and uncle adopted her, hence the Krusiec surname.
Discovered by a talent agent while working in a restaurant, she modeled and acted as a teenager, then studied theater at Virginia Tech University.
Ironically, Krusiec said she was initially considered too Americanized for Chinese roles in the U.S. When she tackled generic Chinese immigrant roles, she said she based them on her aunt so they would be realistic, not stereotypical.
On ``ER,'' she played a Chinese nanny who bears her employer's illegitimate child.
She said she derived great satisfaction from such roles.
``Even though some actors may have considered them stereotypical, I actually took a lot of pride in playing those characters because I was told initially I couldn't play them,'' Krusiec told The Associated Press in an interview Saturday.
The Golden Horse nomination has opened doors for Krusiec in the Chinese-speaking movie world, which has a varied scene from Taiwan's and China's art-house productions to Hong Kong's action films and romantic comedies.
She has meetings with industry insiders lined up while she's in Asia, and her U.S. agent has encouraged her to sign an agent in the region.
However, Krusiec is loath to give up her career in the U.S., where as she puts it, ``the seeds have blossomed.'' Among her upcoming projects and releases are the Christmas TV film ``Snow Wonder'' on CBS, also starring Camryn Manheim and Jennifer Esposito, and a TV show based on her autobiographical stage show ``Made in Taiwan.''
Krusiec said she doesn't resent her biological parents for sending her away, and that she honors both sets of parents. She calls her American parents ``Mom'' and ``Dad,'' while referring to her Taiwanese parents the same, but in Chinese.
Her Chinese name is Yang Ya-huei, with Yang being her biological father's surname.
Michelle Krusiec Nominated for "Saving Face" Role
This year's best actress nominees at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards, the Chinese-speaking film world's equivalent of the Oscars,are Shu Qi, Miriam Yeung, Chen Shiang-chyi _ and Michelle Krusiec.
Krusiec's surname stands out, but she is ethnic Chinese. She's a Taiwanese-born actress raised in the United States by adopted parents _ her Taiwanese aunt and American uncle.
Krusiec, 31, is a budding Hollywood talent. Her TV credits include ``ER,'' ``Cold Case,'' ``Without a Trace'' and ``Monk.'' She's also appeared in the movies ``Sweet Home Alabama,'' ``Daddy Day Care'' and ``Duplex.''
But one of her biggest career breaks has come on her native island, where the Golden Horse winners were set to be announced in Taiwan Sunday.
Krusiec is a best actress nominee for her performance as a Chinese-American lesbian juggling the demands of her girlfriend and widowed mother in the U.S. independent film ``Saving Face.'' Krusiec's life is coming full circle.
When she was 5, her Taiwanese parents sent her to live with her aunt in the U.S. so her mother could better cope with her two other children. Her aunt and uncle adopted her, hence the Krusiec surname.
Discovered by a talent agent while working in a restaurant, she modeled and acted as a teenager, then studied theater at Virginia Tech University.
Ironically, Krusiec said she was initially considered too Americanized for Chinese roles in the U.S. When she tackled generic Chinese immigrant roles, she said she based them on her aunt so they would be realistic, not stereotypical.
On ``ER,'' she played a Chinese nanny who bears her employer's illegitimate child.
She said she derived great satisfaction from such roles.
``Even though some actors may have considered them stereotypical, I actually took a lot of pride in playing those characters because I was told initially I couldn't play them,'' Krusiec told The Associated Press in an interview Saturday.
The Golden Horse nomination has opened doors for Krusiec in the Chinese-speaking movie world, which has a varied scene from Taiwan's and China's art-house productions to Hong Kong's action films and romantic comedies.
She has meetings with industry insiders lined up while she's in Asia, and her U.S. agent has encouraged her to sign an agent in the region.
However, Krusiec is loath to give up her career in the U.S., where as she puts it, ``the seeds have blossomed.'' Among her upcoming projects and releases are the Christmas TV film ``Snow Wonder'' on CBS, also starring Camryn Manheim and Jennifer Esposito, and a TV show based on her autobiographical stage show ``Made in Taiwan.''
Krusiec said she doesn't resent her biological parents for sending her away, and that she honors both sets of parents. She calls her American parents ``Mom'' and ``Dad,'' while referring to her Taiwanese parents the same, but in Chinese.
Her Chinese name is Yang Ya-huei, with Yang being her biological father's surname.
posted by Tina at 2:02 AM
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