2005

Source:www.alumni.vt.edu

Michelle Krusiec - A Hokie Goes Hollywood

Do you recognize this Hokie? Michelle Krusiec started her acting training at the Virginia Governor's Magnet School for the Arts and received a Theatre and English Degree from our very own Virginia Tech. She completed additional studies at the University of Oxford, and then went on to host two seasons of Travelers for the Discovery Channel. Within several months of completing Travelers, Krusiec was cast as a series regular on NBC's Saturday morning series One World in which she played the sporty, yet sometimes "spacey" Sui Blake. Since then, Krusiec has left an indelible mark playing an incredibly diverse range of roles with both recurring and starring roles on such hit shows as Cold Case, Without a Trace, Monk, and E.R.

As the recurring character, "Sachiko," on HBO's dark comedy The Mind of the Married Man, Krusiec permanently introduced into the American lexicon the now infamous term "Happy Ending." May 2005 revealed Michelle's most recent film work, starring as the lead opposite Joan Chen in the romantic comedy, Saving Face. Will Smith's first producing foray into independent features, Saving Face premiered at the recent Toronto Film Festival. Krusiec's other film credits include Sweet Home Alabama, Daddy Day Care, Duplex, Pumpkin (2002 Sundance) and the yet to be released Cursed.

Well versed as a stage actress, Made in Taiwan is Krusiec's autobiographic depiction of living under the regime of an oppressive and ridiculously intense Mom. After an arduous development process at the highly respected Larry Moss studio, this original one-woman show premiered to sold-out houses and standing ovations at the prestigious HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. Krusiec was hailed as one of the top ten performers at the festival and earned her top recognition and praise in both Variety Magazine and the Hollywood Reporter. She also conducted acting workshops during 2005 ArtsFusion, a weeklong celebration of the arts on the Virginia Tech campus and in the Blacksburg community in April. The overarching goal for ArtsFusion is to provide an opportunity for the campus and community to come together through a celebration of the arts. Details on this Hokie's career can be found at www.michellekrusiec.com

Alma Mater: You traveled back to Blacksburg to participate in an acting workshop during the 2005 ArtsFusion. What were some key points you gave the workshop participants?
Krusiec: Some key points include reminding oneself of one's artistic goals so that they can be integrated with work or for most actors - seeking employment and learning how to look at a script and understand how to break it down to its simplest form.

Alma Mater: What has been the most rewarding part of your acting career and your favorite role?
Krusiec: Seeing Saving Face in movie theaters and having it receive the reviews and the audience reaction it ultimately garnered thoughout both the United States and abroad. My favorite role was probably the roles I created in my own show, Made in Taiwan Taiwan. I wrote them - so of course I have personal affection for them.

Alma Mater: How did your time with the Virginia Tech Theatre Department help prepare you for your career?
Krusiec: Virginia Tech's Theatre Department gave me a strong foundation and a theatre discipline, which helps me with my work ethic. It's too easy to sit back and wait for "something to happen." I'm much more proactive than most actors and I think it comes from the theatre.

Alma Mater: What upcoming roles do you have planned?
Krusiec: I was just in a CBS Christmas fi lm with Mary Tyler Moore called "Snow Wonder".

Alma Mater: Do you have specifi c advice for your fellow Hokies who would like to have a successful acting career?
Krusiec: Do it if it is the only thing you can imagine yourself doing. It is one of the toughest things to pursue and perhaps one of the most rewarding. Knowing yourself will be one of the best tools because you will constantly be challenged, and be sure that you are of strong character and mind.

SAVING FACE

Source:www.sdaff.org

SDAFF: I understand you've done a lot of self-promotion. Did that help you in landing your role in SAVING FACE?
MK: Ha. Self promotion. That sounds terrible on paper. But I admit, I am my own worst critic and I think my best fan as well. I've worked really hard to pursue acting. I think it's a real privilege to be able to do this for a living and I'm extremely dedicated. When it came time to proving myself for the lead role in SAVING FACE, I think it was to my advantage that I flew myself out to NY to audition for Alice and in addition, studied Mandarin in Taiwan before I was even cast. I think on passion alone, I wanted Alice to know how much I wanted to be a part of her film, but I also think Alice wouldn't have cast me if I wasn't essentially and hopefully the best actor for the role.

SDAFF: How different (or similar) has your life been compared to Wil's, in terms of family and cultural pressure?
MK: Wil and I are very similar emotionally. Everyone suffers from their own insecurities and that was a feeling I had to draw on very personally when it came to portraying Wil. I chose something very specific that I felt both Wil and I identified with and hopefully would resonate deeply on screen and in terms of physicality, I was mostly inspired by Alice, the director, to create Wil's quirks, posture and mannerisms. Of course, in dealing with the relationship of "Ma" to Wil, that was very organic and familiar. My own relationship to my mother draws on similar feelings of wanting to be a good enough daughter and allowing my mother to maintain a kind of hierarchy over me because I have had such empathy for my mother's sacrifices and very difficult life. Certainly, if my mother had to move in with me, I think my reaction would be more on the level of bad horror rather than Alice's sophisticated romantic comedy. Don't tell my mother I said that.

SDAFF: Did you also identify with the character of Vivian, who has chosen a career in the popular arts, which is not often encouraged among Chinese-American families? (Wil, the surgical resident, seems much more stereotypical of the first generation Chinese-American.)
MK: Definitely. I distinctly remember my mother asking me in my junior year of college what "theater" was. I think for whatever reason, it wasn't a term I often used in front of her so when it was introduced to her I realized that my mother didn't know that it was one of my majors. (I double majored in English and Theater Arts.) It was very trying during high school to pursue acting and especially as an adolescent, I so much wanted to become a dancer. For whatever reason, I started making money from small acting jobs in the little town of [Virginia] Beach and I think my mother had a hard time arguing against acting because on a very practical level—I was making money! But overall, it's taken a long time for her to really understand that I am not giving it up and gain her emotional support which is very different from supporting someone in general, and I think my own resoluteness has forced her to support me.

SDAFF: You've been getting some great reviews for your performance in SAVING FACE. Has it led to any other chances for leading roles (other than the main character's brother's Asian girlfriend)?
MK: Ha. Don't curse me just yet! As a matter of fact, it has started opening up doors. We shall see where those doors lead to, but in the end, quite frankly, I have always believed in being pro-active. I love to write. I work on plays. I perform Made in Taiwan, my one woman show. I know—and firmly believe that the road looks promising but I'm not one to sit back and wait. And lets face it, SAVING FACE is an incredible script with incredible female leads. Hollywood isn't pouring with roles like that. Going out for leading roles is a wonderful opportunity now that is a direct result from SAVING FACE, but Asian-Americans writing, expressing themselves politically, generating new work as artists in all types of mediums, supporting films like this—those are the things that will help both myself and our community in the long run.

SDAFF: There certainly were some racy scenes in SAVING FACE. Was it a difficult choice to make, knowing what was expected of you in the role? How have Asian audiences responded? And your parents?
MK: Racy? That's not the first word that comes to mind, but everything is subjective. I think Alice directed [Lynn Chen and I] in a very believable relationship and when you have good writing and an excellent story in place, the love scene just falls in place. If the relationship wasn't authentic then I think "nudity" always comes across tacky or gratuitous. I've done nudity before and when it supports the character and the credibility of the story at hand, I think it shouldn't be a huge concern. I don't know how Asian audiences will respond. I hope well, of course. And I hope people will be able to separate Michelle the actress from Wil, the character. I think that is how my parents see it. I think my parents are quite progressive in that respect. They see it as my work as an actor.

SDAFF: I noticed that while much of the dialogue was in Mandarin, this was a very American film that addresses the cultural conflicts of Chinese immigrants in the United States. Do you feel that SAVING FACE will reach an audience beyond Asian-Americans, and show Americans of all color the difficulties of balancing traditional values with those that are much more accepted in the US?
MK: Yes. I believe this film will do that very thing all good stories do—become identifiably universal. Ultimately, you have a love story at hand. One between a mother and a daughter and one between two lovers. I think the setting of the story, specific to Chinese America, Flushing, etc., gives this age-old theme a wonderful flavor of distinctiveness and authenticity, but it also gives it heart. We are a country of immigrants. All of us, every single one of us, save for the Native Americans, I suppose, came to America for freedom and opportunity. That is "America." So, SAVING FACE is your quintessential American story. I think you feel it in the film. It's not a conceptual thing that Alice is trying to hammer into her audience, so it is universal and I believe is the reason why it has the potential of "crossing over."

SDAFF: Can we expect to see you at our 6th Annual Festival, in September/October?
MK: Well, since SAVING FACE, my appearance fee has increased. So, lets see—I'm joking, of course. I hope that as long as I am working in the arts, if there are things I can share that can inspire, encourage or inform others...I hope I can continue to do so.

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Source:movies.about.com

Michelle Krusiec on "Saving Face" and Her Lesbian Love Scene

Michelle Krusiec on Getting Cast in “Saving Face”
“I have a one-woman show called Made in Taiwan and Teddy [Zee] the producer saw it and called me in based on seeing that. He said, ‘Here, take the script. How's your Mandarin? I said, ‘It's fantastic.’ But at the time it was pretty remedial. And I read it and I was so overwhelmed by how good the script was. That started my journey to try and get the role.”

Dissecting Her One-Woman Show:
“My show is not about, ‘Let's see how many characters I can do.’ My show is more about showing a mother and daughter and showing both sides of the arguments. And I think [Teddy] felt there was something in that that maybe I could bring to the role of Wil.”

Michelle Krusiec Defines Her Character in “Saving Face:”
“She's a lot different from most of my friends or people who know me might expect. I pretty much modeled the character off of [writer/director Alice Wu]. As we started rehearsing, I started seeing things that she would do. I know she's writing from a very personal perspective, but she would do things that I found fascinating and I started adopting her mannerisms.
While we rehearsed we would find the emotional truth of the character. But in terms of physicality, I pretty much just stole everything that she would give me, from pulling her hair to the way she scrunched over. To me, I'm much more fascinated by human behavior in that respect. I'm much more interested in that kind of work as an actor.”

Michelle Krusiec on Speaking Mandarin at Home:
“In my house we spoke Chinglish, which is broken down English. My mother could sit here and you could ask me everything and I'll say exactly what you're saying, but I'll break it down for her. And that's how my mother will respond in terms of English. But we didn't speak Mandarin in the house. She was learning English.
My Mandarin was pretty poor and when Teddy told me that Alice was concerned that my Mandarin wasn't very good, I flew myself to Taiwan a couple of times and for a period of about 3 or 4 months I went to school every day for about 6 hours and learned how to speak Mandarin, which is one of the most difficult languages to learn.”

On Being Nervous About Carrying a Movie:
“ Yeah, I was. After every take I would go in my trailer and, “F**k! I wish I had one more take,” because I felt like I only got one take and everyone else got seven or eight. That's how I saw everything. But yeah, it's my first lead role and I'm playing more of a ‘character’ more than anything. If I was doing something that I'd done before and I was regurgitating those same things then I would say, ‘No big deal.’ But I was playing something quite different than what I'd done before. Given that it was new and given that I was 99% of the film, in the film, my big fear was that I would suck (laughing).”

Love Scenes with Women vs. Love Scenes with Men:
“It is different because there is something delicate about it, at least the way we played it. We were both a little shy, both a little awkward. Alice specifically said Wil may not be the same way in bed as she may carry herself outside. Meaning that she may not be so awkward. She might actually come out a little bit more, in terms of her aggressiveness. So once I got that sort of understanding, it was a little bit easier for me to guide myself through the emotions of the scene. You know, when you call, “Cut,” you're just hanging out and talking to each other. After a period you do get a little more comfortable. There’s carbonation to it.”

The Emotional Challenges of Being in an Onscreen Lesbian Relationship:
“Initially, I was attracted to certain actresses when we were auditioning. I noticed I was attracted to certain actresses that were more masculine. Then I realized for me that if I'm going to be in a relationship with a woman, I'm drawn to a certain kind of energy. That's not where Alice casts – I told her who I was attracted to. Lynn [Chen] and I, I don't think we have the chemistry we had in the film. Whereas for me, I was drawn to this person because she had a tougher personality.”

November 26 2005

Source:www.thestandard.com.hk

Up close and personal

Michelle Krusiec has no hangups about her lesbian sex scene in award-winning Saving Face. Elaine Chan meets her Michelle Krusiec has no hangups about her lesbian sex scene in award-winning Saving Face. Elaine Chan meets her

Wil and Vivian are naked in bed, kissing each other passionately. The phone rings: Vivian's mother asks if Wil is there.
"Does she know we have sex?" asks Wil after the call. "No, she thinks we conjugate Latin verbs," says Vivian.
Saving Face, Alice Wu's debut feature, began as a letter to her mother and ended up winning the 2005 Golden Horse Audience Choice Award.
Michelle Krusiec stars as Wil, a young Manhattan surgeon juggling a promising career, a hot dancer girlfriend Vivian (Lynn Chen) and her traditional Chinese family in Flushing, New York.
Her middle-age Ma (Joan Chen) arrives on her doorstep one night, pregnant and without the name of the father.
In a series of comical situations, Wil and Ma face and pursue their own desires and ultimately rediscover their love for each other.
Krusiec was born in Taiwan to Chinese parents. She moved to the United States at the age of five with her aunt who married an American sailor, adopting his name.
Growing up in middle-class Virginia under a dominating mother, she turned to the performing arts as an outlet for expression. She created a one-woman theater show, Made in Taiwan, an autobiography of what it's like to grow up Chinese in America, which she plans to bring to Hong Kong next year.

Q: How did you do that naked sex scene with Lynn Chen?
MK: I have a natural protectiveness about Lynn. In the scene, I was the assertive one, which was what Alice [the director] wanted. For me, being assertive isn't a problem. Taking off clothes - you just had to deal with that. You have to accept it and forget about it.

Q: What does your mother think of you in a sex scene with a woman?
MK: I haven't asked her. My mother is quite open about sexuality and sex. We shared a fascination for the concept of porn. When people ask me how I could do that lesbian thing, I'd say I'm confident and open about my body.

Q: How would your mother react if you were gay and you came out to her?
MK: I am heterosexual and I don't think she'd handle it very well. If it's on paper, a tape or on TV, it's okay. If it's about me being gay, it's a different story. She wouldn't understand. It's one of the biggest taboos in Chinese culture.

Q: What did you find in the script that drew you in?
MK: The whole thing. This was the first script I read with no holes in the story, no moments of "this doesn't ring true." I was struck by how well-written the story was, how vivid the dialogue and how interesting the character.

Q: How did you get into character?
MK: Initially, I didn't know what to do with Wil. Alice and I did have an instinctive understanding, and she gave me mannerisms. I would try to figure out why she [Wil] walks that way, why she twirls her hair when she thinks, why she has cookie crumbs on her lip. Then I'd start exploring. I had 28 days to get my s*** together. At the end of the day, I would keep exploring.

Q: How is your mother different to Ma?
MK: Joan's character goes through a period of discovery at the age of 48. My mother and I raised each other. She was getting Americanized the same time I was growing up. She gave me opportunities my siblings in Taiwan didn't have, so she was a lot stricter with my thinking: You've got to take responsibility for your life and who you are. I started getting gray hair at 12.

Q: How are the dynamics different?
MK: Joan and Wil build walls around things they do and don't talk. I was a sponge that absorbed everything my mother said. Joan's character is dominant but my mother is more earthy and raunchy. She talks in your face and she loves to curse. She comes up with sayings like "a man comes in the door your husband and walks out of the door somebody elses' husband."

Q: Does she have traditional values?
MK: She thought I should find a rich man and have him take care of me - a typical Asian housewife attitude about having a good life. Having lived in the States for 20 years, she has a `how to cook and clean and be a good host to find a guy but never letting him f*** you over' kind of atttitude.

Q: How did you get along with Joan Chen?
MK: Joan is a veteran actress and we had a very natural mother-daughter chemistry. Wil lets her mother live with her, take over her apartment and tell her she can't have friends over. She exerts her power over Wil. With Joan, I allowed that hierarchy to happen.

Q: How did you hit it off with Lynn?
MK: I always thought Vivian was a very sexual character, maybe even more daunting and aggressive. Lynn brought that quality of a sweet girlfriend as opposed to one who pushes me to spend more time with her. She brings sincerity and a friendship aspect to it.

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.

October 2005

Source:www.audreymagazine.com

Michelle Krusiec on the Edge

In this year's AA indie film Saving Face, Michelle Krusiec plays Wil, a talented surgeon (read: Good Asian Girl) with a stereotype-smashing secret. Here, Krusiec tells us what she thinks about truth and illusion as she models fall looks that play against type. Look for the Saving Face DVD in October. See Audrey List for shopping info.

“I think Asian Americans often deny themselves or don't acknowledge their own needs for fear of losing family approval. For me personally, I am seeking not to choose one over the other, rather to find a balance between the two because my family means so much to me. Western culture places the individual as the highest priority, Eastern places the family; both are excellent values with great outcomes and I believe some kind of compromise can be met ...”

“I don't think I've ever lied to someone about the truth of who I am, but I don't necessarily show and tell everything either. I think it's a shame that sometimes, I will hold back the truth to protect myself because as an artist you're supposed to always put yourself out there. But in everyday life, I wonder if people are genuinely interested in hearing the truth and can people handle the truth all the time?”

“I think Wil represents the insecure part of ourselves which can manifest as doubt, fear, shame … When she finally pulls herself out of her own internal turmoil to listen to her own heart, I hope people are rooting for her as much as they would be for their own selves.”

May 30 2005

Source:www.afterellen.com

Interview with Saving Face's Michelle Krusiec and Lynn Chen

In first-time director Alice Wu's new Asian American lesbian romantic comedy Saving Face, which opened in limited release this weekend, Michelle Krusiec and Lynn Chen play Wil and Vivian, a doctor and a dancer who fall in love against the backdrop of their insular Chinese American community in New York. I talked to Lynn and Michelle recently about the movie, their first kiss, and how they feel about playing the first Asian American lesbian couple in an American theatrical release.

AfterEllen.com: Michelle, how did you get cast as Wil?

Michelle Krusiec: That process took a while. It was May, 2003 when I first met [producer] Teddy Zee, who had seen the show I made in Taiwan. It wasn’t until August that I was actually cast. Between May, June, and July I was preparing for the role as if I had been cast, hoping that all the work would eventually pay off, but I didn’t get a firm confirmation until late in the process.

AE: What preparation were you doing, learning Mandarin?

MK: That was a big thing because when I first initially met with Alice, I had probably one of the best auditions I have ever had, because I totally connected with her. But I wasn't fluent in Mandarin. I was at an elementary level at the time and my pronunciation was pretty bad. It was very possible that people could hear it and it might draw you out of the performance, and that’s what she was concerned with. So I tried to get myself as proficient as possible. Essentially I think I went from elementary grade to high school grad in three months.

AE: (to Lynn) How did you get the part of Vivian?

Lynn Chen: My manager at the time only represented Asian actresses, so he was being called for every single part. He sent in all the stuff, I went in and auditioned, and immediately they said "You should read the script." So I did and was called back two weeks later, called back, again and again. It was similar to Michelle, I knew I was their first choice and they were telling me things like, “You might want to look like a ballet dancer, you don’t have the part, but you might want to do these things.” I was like "okay" and did those things, but it was a long casting process for me. I started in May or June and was not officially cast until a few weeks before production started like in September.

AE: What did you two think when you first met each other?

MK: Truthfully, I thought Lynn was really sweet, and I wanted someone to be more like, grrr! To dominate me. I think that is a more stereotypical response: one woman is dominant and the other one is passive. That was sort of what I fell into, I wanted a women who is strong and hard, who was going to take me, because I was a passive and introverted character. Lynn’s performance took it in a different great direction. Alice went with a totally different choice. Alice’s casting choices sort of show how unique she is.

LC: When I first read the script and when I was auditioning and stuff, I had a different picture of Vivian in my mind. I pictured someone who was strong, who was comfortable in her own skin, but less classy then she ended up being. I pictured someone who was sort of raw and just said what ever the hell she wanted to say and didn’t apologize for it. When I was auditioning and saw the wardrobe, I was like, "Oh, okay, she is a little classier than me" with my stained tank top, and my bra hanging out.

AE: What was your initial impression of Michelle?

LC: When I was in the final stage, I knew what was going on and found out they had cast Michelle as the lead already, and I was like, “Okay, great. I have to find out everything about this girl because I have to know exactly who I am going to be working with.” I had HBO on Demand, I watched all the movies she had been in and fast forwarded to Michelle’s part and paused and watched. I rented Pumpkin and all these movies. I was like, “Wait a minute, she has done so many different types of roles. I can't put my finger on who I think she is!"

MK: (laughs)

LC: When I first walked in the room to audition with Michelle, I had known she was a good actress, but I had already tested with someone else before that--like a month before, someone else they were considering for your role.

MK: (surprised) You did?

LC: Yeah.

MK: (laughing) I don’t want to hear this.

LC: I tested with her, and I was like "this isn’t working." I was worried about the project because I didn’t think she was right for the role at all. I thought if they were really considering this girl strongly for it, then I was in trouble, because A, I don’t think she is right for it, and B, I am not feeling it.

AE: The chemistry wasn't there.

LC: Right. When I went for my final audition with Michelle and I did it with her, I was like, “I can totally see this happening and we're on the same page.”

AE: What did you think when you found that Joan Chen was going to be involved, and Will Smith was one of the film's producers? Because doesn’t that raise the movie to a whole other level?

LC: Yeah. It was at that point when I was really wanting the part, I was ready to die if they didn’t give me the part. But initially, I didn't know. My manager at the time didn’t really know what was going on. He was like, “There’s Will Smith.” I was like, “the Will Smith?” He was like, “I don’t know, maybe just a Will Smith.” I was like, “Okay whatever.”

MK:That’s funny. Willard Smith.

LC: I was having dinner with my cousin who is in the business, and he is over at the Smith’s company. I asked him, "the Will Smith?" He was like, "Yeah." He told me "Joan Chen is going to play the mother" and I was like, "the Joan Chen?" At that point I was going to seriously die or go into a coma if I didn't get this part. I had been picturing it to be this very, very indie film that I didn’t think was going anywhere, but I liked the part and I wanted to be a part of it anyway. Then to find out Will Smith and Joan Chen were involved, I thought, “Wow, this is a chance to work with someone I have admired since I was very young, and Will Smith’s production company. This could go someplace!” It was a tough time waiting for the call.

MK: I had heard early on, on a hush-hush level that Joan Chen was being considered for the mother role, but it was never confirmed and I wasn’t really supposed to know. I actually thought she was wrong for the part, as well. Only because I envisioned this stocky mom, sunk to the earth, with a kind of harshness. Maybe not harshness, but a strength about her that to me...when I think of Joan and her work, I think of ethereal beauty and I think of strength, but I think of something that is still very feminine and very sensual. I saw his mother as not that. I also thought Joan was so young still, she couldn't be old enough to look like my mother. But again it is sort of Alice’s ability--she sort of subverted what I initially interpreted and created a whole different take on that.

AE: I have to say, watching the film, I thought "Wil is not old enough to be a doctor."

MK: Alice and I actually talked about that. The character was always conceived as someone who was very intelligent and skipped a couple of grades. She was a very young, sophisticated doctor. In the beginning you see the two doctors saying, “Is she a surgeon?” and he says, “Well, by 40.”

AE: Was the close-knit Chinese community portrayed in the film is something you could relate to, that made you think, “Oh yeah, I know communities like that”?

LC: I think if I had grown up in an urban setting, it definitely would have been more like that. But I grew up in a New Jersey suburb of New York that was mostly white. But my parents only hung out with other Asian families from towns that were surrounding. I think if we had been in a place where it was just Asian people, we would have definitely been like that.

MK: I grew up in a pretty different environment, it was upper-middle class in the suburbs of Virginia. I was one of a few Asians in my school, excluding a large community of Filipinos, and they tended to stick to their own community. In terms of an Asian community, I didn’t really feel like I had that kind of resource to tap into growing up. The world which Alice created in this movie was very different from my own upbringing.

AE: Did you have any qualms about playing lesbian roles?

MK: No. I didn’t have any qualms.

LC: If anything I feel like, because I was a women studies major, I felt like I had a background that would enable me to really understand this role, that if there were mostly straight girls going in, which I am assuming most of the girls that did go out for this part were straight, that I felt like I had an advantage, because I understood gay culture a lot more and took a lot of classes. I had a lot of gay friends, I know the music, I experimented myself. I felt like, if there is going to be any straight Asian actress to do it, it’s me.

MK: I think with my own sexuality, I don’t see it as impossible that I would ever be in a relationship with a woman. It’s not something I thought, “Oh my god that could never happen.” In my own imagination, it's…

AE: More of a continuum type of thing?

MK: Yeah. It doesn’t feel like a boundary to me. That is something I feel pretty comfortable expressing simply because to me that never seemed like a factor. I never really thought of it as, “Oh my gosh I am going to play a lesbian role.” I just thought of it as playing someone who falls in love with another person, and the gender is two women, but it never was an obstacle. In fact, I loved it. I thought it was a unique story line. For me as an artist, I found it to be provocative to be playing that kind a role.

AE: Did either of you watch the movie with your parents, and was that weird?

LC: I haven’t seen it much with my parents at all yet. They were going to come to Sundance but it got too complicated. They'll see it later on. I think the only thing that's going to be weird is the love scene, just because my mother never wanted me to do that. I've been acting since I was really young, and she was always like"don’t ever pose nude!" That was ingrained in my head.

MK: My mother said, “If you are going to pose nude, get a lot of money!” (laughs)

LC: I was so scared to tell my mom that I had done a nude scene, and when I finally told her she was like, “Oh my God, Oh my God. Okay.” Then, like a week later, I was talking to someone else and I had mentioned I did a nude scene, and my mom acted like she didn’t know and went, “Oh my god, oh my god.” I said, “Mom, you knew this.” She like, “I know, I know.” I feel like when we actually see, she will freak out initially.

AE: Did it make a difference that it was with a women or was it just the nudity?

LC: It’s just the nudity. My parents don’t care about the lesbian part. Actually, when they describe the movie to people, my Mom is so proud, she says, “This is my daughter, she is going to be in a movie. She’s a lesbian.”

MK: The nudity part I was actually okay with, I trusted Alice. It’s funny [turns to Lynn], the most vulnerable moment I find in the movie was when you touched my lip. Every time you do that, I feel so raw and very opened, because it’s not so much the nudity and it’s not being with a women. I felt that that moment really captured intimacy. Whenever I see that, I always kind of giggle and I am like "Oh, there it is, right there." Even more so then just Lynn and I being naked kissing.

AE: Had you two worked with each other long before you had to do that scene?

MK: Like a week or two.

LC: It was at the end of the first week.

MK: Really?

LC: Yes, it was the first week of shooting. We had been doing like non-stop crazy days. Remember, because that first kiss was the first time we actually kissed?

MK: Hmm. I can’t remember. She has nice lips though.

LC: (laughs) We didn’t kiss in rehearsal at all. The first time we actually kissed, it was very genuine. Alice shot that part in sequence--like our first kiss came first, before jumping into bed together and having to do any other sort of intimate stuff.

AE: What do you think about the fact that there haven’t been any Asian American lesbian couples in a U.S. theatrical release, that Wil and Vivian are the first?

LC: In general, I feel like there is very few Asian American couples period on screen. They are usually older men and women from the old country or something like that, but rarely do you see two young Asian people, even heterosexual couples, in a relationship. At least not as main characters. The fact that we are the first lesbian ones... When you said that [on the panel at Sundance] I was like, “Cool.”

MK: I didn’t know we were the first.

LC: I didn’t know that either.

MK: Today was my first day and all of a sudden it hit me that maybe this movie would be ground-breaking in a more sociopolitical way then I ever imagined. I have the tendency to be intellectual when it comes to work, so when I get into my process I try and take the knowledge out of it. Now that it is done and it exists in its form now, I realize that it actually does represent, not a movement, but it does represent something that has not ever been done before, and that to me is quite exciting. I never really acknowledged that. Like you were saying before about finally finding your representation on the screen…It’s like people for some reason don’t think something exists unless they see it. Sometimes people don’t feel validated until they see a representation of themselves. Thinking about that and all of the gay Asian women who exist who will see this film is really exciting.

AE: Do you think you are going to suddenly get offers for more lesbian parts after this movie?

LC: Do you know what, my first five auditions right after wrapping, when no one knew about the movie, were all lesbian parts! It had nothing to do with the movie, it just happened that way and I was like, “Wow that is really weird.”

MK: (to Lynn) Actually there is one project you auditioned for that I auditioned for as well, which was playing a lesbian role. I love it!

LC: And I want to be on the The L Word! (both laughing) Bring Will and Vivian on!

AE: (laughing) I'll put in a word for you.

LC: (laughing) Okay, thank you very much.

May 26 2005

Source: asiancemagazine.com

Lynn Chen and Michelle Krusiec Interview for Saving Face

Michelle Krusiec plays 28-year old New Yorker Wilhelmina "Wil" Pang who's life is a juggling act between a promising career as a surgeon and her responsibilities as a dutiful daughter. Like the #7 train she takes to visit her Chinese family on a weekly basis, Wil is perpetually in transit between her love for Ma (Joan Chen) and her budding relationship with gorgeous dancer Vivian (Lynn Chen). ASIANCE Magazine caught up with Michelle and Lynn together on their recent visit to New York City.

ASIANCE: What did your parents think of you getting into acting?
Michelle: I actually wanted to be a dancer. I sort of did it as a hobby but I never pursued it professionally because my mother was so against it. I fell into the business by accident. I was scouted by a talent agent when I was 12. Then I went and auditioned for an arts school where they had disciplines. I took all five disciplines just to see which one I fell into. I actually fell into acting. I trained in high school there and then started doing it in addition to some of the more videos and commercial stuff. That started providing me funds to pay for school. When that started to happen my mother gave me the ok since I was paying my way through school.

ASIANCE: You went to Virginia Tech. What did you major in?
Michelle: I was a double Art major in Theatre Arts and English.

ASIANCE: What drew you to play Wil and do you identify with her?
Michelle: She's a really complicated character to understand. She's got a lot of issues that she needs to deal with. I was drawn to her because she was sort of unusual and I never played anything quite like her. To be able to play a lead character that was so complex and dynamic in a very unusual way that was the draw for me.
I really identify with the relationship between Wil and Ma. My mother is an immigrant and the thing that you discover with immigrant parents is that they come to America and they want to give you the opportunity to live the life they were not able to live or live the life that they themselves sacrificed to provide for you. For me, I really understand the compulsion as a child to try to live up to your parents' expectations because they have done so much for you. And I also understand that growing up in an American society, there is this idea of individuality and expression and artistic ideas that have nothing to do with practicality and making money and some of the other values that you find in the Asian culture. So for me, I could always identify with being torn and ultimately this is what this film sort of focuses on; how do you balance your roots with the life you ultimately want to live.

ASIANCE: Alice said, "Michelle is a talented actress but someone who presents herself differently than Wil." And I understand you were starting to pick up Alice's mannerisms to incorporate her into Wil?
Michelle: Yeah I really didn't know what I was going to do with Wil. I figured I'd meet with Alice, we'd start rehearsing and I'd discover that process. When I met Alice at our table discussions, I understood that she was writing from a very personal point of view and I noticed that she had a lot of very specific mannerisms. I started stealing those and used her as my muse really because they were great and unusual quirks. I don't think she realized I started doing that until people started pointing it out to her.

Lynn Chen made her debut on the stage of The Metropolitan Opera House in a ballet featuring Russian dancer Rudolf Nuruyev. She worked steadily between The Metropolitan and NYC Opera House for three years, during which she landed the role of "Ngana" in the Broadway revival of "South Pacific." Lynn decided to focus on her education and attended Wesleyan University in CT. She couldn't stay away for long, however. After a few years working as a waitress, a teacher, and an administrative assistant, she decided to pursue a professional acting career. Lynn has most recently appeared in guest spots on NBC's "Law & Order," "Law & Order: SVU," and in the recurring role of pre-med student "Regina" on ABC's "All My Children."

ASIANCE: Tells us about your background.
Lynn: My mom is originally from China and my dad is from Taiwan, but they are both Taiwanese. I was born here in Queens actually.

ASIANCE: "Saving Face" was the very first script you ever read. What drew you to play Vivian? Do you identify with Vivian?
Lynn: Just in general when you are given a script and it's a leading role, for an actor at my stage, you take whatever you can get but I was very fortunate that Vivian was this amazing character. I really wanted to fight for her to get this role, because when I initially went in for it, after I read the script with each call back I wanted it even more. I lost like pounds for the role because I wanted it so bad even before I was cast. When I was, it wasn't until a few weeks before we started. I already had the whole script memorized; I had read it so many times. I loved it. I was a little obsessed with it.

ASIANCE: Did you lose weight to fit the role of Vivian or because you were obsessed with getting the role?
Lynn: I was asked to for Vivian's character

ASIANCE: Alice says, "By nature she is very girl next door regalness but what I love about Lynn is that there is a sort of intelligence and kindness there that allows the role to not just have her be some sort of babe." What's your take?
Lynn: It's funny because when I first went in to audition I saw Vivian completely different than Alice did. I saw her as this sweaty ballet dancer who came in right from practice who was funky crazy. And Alice said, "Oh no no no. She's composed. She wears Marc Jacobs. She’s from the Upper East Side. " Then I was like, "Oh, Oh I get it. So I had to rethink it. But I think that confidence part that I brought into it initially is probably something that she saw. A confidence but a sort of approachability.

ASIANCE: What was it like to work with Joan?

Michelle: Joan is incredible. She's so gifted as an actress. One of the things I so often see especially struggling away as an Asian American actress is that you don't find a lot of resources. You don't find a lot of mentors or people that you can go to and just ask for advice and get inspired and get encouraged. 1) When Joan was so warm and giving and so nurturing on set that to me was a very safe place to be working in and 2) I just realized that she's such a gracious celebrity to have that kind of nurturing quality. For me it was a gift because it allowed our relationship to have the kind of chemistry you see on screen.

Lynn: When I was talking about auditioning and really wanting the part, once I found out Joan was attached that was like the ultimate. I thought, if I don't get this part I'm going to die. I need to be in this movie with Joan Chen because she is one of the reasons that I wanted to be a film actress. Then I meet her in person and she's this really funny funky person and it was such a pleasant surprise. I really enjoy being around her watching her work. I wasn't in that many scenes with her so I didn't get to feel what Michelle felt.

ASIANCE: What is your beauty routine?

Michelle: As my makeup artist stands to the left, I wake up like this every morning. At night I pop all my zits around my nose (laughs). I put a lot of cream there. And the morning after, the night seems to have replaced all my pores and I'm refreshed and rejuvenated.

Lynn: I'm a drug store sale girl. Like I only buy stuff that's on sale. I don't really stick to a particular routine. I use shampoos that I get from hotels and whatever else is around. I'm pretty low maintenance. I walk out of the house with no makeup and gloss on.

Michelle: Lynn has got great skin. The only thing I suggest for all you listeners out there is once a month going to the derm. Getting a little facial. Go to a derm.

ASIANCE: Let's talk about the love scene. Any awkward moments?

Michelle: There was an awkward moment which I saved Lynn from.

Lynn: Oh yeah go ahead.

Michelle: We were trying to prevent each others' nipples from being on the screen for too long (laughs). We were doing some lines and I think we both realized our nipples would clearly be in the scene the entire time. But it so happened that it was Lynn's nipples so I covered her nipples

Lynn: Yeah she's really nice. (laughs)

Michelle: But very naturally if you notice or don't notice to prevent any more shame brought onto us. (Laughs)

Lynn: Thank you

Michelle: No actually, Alice would kill us if she heard us. (Laughs) We actually went through a very specific process and we had a few things we shared about each other just do create intimacy and we kind of choreographed it lightly, but really it wasn't manipulated. Because we had our own sort of apprehensions based on whatever, I think that sort of led to the chemistry.

ASIANCE: Do you think the roles for Asian American women in media are changing? Do you have a long way to go?

Lynn: I think its getting better. I don't think there is a long, long way to go. I think within a couple of years, it's going to move pretty fast just because I'm seeing so many more Asian American directors that are coming out right now. They are writing responsibly and casting responsibly, by which I mean utilizing the pool of Asian talent that's out there because no one else is really. But at the same time I've noticed this pilot's season the Asian roles haven't been as stereotypical as I have experienced in the past.

Michelle: I'm always torn because I think there is the desire out there with the network and the studios to cast ethnically responsibly. I think the desire is there to cast ethnics in all roles but I don't know if it actually gets executed. I think when it comes down to it there still needs to be a lot of progress that needs to be made. I don't want to be skeptical because I think it's a bad way to sort of approach this business. I'm much more hopeful and ambitious but I think like Lynn said, it can't just happen on one level. It can't just be actors. It's got to be writers, directors and executives. It's got to be in a way that sort of infiltrates all elements of the business. It can't just be one group of people. That's where I think needs improvement. I do see progress in that capacity.

ASIANCE: Any advice for Asian American women?

Lynn: For women in general I think it's really important to really know yourself and to listen to yourself and to execute what your feelings are. I used to teach sex ed. The people I'd be teaching with would say certain things and then act a completely different way. I'd say, "Do you really believe what you are teaching?" A lot of them really found it hard to practice what they preach and really found it hard to stick with what they believe in everyday life. I think that's really difficult for women in general.
I think being an Asian American woman today; it's hard because you don't want to be pigeonholed. You don't want people to think that you're defined by your ethnicity but at the same time you don't want to ignore it. I don't know how that relates to sex ed. (laughs)

Michelle: It all relates to sex ed (laughs)

Lynn: I guess not stereotyping. …ok this is how it relates to sex ed. (laughs) A lot of things that people have problems with like in terms of condom use, etc. is that they think, "oh I don't fit into that mold" I'm not like that. I think it's similar to race relations because you think, "Oh I'm not like that Chinese person, I'm not like that Japanese person, so I can't relate to that". I think it's important to listen to yourself and listen to what other people are saying and then try to act accordingly.

Michelle: I see a lot of criticism within the culture that is both inflicted on oneself and on each other. I think if we take the focus off of that and heighten more of what's going to make an individual happy I think within that process will ultimately create unity and then a society of that will be honoring the individual and then honoring the group and the community. I think that has to happen before progress can really and truly be made. It's like the film, if you really don't come to terms with what you want and what's going to make you happy and you confront those issues you'll never be able to effect change or progress or effect happiness on someone else.

December 6 2002

Tech grad performs solo show
by Megan Rowe Staff Writer

If you want to warm up to good entertainment after playing in the 8-inch snow,
go see “Made In Taiwan.”
The one-woman performance is a coming-of-age story about a young Asian-American woman, nicknamed Spring Chicken, who is learning to deal with her rather-unconventional mother.
“(The mother) tried to instill a distrust in men,” said Michelle Kruseic, the actress and a 1996 graduate from Virginia Tech with a double major in theatre arts and English.
Students can all relate to Spring Chicken's position because they're not out of the house yet, Kruseic said. Students go back home, but can't find their autonomy until they return to the real world.
The show “deals with one's independence and … need to feel identity when trapped in a family home,” Kruseic said.
Kruseic began writing the script during her time at Tech when she was gaining independence and trying to find her own identity, she said. “I was dealing with trying to figure out who I was,”
she said. “I had very strong parents who tried to raise me a strong particular way.”
She denied that the script is entirely autobiographical.
“As a writer, you always use fiction,” she said.
“It's sort of your protection, but the material is based on my life.”
The script isn't the only thing promising to impress audiences. “Hollywood Reporter” has named Kruseic a “Top-10 Rising Performer to Watch.”
And there are plenty of opportunities to watch her.
Kruseic has had roles in NBC's “One World” and HBO's “Mind of the Married Man.” She has also been in multiple movies including “Sweet Home Alabama” with Reese Witherspoon and “Pumpkin” with Christina Ricci.
Although these movies and shows are relatively recent, Kruseic's career began years earlier. She became interested in theater at the art school she attended as a child. At age 12, she began professional acting.
“I think (acting) was just something that kept presenting itself,” she said.
“I've always felt destined to be a performer.”
The intuition prompted her decision to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career.
“I decided to give it five years and see how it went,” she said.
“It's been a good road so far, so I can't imagine that I would stop now.”
Kruseic is currently preparing to be in “Dumb and Dumber 2,” a prequel to the original which depicts the characters in high school.
Kruseic plays a student who is in the same group of friends as the two main characters. She describes the film as being similar to the movie “American Pie.”
Although such a movie may seem to contrast “Made in Taiwan,” the play begins as a comedy. The biggest difference is actually the solo performance.
“It's pretty taxing because you can’t take any stops,” she said.
But multiple characters played by one person are a benefit to this show.
“It's not meant to be a display, like ‘oh, look at this actor play all the different characters,’” she said. “It's more like — it’s my story and I happen to be the person to play all the people involved. I'm pretty much the storyteller, and that in itself is fairly unique to what you would see in a regular play.”
“Made in Taiwan” will be performed at 8 p.m. tonight in Squires Studio Theatre. Tickets are $5 at the Squires Box Office.

February 28 2002

Source:www.firstamendmentcenter.org

Michelle Krusiec and Alonzo Bodden 'Speaking Freely' transcript

Ken Paulson: Welcome to “Speaking Freely,” a weekly conversation about free expression and the arts. I'm Ken Paulson. Our guests today are two young performers featured at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. Joining us today, Michelle Krusiec and Alonzo Bodden. Welcome.

Michelle Krusiec: Thank you.
Alonzo Bodden: Thanks.

Paulson: You come from different aspects of the performing arts. Michelle, in your case, you've had a lot of success — early success — in television. Alonzo, you're a stand-up. What brings you to this festival?

Krusiec: Well, I was invited to do my one-woman show, which is called “Made in Taiwan,” and it's a project I've been working on for several years now, so somebody got wind of it and just got into the process, and so they asked me to come here, and it's been really exciting.
Paulson: And you are walking the halls with literally hundreds of stand-up comics.
Bodden: Yeah.

Paulson: This is a convention here. And you'll be performing at the festival, right?

Bodden: Yeah, I'm performing in one of the showcase groups.

Paulson: And the idea is to catch the eye of bookers and...

Bodden: Yeah, everybody who's here. I mean, there are agents. There are people who book clubs, film and television people, and it's kind of an opportunity to let them know who I am and what I do.

Paulson: So how much time do you have to show them who you are and what you do?

Bodden: Well, each set is supposed to be seven minutes. In comic terms, that means I'll do ten. So, you know, I mean — no, seven-minute sets on each show. Some shows are different. There are some people who have their own one-hour shows and things like that. But for most of us, we're doing seven-minute shows, and every night, we do a different time and a different venue, so we get to perform all around the festival.

Paulson: Just for people who have never actually worked as a professional stand-up, how much work goes into developing seven minutes of material?

Bodden: It a — that's a very difficult question. It varies. I mean, for something like this, I spent about — probably about a month picking out exactly what I wanted to do because it was a — it's a matter of presenting a certain aspect of my act and showing them, you know, "This is what I want to show you, so this is the material I'm going to do." Now, of course, that can change in a moment's notice, because my job's to be funny. So if I go up there and something happens in the room, or for whatever reason I go off into something else, it's okay with me, as long as it's funny. My manager and agent get highly upset when I do that. I have a bad habit of making fun of network executives, which really gets in the way of the career, but if the crowd laughs, I'm OK with it.

Paulson: Short-term gain, long-term loss. We want to talk to you today a bit about the popular culture we all live in, entertainment — film, television — especially as regarding diversity. The Freedom Forum, an organization with which I work, actually funds a program where they encourage minorities to go into work in America's newsrooms because they feel like America's newspapers in particular don't reflect the communities at large. They don't fully understand the cultures that they serve. And in the work you do, do you see a lot of stereotyping, or do you see an accurate reflection of the cultures of our country?

Krusiec: Well, definitely, just being an Asian-American actress, I mean, I get stereotyped all the time, in terms of what I'm asked to audition for, the types of roles I'm auditioning for. And so when I look at these roles, a lot of times, I'm seeing what current writers are seeing me as and who I represent within their story line, and oftentimes, it's — you know, it's the smart Asian girl or it's the newscaster, or you have the prostitute, and I run across those all the time. And then, of course, you have the martial artist. And it's very difficult to go beyond that right now, but I find that there is a process you have to go through, which is kind of like a — you've got to prove yourself. You've got to prove that you can do those. And then once they see that, then they start going, "Oh, well, you know what? You could also be the blonde best friend." And that's, I think, the place I’m at now in my career.

Paulson: And you've had good success. You have appeared on “One World,” and then you've moved on to be a recurring character in “Titus,” and expanding, as I understand it, into some films: “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Pumpkin.” What are those roles?

Krusiec: Actually, in “Pumpkin,” I am the — the film's very clever. It takes a lot of stereotyping and parodies it and also satires it — satirizes it — at the same time. It's — I play a sorority girl who was taken into the sorority because I was the token Asian, and I am the Asian girl trying to fit in, knowing that I was taken in as the token Asian. And so it's kind of a — you know, it's a double-edged sword that my character has, that even though I know I was in — I was accepted — because of my race, I'm also ignoring that fact, but it's also played against me as well in the film. It's kind of difficult to explain. But there's a lot of references of, like, "Oh, even her, even she — she can do it as well," just because I'm Asian-American.

Paulson: As an Asian-American, and aside from your acting career, when you watch America's popular media, do you see anything that truly reflects the culture you perhaps grew up in?

Krusiec: Um ... no.

Paulson: I know you've — if you'd talk a little bit about your background, because it plays a major role in “Made in Taiwan.” If you could just give us some sense of what that show is about.

Krusiec: Well, my show starts out talking about how I grew up with the insecurity of being Asian and wanting very much to deny that as a child and how I struggled with that acceptance. And I look at it through more of a comedic eye, because as an adult, you look at it, and you think, these are the things you did, you know, because you were trying to cover up who you were ethnically. And that's the background in which I introduce the show, but I don't really stay there for very long. I introduce that as a part of myself, and then I go into the world of my family life — my parents, specifically my mother — and how their psyches affected my psyche and how my mother's standards were imposed upon me and how my mother, even though she was very old-school Asian, became Americanized, and she changed her values in accordance with her own Americanization, which then affected me, because here I was, struggling to be American totally and deny my Asian self, so it's a very complex journey.

Paulson: And what kind of reaction are you getting from audiences?

Krusiec: It's been, fortunately, wonderful. It's been really, really great. Almost everyone has remarked on — even though it's a very specific journey, it's been very universal. Because when it boils down to it, you know, human relationships, and the ones that I focus on, which are my mother and I — our mother-daughter relationship — it becomes universal. And even though it's a little culturally specific in the beginning, it has nothing to do with just being Chinese in the end.

Paulson: Alonzo, we had a chance to talk a little bit before we sat down here, and, of course, race plays a role as well in stand-up comedy.

Bodden: Yeah.

Paulson: Is there a difference in the kind of comedy that a black comic is expected to do as opposed to a white comic?

Bodden: Well, that's a — that's a very interesting thing in the business. Stereotypically, yeah, there are definitely expectations, and I think it — a lot of it had to do with, like, shows like “Def Comedy Jam,” which gave everybody — everybody meaning the decision-makers as to who does what in television and film — that they got this impression of black people as like, "OK, they're all from the 'hood, you know, and they all have a, you know, issue with white people, and, you know, that they don't know their dad, and, you know, this” — 'cause that's what a lot of the jokes on that show were about. So it made it difficult for me, because my background — that's not my background. I come from — I'm from New York. I grew up in the suburbs — you know, middle-class. My parents are, you know, together. They've been married for 40-some-odd years, you know. So that's not my reality, and yet I’m still black. And the joke that we have — 'cause there are a few other guys who I know who are like me — it's like, we go on auditions, and it's like, "Oh, man, I'm not black enough," you know. And they'll never say that, but you know that that's true. It's like — even the way we speak. If you speak the way I do, and, you know, then it's like, "Well, can't you, like, you know, add a little something to that? You know, a little slang, you know, or whatever?" And it's comical because you know what they want to say, but they don't know how to say it. They're afraid to say it, so it becomes comical to us. The other side of the coin is, being a comic, we play on stereotypes. I mean, of course I use stereotypes in my act. When I hit the stage, they see a huge black guy, you know, and if I'm in a predominately white area, they're gonna notice that and maybe be a little afraid, and I play with the fear. And what happens is, after a few minutes, they get at ease. They're like, "OK, this one's not angry, so we're OK here," you know. And a lot of that — again, it has to do with how I grew up. I grew up being bused to white schools, you know, before it was this huge issue. And what happened was, as a result, I'm comfortable around white people. I have — you know, I mean, I'm not naive. There are race issues that go on. I think the other thing is with, like, you know, the MTV culture, for lack of a better description — the black and white thing has crossed over so much, you know. You go to places that there are just no black people, and all the kids are dressed just like they're living in the 'hood, you know, and they talk like they're from the 'hood, and things like that, and that's comical to — you know, that's comical too, because it's like, "OK, you're playing at something, but you don't really understand it." But again, if you're a comic — you know, as long as you're funny — you can cross all of those lines, and that's a big part of our job. Cross those lines, make people laugh at it, talk about it, because it's there, and it's reality, and you can't pretend that — you know, I'm black and you're white, and we can't pretend that there are no differences. Of course there are differences. It doesn't make one better or worse, but some things are different. Our job is to play with that, and comedy's always been that way, you know. Don Rickles could — the beauty of him is, he could insult anybody. It didn't matter where you were from, he had — and that would be amazing. It's like, not many comics have, like, Polynesian jokes. You know, and he could pull it — and the thing is, if you make it funny, people accept it, and they allow it, you know. And you can tell — you can feel it when it's not funny. You can feel it if someone makes a racial comment and there's hatred behind it. There's an awkwardness in the room, and if they're doing it and it's funny, the awkwardness is removed from it, you know, and it's difficult to explain, but it's something that we do.

Paulson: Michelle, I'm curious. Have you ever turned down a job because it was stereotypical?

Krusiec: You know, I have a role on an HBO series called “The Mind of the Married Man,” and when I first got the sides, which is the excerpt of the script in which you use to audition with, I literally read them, gawked, and dropped the papers and called my manager, and I just almost freaked out, 'cause it was so stereotypical. I was playing all the stereotypes. I was a massage-parlor girl. I had an accent. And on top of that, they wanted me to be topless. And it was like, you know, why don't you just make me a bad driver on top of that, you know? But I met with the producer, and he was also the — Mike Binder, the creator of the show — and we really talked about his intentions for the character. And, you know, once we got an idea of what he wanted to do — and he actually came to see my one-woman show, which I believe led him to really deepening the character. You know, once we got to a basic understanding of what we both were looking for and what his intentions were, I was able to sort of step beyond that and say, "Well, listen, this is a stereotypical character, but I think I'm a complex enough actor to bring more to the stereotypicality of this character than maybe somebody else, and if there's anybody who's gonna do that, I would like to be the person in charge of doing that." So it was very stereotyped, but, you know, I sort of thought, "Let me figure out how I can add a little more depth to this person," because, really, there are Asian massage girls out there. It's not like they don't exist, and it's not like, just because a character has an accent, they should be demeaned at any sort of level. And so, you know, for me, I have to figure out this person and create that person, and not look at it and say, "Well, I am playing a stereotypical character," 'cause otherwise, you're not gonna create any sort of real human being.

Paulson: So when you finally saw it onscreen, did you pull it off?

Krusiec: Yeah, because you know, I pulled it off; I pulled my top off. Um, but... Yeah, you know, my character was throughout the entire series, and I end up dropping my accent in the very end of this — the season finale, and you discover this massage-parlor girl is just this college kid who just does this accent to make her customers feel very comfortable. So we did get to a level where the character arced, so I was very happy.

Paulson: Just as there are presumably Asian massage-parlor employees, there are probably African-Americans who sell drugs and stick up convenience stores.

Bodden: Oh, yeah. Absolutely.

Paulson: That may be true. And yet, I think you see a lot of comics who actually play to some stereotypes.

Bodden: Yeah, definitely, definitely.

Paulson: And may be guilty of reinforcing some?

Bodden: Well, I do it at times. I mean, I'm not gonna sit here and say I'm above that. I do jokes about stereotypical experiences that I've never had, because it's funny — you know, jokes about being in jail or whatever.

Paulson: Have you been in jail?

Bodden: Just for one night. You had to bring that up, didn't you? You couldn't let that go.

Paulson: Those words didn't come from my mouth.

Bodden: Yeah, but you could've let it go at what I said. But no, it's okay. It's okay.

Paulson: This is “Speaking Freely.”

Bodden: I've been to Asian massage parlors too. So let's--you know, let's just get it all out right now.

Paulson: Okay, good, good. But do you draw from real life for your routine?

Bodden: Oh, absolutely. Yeah, I draw on my experiences, and the stereotypes — yeah, we play to them. I play to them, and comics play to them sometimes. It's part of the business. It's--I don't have a big problem with doing a stereotypical character. I mean, there have been shows that were — you know, it was like a very touchy issue for a while. There were some shows that were very stereotypically black and described as, like, step-and-fetch-it kind of comedy shows and stuff like that, and that's not my style, and I don't agree with it, but I don't knock the guys for doing it, because it got them out there, it got them on the air, and it made them a presence, you know. And like Michelle was saying, some of these things are stepping-stones, where you may have to do that just to get a presence on the air and just to get the opportunity to create something bigger, to show, "Okay, now that you see that we're profitable and we can, you know, entertain, let us do some more." And that has happened, you know, and there are people who are — you know, you break any stereotype, where you're thought of as a comic, not a black comic, as you're an actor; you're not a black actor, and that does happen. So, you know, my personal view is, I’ll do what it takes to get in the game, you know, and then work from there. You can do it from the inside. It's much more difficult to do from the outside.

Paulson: You know, on this show, we've had a good number of people who were successful performers but also used their fame to work for civil rights — Harry Belafonte, Ossie Davis, among others. And I think at one point in their careers, they thought it was over the hump, that the stereotyping, the prejudice, the kind of hiring you described, would go away. And yet, what you're talking about is not that dissimilar to what people have faced for many, many years in this country. Do you see progress? Do you see this stereotyping going away at some stage, and where will that come from?

Bodden: I think there's progress, but I also think it's always going to be there. And, I mean, I can't speak for — maybe "always" is the wrong word. Maybe I can't speak in perpetuity, but it definitely goes on, and again, to me, it's almost like I'd prefer people admit it. You know, why not just say it? Because it's true. It's almost more frustrating to dance around it, when you know it and the person at the other end of the table knows it, but you can't say it for whatever reason. That's almost an annoying part of the game, but, yeah, I don't know that it — I know it hasn't gone away. It's not as — maybe not as prevalent or as blatant as it has been, but it still exists.

Paulson: Michelle?

Krusiec: Yeah, I mean, that's really tough, because, you know, I've definitely — it's pilot season right now, and I've been witnessing a lot of projects where a lot of the networks have openly said, "We want to be ethnic. We want to support," you know, "casts that have diversity." And it's wonderful, in the sense that they're taking a really active approach, but I find that, you know, the intention and the outcome are two very different things, and so I think the intention is there. I just don't know if necessarily the execution always gets completed. So I think that we are definitely progressing, but, you know, I don't think we're at the place where I think we would all like to be, which is probably at the place where we're not talking about stereotypes anymore, you know, where we're not really acknowledging that. The fact that we're talking about it suggests that, you know, I think it's very much still a bigger part of, you know, the American psyche. So I guess that's not really a very clear answer, but I don't think it's a very clear subject, either.

Paulson: Have you — in your travels to college campuses — you do stand-ups there, right?

Bodden: Yeah, I perform at colleges.

Paulson: Is that — what are you seeing there, from the next generation? Are they responsive to your work? Are you able to say whatever you want on college campuses?

Bodden: Some college campuses. When I first started doing colleges, it really surprised me how many schools limit what you can say, and that's because they have a politically correct agenda or sometimes, I guess, a policy in writing, and it really limits — like, you can't mention so many things, and it surprised me, because I would think colleges would be the one place where there's open thinking, and you could talk about any topic you want, but, they're — again, they're worried about the liability of maybe a person being offended in a particular group and taking the school to task for it, so that was surprising. And it's not all schools, but some schools. It's very limiting. It's surprising.

Paulson: Do they give you comedy guidelines?

Bodden: No, they just — they tell you certain topics that are off limits. As far as how the students respond, the students respond to comedy, you know. And you see a lot more diversity in the students, in the way they dress and the way they speak, and the various cultures do cross, and that can be funny. I've seen things in places that I just didn't expect. You know, doing schools in Montana and Western Washington, and the whole thing is, like, hip-hop based. And I'm like, "OK, hip-hop has made it up here." But it has, because — and I think a lot of that has to do with the universality of cable television. You know, like I said, it's an MTV thing; it's a CNN thing; it's a BET thing. Everyone's seeing what other people are doing, and if they like it, they copy it, and they run with it.

Paulson: One of the real pleasures of being at this Festival is, you see so many people, like the two of you, who have had some success but have been at it for just a few years, and clearly, your best work, you know, will continue to come. You've done just about everything. I love the fact that you're a voice-over for “Power Rangers.”

Bodden: Yeah.

Paulson: And you've done “Star Trek.”

Krusiec: [Laughs]

Paulson: As we close here, could we talk just — if each of you would just share a minute or two about what you hope for the future in your own career. Michelle?

Krusiec: I think I would like to see more Asian writers, more images of — I mean, really, and I don't want to just say Asians, but just growing up, I never really had any Asian role models, and it would just be nice, I think, for, you know, kids these days to have a lot more images of Asians in the media, Asians in all kinds of fields, but mostly in the media, because it's the most — you know, it's the most visual, so that it inspires, I think, the Asian community to be more expressive. I think, as a community, we're a little bit more — we have a kind of like face thing that we do, you know, where we don't tend to be as maybe artistically vocal or expressive. And I think that if those images were present, it might encourage more people to be more vocal and express themselves in a more artistic way.

Paulson: Alonzo.

Bodden: I would think — I'd love to see fewer categories. A lot of my business and a lot of what I see in television, there are definite categories, you know. It might be the black sitcom or the boy-girl show or, you know, whatever, and let people see more so they can choose. Not everybody — not everybody has to be so nice. Not everything has to be sanitized. We were just talking about this the other day, you know. “All in the Family” probably wouldn't get on the air today. A brilliant show, but because of what they did, it probably wouldn't go today, just because of the things Archie Bunker said, you know, and how bad would it be had we been robbed of that, you know? I think people need to loosen up. It's like they try too hard to be diverse, and you worry about, "Oh, is it gonna hurt somebody's feelings?" Well, maybe it will, but that's okay, because everyone gets their feelings hurt sometimes. It's not aimed at anyone, you know. That's just part of the business. It's part of entertainment, and I think — I guess film has a lot more freedom in that than television, but I think if they stop trying so hard and allow it to happen, there would be more of it, and there wouldn't be the hard, defined categories. Like she was saying, you know, "Let's try to be ethnic, so we'll just stick a person of some ethnicity in this situation that they would never be in," and it just looks forced and false.

Paulson: This has been a great conversation. Thanks to you both.

Krusiec: Thank you.
Bodden: Thank you.

2001

Source:www.yolk.com/v085/krusiec1.html

With three solid years on the family show “One World” under her belt, Michelle Krusiec is saying goodbye to goody two-shoes roles and HELLO to more racier fare with HBO's “The Mind Of The Married Man.”

“The duck is stiff and the tofu is rubbery. But those fried wontons aren't too bad—probably because they're fried,” says actress Michelle Krusiec as she frowns over what we ordered.
She's right. It takes talent to find bad Thai food in Los Angeles. It's sort of like finding bad dim sum in Queens or lousy sushi in Hawaii—it's possible but you'd have to really be trying! And yet one cannot help but admire overachievers, as the pair of us single-handedly found the worst Thai joint this side of a mall food court. I didn't have the heart to tell her who was responsible for the duck and the tofu, or just who should take credit for the fried wontons. But I didn't have to. She beat me to it. She's the one who ultimately stopped at this Century City joint. She's the one who ordered the chewy cubes and the firm fowl. And when it comes to taking responsibility, she's the one with no problem admitting it.

So, you're a “Hokey.”
(Smiles as if caught) Yes. I'm a Hokey. Do you know what that is?

That would be the mascot of Virginia Tech, a castrated turkey. Did you know what a Hokey was before you went there?
Yes, I did. We used to have a sound for it. (Krusiec makes a noise with her mouth and throat, demonstrating great coordination and oral dexterity.)

Impressive. So one of your first jobs after school was the host of the syndicated show, “Travelers.”
Yes. It was a big acting lesson because hosting is a lot like acting.

How so?
I had to figure out my personality on camera. I think that at such a young age, I was just fresh out of college—like 21 years old, and everyone else was in their late 20's to early 30's—I felt myself wanting to be smarter or sound more eloquent; try and prove that I was intelligent enough to handle the show. And I started learning that there is quite a technique to interviews, how to ask questions and how to listen to answers. All those things that I learned really shaped who I am now.

So now you're comfortable in front of a camera.
Yeah. I mean, there is always a certain amount of voyeurism when you have that camera in front of you. But maybe now I don't regard it as voyeurism, I see it as just another presence. I don't feel the need to turn something on and turn something off.

Tell me then about the film Pumpkin.
It's the forthcoming movie I did with Christina Ricci. It's by Zoetrope Studios and Francis Ford Coppola's daughter Zoë produced it. It's really a great script. Ricci falls in love with a handicapped boy and she belongs to a sorority. And I'm one of the sisters who tries to put a stop to the relationship because I'm an evil person. It was a very cool shoot. And I liked the character. She's memorable and quirky.

And then there's HBO's “The Mind Of The Married Man.” Interesting title.
Well the title speaks for itself. The show deals with the realities of marriage from a married man's point of view. It's done exceptionally well in terms of writing. The editing is also superb.

And your character “Sachiko” comes with some controversy?
Well, when I first saw this role, my manager forewarned me. She said, “Look, I think you're really going to have a reaction to the character but it's really a good show to be on.” She faxed me the sides and they said, literally: Japanese girl. Massage parlor. Accent. And she must be... topless.

O-kee-do-kee.
And sometimes you see these characters and you think the worst. Or you wonder what's it going to be about. And I had all these hesitations. But there's also a part of me that sees this interesting character and wonders.

How is Sachiko an interesting character?
Well, first of all, I'm fascinated by characters that work in taboo places, like strippers. I like to watch “Real Sex,” so I'm fascinated by things that people do that might not be socially acceptable. I also like darker characters. I'm fascinated by them. Bad people are always better. When you can find heroes and show that they're flawed—show their hubris—it's the most human thing that you can do. I also think this role has a great deal of potential.

Is Sachiko a victim?
No. And you can play her as a victim. She could've been used cheaply. But I don't think it was the intention of the show. And I think they really wanted somebody to step in and “get” this person. Mike Binder, the main character, is a married man who needs somebody to listen to him. He needs someone to serve as a therapist in a sense. And if you give the story a chance it shows how the two people really function as a service to one another, which is a really great thing about this series.

But you had your reservations?
When I found that me getting this role was a reality, I really started to feel the weight of the Asian community. I don't think I like responsibility, but I feel the weight of it. I didn't want to portray a character that I thought might put Asians in a negative light. And my fear, of course, was that they were going to entice me with a high concept character but in the end they might not come through and I'd be left as a stereotype. But it was pretty clear from the beginning when I stepped on that set that they knew what they were going to do and they did it. I took a risk and I'm really happy about it. I felt like if there is going to be this character, then at least let me take a shot at making her into something—as opposed to somebody else who might depict this woman as a typical stereotype. I could instill my own understanding of this person and make her even more interesting. But I felt with my understanding of immigrants and my understanding as an actress, I felt like I could give more to this character. Being topless also was a huge, huge thing. But it actually was easier to do than it was to accept. The decision was so difficult but when I got on the set and I had to do it, it was easy.

And it worked out?
Well, fortunately I took a giant leap and fell into good hands. “Sachiko” has been one of my favorite roles so far. And as for social responsibility—I hope I didn’t come off too righteous—but what I believe in and what I end up doing may be miles apart. But I try to live my life with a sense of consciousness. And I think that’s what I was trying to get across.

What did the parental units think?
My dad was like, “It's fine with me. We're in a new millennium. Sex isn't the same anymore.” But he also said I should ask my mom, like she would have a fit or something. But my mom once said I should pose for Playboy—my mom always believed that if you're going to pose you might as well get your money. And my dad was like, “Honey, you'd never get into Playboy. Not with your breasts, darling.” (wry smile) Of course they haven't really seen the show yet.

But in the end, you're proud of the experience?
Yes. Very. And you know what, after doing “Married Man,” I'm a lot more free with my body. I'm actually having a party for the show and I'm asking people to come topless. I figured I'm going to be topless, so why shouldn't they be?

Do you think people are going to show up topless?
(Wickedly laughs) Oh yeah. I have some wild friends! They're just looking for an excuse.

I remembered when you did “Star Trek.” You played a tragic character who barely spoke a word, really similar to Samantha Morton's role in Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown. Not the common role for an Asian actress. How was it?
It was great. It was so fun. First of all, my father is such a Star Trek fan. He'd always go, “Star Trek! When ya gonna be in Star Trek?” Finally I told him I was going to be on but I didn’t tell him I wasn't going to have any lines, which of course later his complaint was, “I wish you had spoken more.” But I really enjoyed that role because it was so theatrical and I really used all the skills that I had. I got to be up in a tree. Got to be this adult woman who was a child. It was fun and a challenge

Are you challenged often?
Well, I think that the projects that I've done so far, I pretty much attacked them with a fair amount of confidence and fervor. And I think that the characters that I've encountered, I think that I've been cast well for them. But there are certain areas of my acting where I feel I haven't been challenged enough.

Are you looking for something like that?
Absolutely. I think that every actor wants to be challenged by complex roles. A lot of the roles that I have been able to do have been interesting roles, offbeat quirkier roles. It's rare that I get the girl next door sort of thing.

So if your dad asked you to be one of the bizarre, random guest stars at a Star Trek convention, would you go?
Definitely. I'd do anything for my parents. I'm really close to them. I would have to be, I'm doing a one-woman show on my mom.

That show being “Made in Taiwan.” Not to do a shameless plug, but when is it playing?
Oh I'll do a shameless plug, no problem. It's in November in LA, at Highways Performance Space at the 19th Street Arts Complex in Santa Monica. It's part of Highways'annual Asian Pacific Performance Festival called Treasure In The House. I have the opening show. Actually, Alex (Luu, YOLK editor-in-chief and one-man show trooper) is also performing there as well. At the end, I think. My dates are November 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. I'm really excited because I first did it in February and it did really well. I had sold out performances and the whole experience had an impact on me.

How so?
It was very satisfying. And I think it just goes to show you that when you have a really good story to tell, people really identify. It's fulfilling to be able to create using your own storytelling ability. Writing to me is amazing. I love to write. I love to read other people's writing. It's really inspiring. I love imagery through words.

Tell me about the show.
focuses on a particular time in my life when I was really trying to grasp what it was that my mother wanted from me. And what it was that I wanted from her and what I wanted from myself. And it was predominantly during the teen to early years when I was really trying to start my own life. You know with the Asian culture, especially with the parents, they're really tight gripped. They put a hold on you and they have this amazing power over you. And you are just under their spell and you forget your own American idea of individuality, which is such a specific thing to America.

So what does your mother think of the show?
I don't think she really comprehends what it's about. But she knows about it. And I keep saying to my father, “Dad, it's not all good.” And my father keeps saying, “It's OK, not every family is normal.” I'm convinced every family is abnormal, and that’s the norm.

Is your mother going to see it?
Eventually, yeah. People ask me this all the time (low cautious voice), “Have your parents seen the show? What do you think they're going to say?” But the joy of this particular piece is being able to portray my mother. I think children do their parents extremely well. And my mom is such an interesting person. She's eccentric and outrageous with how she views life, men, and sex. She's very traditional woman that has experienced many different things that have made her become non-traditional. And you see in her this fight between the two.

Sounds like you had a few discoveries about yourself.
Yeah. My mother is an immigrant and in my show I portray numerous immigrants. It's something that I understand because even though I was raised in America I really feel strongly that I was raised bi-culturally. Even more on the Taiwanese side. I see myself more Taiwanese than American sometimes, I mean I have American values but I feel I really understand the immigrant experience.

Was it cathartic for you?
Yes. It's such a taxing show. I wrote myself a really good actor's journey. And for me, the most satisfying time was when people came up to me later and said they weren't sure if they should laugh or cry. I mean the show is really funny. But not being sure really made it very emotional and a lot like life.

So what happens if your mom said to you, “I hate it. Stop it.”
I don't think my mom would say that. I think I've gotten to a place now where I think I can explain to her my (dramatically) “needs.” That's really my big dilemma in my one-woman show, the weight of responsibility to my parents to do the right thing for them. But it's what you have to get over. And that’s how you become the adult.

Sounds like you are your mom.
(Wry smile) I am my mom. I guess there's nothing wrong with that. And that no one is perfect, although as a person and an actress, I try to strive for perfection.