In Conversation with Fala Chen (Part 1: Acting & Education)
Actress Fala Chen speaks with Babel Film Workshop founder Jeremy Hung over Zoom. | Photo: Babel Film Workshop
With Marvel’s first Asian superhero movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings set to hit theaters in September, Babel Film Workshop was honored to chat with one of its cast members, Fala Chen 陳法拉, whose unique acting career spans from Hong Kong to Hollywood.
Speaking to our founder Jeremy Hung over Zoom, Fala generously shared her insights on acting gained through her experiences in multinational projects, as well as her education at Juilliard School, before answering 10 student questions and imparting some words of encouragement to young aspiring actors.
Fala appears as Jiang Li in the official trailer of Shang-Chi. | Photo: Marvel Studios
Discovering a passion for acting
In Hong Kong, the decision to pursue an artistic career may not be well understood by many, so we asked Fala why she chose to act. “I love it. It’s literally that simple,” she said. Fala first discovered a passion for acting on her first day on set for a TVB production--during which she had to pretend to faint on a street.
Fala’s acting career began at TVB, where she starred in numerous drama series. Photos: TVB
“I got to do something I don’t do every day,” she reflected. “That kind of happiness and sense of play reminded me of when I was a child. It’s the same kind of joy that I was able to find in my adulthood, which is very fulfilling.”
Despite not having studied acting prior to starting her career (Fala holds a business degree from Emory University, and gained recognition as 1st runner-up of a beauty pageant in Hong Kong), Fala gradually established herself as a household name by starring in TV dramas, and earned a Best New Performer nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards. What began as fun and games soon turned into artistic craft and technique.
An actor’s craft
As a screen actor, Fala believes her job is to be present, understand the function of each scene, and help communicate the story to audiences through her performance. Outside of that, much of a film is out of an actor’s control. “There’s so much more to [filmmaking than acting], like the director, editor, lighting… At the end of the day, what matters is, have you fulfilled your role to tell the story?”
Fala facing off fellow Hong Kong actor Tony Leung in a stunt scene on the set of Shang-Chi. | Photo: Marvel Studios
Fala admitted that when she’s acting, she’s “constantly in a state of nervousness,” harboring anxiety and other negative thoughts. “Ninety percent of the time, it’s my head going, ‘Oh my god, this is so scary, it’s so weird. Am I doing this right?’ But I think that’s actually healthy… Being nervous means you actually care, and are super focused and invested.”
Beyond the tangible craft, Fala also considers the influence of the intangible on her acting. “My body, my voice, and most importantly, my brain--how I react to the world, carry myself in real life, think of people--these are all my instruments. So how do I train and polish that over the years? How do I live as a person?” To Fala, her personal mindset is just as important to her craft.
“Be bold. Be wild. Try things. Have fun.”
Higher education for acting, and beyond
In 2014, during a high point in her career in Hong Kong, Fala opted to leave for the U.S. to study acting in a Master’s program at the prestigious Juilliard School. She revealed that at the time, she felt helpless and stuck artistically, having “no training, techniques, teachers, or friends to rely on.”
Fala rehearsing for a play at Juilliard School. | Photo: Juilliard School
At Juilliard, she didn’t have to “worry about outputting, but could still act behind closed doors, and learn about why [she] wanted to be an actor, and how to be one.” It turned out to be one of the “most rewarding and enjoyable four years of [her] life.”
Shortly after graduation, Fala was cast in the HBO miniseries The Undoing alongside Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, before landing her role in Shang-Chi. Her casting in HBO’s Irma Vep alongside Alicia Vikander has also just been announced.
“A lot of times it’s luck,” Fala said. “I never set a goal on whether to stay in America or go back to Hong Kong [after graduation]… It’s about being in the right place, at the right time, and meeting the right people.”
Advice to young students
For students who wish to pursue acting, but may face resistance from their families, Fala advised, “It’s important to be clear about why, how, and how long you want to do this for, then articulate this to them.”
“Maybe your parents want you to be a lawyer or doctor, because they think that’s the right path for you—they still want you to be happy. But that doesn’t mean they won’t understand that you want to become an actor… It takes time, persistency, and consistency in showing them why this is important to you.”
Fala in a still from Shang-Chi. | Photo: Marvel Studios
At Babel Film Workshop, students begin learning film at age 8. While not all students will pursue filmmaking as adults, Fala believes there’s still value in their engaging with the film arts as students. “[Filmmaking] stimulates your imagination, involves team playing, being a leader, and communicating with others... Everyone should try it at some point in their lives.
“Even if you don’t [end up enjoying it], it’s important to throw yourself into it, and give yourself the chance to try it,” she said. “At such a young age, being safe is probably one of the worst things you can do for yourself. There’s no fun, no joy in being safe. So be bold. Be wild. Try things. Have fun.”
In Part 2 of Babel Film Workshop’s conversation with Fala Chen, Fala responds to 10 of our student questions. Stay tuned!
The video of our conversation is made available exclusively to Babel Film Workshop students.
