JuJu Chan is one of the most exciting new talents to enter the world of action films in recent years. Aside from being an accomplished singer, writer, and model, she’s also a professional fighter. In 2013, she was the Champion in Female Black Belt Pattern. In 2014, she was a bronze medalist in Female 2nd Dan Pattern in the 7th ITF World Championship held in Nepal. She’s now looking to make her mark in the movies, and with the release of SAVAGE DOG, she is well on her way. I recently caught up with JuJu and she was happy to talk about her passions and films.
Corey Danna: Being a multi-talented woman, what field has been the most rewarding and what would you like to pursue more of?
Ju Ju Chan: Acting, for sure, it really allows me to bring together all of my skills. I can show off my martial arts training and it’s always challenging. You get to play different roles and characters, allowing you to stretch your imagination, challenging you in many ways. You get to be that character and experience the life of that character. When you go from project to project, you get to meet and work with so many great people who help to broaden the knowledge of your trade.
CD: You have quite the fighting background. Can you talk a bit about that and do you have any desire to compete again?
JJC: I love competing! Actually, I was going to compete last year but my filming schedule was tight. I had to give up competing in the Tae Kwon Do Championship last year but I really want to fight again; it’s just been so busy for me I haven’t had the opportunity to train properly.
CD: As an actress, what type of roles interest you the most?
JJC: As an actress, I get to play many different roles. I love my character in SAVAGE DOG, even though I don’t get to fight in the film. I’m attracted to roles where the women are really strong. You always want your audience to see different sides of your talents so you can avoid being typecast. I don’t want to limit myself by always playing one particular type of character. Of course, I love to incorporate action and martial arts; it’s part of who I am and a whole lot of fun. I haven’t played any superhero characters yet and I really would like to play an Asian female superhero.
CD: I would imagine that being a part of a film like CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY would have a major impact on your career. How do you feel it’s helped you?
JJC: It was an amazing film to be a part of. I loved the original CROUCHING TIGER! It was an honor to be cast as one of the main characters and have the opportunity to work with Master Yuen Woo-ping. He’s such a legend and his choreography is brilliant. Working with Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen was a dream come true. Being a part of that film really helped me learn so much because all of them bring so much to the table. I loved my character so, and it really gave me the opportunity to show off my acting, but my fighting skills as well. My career has gained so much from being a part of it, going to the premieres, and meeting international audiences.
CD: Had you done any wire work prior to that film?
JJC: CROUCHING TIGER was the first film I did that involved using wires. I had been on wires before but never like this. Doing all the action scenes was really cool! I didn’t have a choice; my character works with darts and the way she jumps around throwing them required it. I also just finished shooting a film in Hong Kong where we use wire work so I’m slowly becoming a pro (laughs).
CD: Can you tell me about getting involved in SAVAGE DOG?
JJC: The director Jesse Johnson and I were introduced by a mutual friend. Jesse knew about my background and started to tell me about the film. After that first meeting, he sent me the script. I had flown back to Hong Kong but we stayed in contact. After a little time went by, he reached out to me and wanted to know what I thought. I really liked what he was trying to do and he offered me the role.
CD: What’s it like to work on a modestly budgeted action film like this?
JJC: We shot everything very efficiently so we could keep things moving. Everyone was very professional; the actors, the crew, and the action stars are so in synch with what they’re doing, they didn’t need a whole lot of pre-production time. I was in awe of just how experienced and professional everyone was and it helped to make this a very positive experience. I’ve seen some of the footage and everything looks fantastic. I really think Jesse is such an amazing director, very caring, and hands-on.
CD: Jesse is one of the few directors working in the genre who really tries to focus on story and character first.
JJC: I agree! It’s not meant to be just an action showcase; it’s a film with characters the audience will hopefully invest themselves in. I appreciated how he took the time to really build and develop the characters, putting them in this story that tests them and who they are. Story is very, very important for a film and without it, all you have is fighting. I appreciate everything he did, his writing as well, since he also wrote the script.
CD: You’re in this film with three of the most interesting personalities working in action films today. You have Scott (Adkins), Cung (Le), and Marko (Zaror): what can you tell me about working with those guys?
JJC: They’re amazing! We became really good friends after the shoot. I’ve actually known Cung for maybe three or four years. Back in Asia, we were in Macau and were guests at the UFC fight there. After that, we kept in touch on social media, but we didn’t see each other again until this film. We had a really great chat our first day together on set. We started to go to the gym together and train – Marko as well. The three of us would go watch UFC together and the gym. We invited Scott along but he was always filming. We really had a phenomenal time together on this film. I don’t get to fight in this film so I would watch them doing all these kicks and punches. Here I am, in high heels and a skirt; all I wanted to do was kick and punch too. When I wasn’t shooting, I would still practice my kicks. I can’t just sit around and do nothing, I need to keep practicing and training. I’m an active person and when I see other people doing it, I want to do it as well. When they weren’t shooting, they would join me and we would train together in our costumes, waiting to shoot. That’s what you would see behind the scenes; it was fun!
CD: What? You don’t get to fight in this film?
JJC: Well, I’m in a fight with another actor and he slaps me, but I can’t fight back (laughs). It was a real slap too. He hit me really hard too; that was a great take (laughs again). It was funny too because I could hear Cung in the back say, “Oh my God! That one hurt!” He could hear the smack all the way in the back of the room. I dropped to the floor and just kept acting. It was cool though, we were all just really into our characters. It was a perfect take and I think it’s the one they ended up using in the final cut of the film, the real slap on my face. Everyone said it sounded real and it did; it was a real smack.
CD: How did you prepare for the role of Isabella and how does she differ from some of the other characters you’ve played recently?
JJC: This character has a lot of layers. She looks like a really tiny girl, someone who needs to be protected, but she has a really strong personality. She’s a very emotional character, willing to stand up for what she believes in. Scott is a really good actor and it was so easy for me to work with him, and it was easy to dig into the emotional aspect with him. Keith David is also very experienced and I have a very strong scene with him as well. The character is also Vietnamese, so to prepare for the role I contacted some Vietnamese friends and learned their gestures, their culture, and I always had that in the back of my mind so I could be loyal to the character’s background. I wanted to create my own back story for her too, and it helped me to prepare and make her feel more real.
CD: Aside from SAVAGE DOG, do you have any other projects in the works?
JJC: I just finished MADE IN KOWLOON. It’s a Hong Kong film starring UFC fighter Anderson Silva and directed by Fruit Chan. Anderson flew to Hong Kong and shot the film there for two months. I was there for three months and I just flew back to L.A. I have an important role in the film and I have quite a few fight scenes in it. Jin Zhang from SPL 2 is in it as well. Right before I flew in, I shot the last fight scene with him. The work schedule in Hong Kong is so much different than shooting a film here in the States. You shoot for really long hours; sometimes you’ll only get two or three hours sleep before having to be back on set. I actually filmed eight projects last year.
CD: How does shooting an action scene differ in Hong Kong from shooting one here in the States?
JJC: In the States, a film will usually have a month of pre-production, so before the shoot you will already know exactly what you are doing, what moves you’re doing, and how the choreography will flow. You also get to rehearse the fight. In Hong Kong, we really don’t have pre-production for the action. You basically show up on set the day they are shooting it and then you find out. Sometimes it’s the day before, so you better have your skills ready. If you can’t do it, then they have someone else do it. They just shoot it in a way so no one can see your face.
CD: Growing up, who were some of your inspirations?
JJC: I grew up watching Donnie Yen, Michelle Yeoh, Bruce Lee, and Jackie Chan. They’re the reason why I wanted to learn the martial arts. I started training when I was ten and my father loved action films. We watched them almost every night and I would try to copy everything I saw. My father eventually put me in a proper school to begin training.
CD: Thank you, it was a treat.
JJC: Thank you!
