Joan Chen 12/14 | Asian American Personalities

Asian American Profiles

HEAVENLY AND EARTHY JOAN CHEN

PAGE 12 OF 14

Q: Then let's talk about the process whereby you get the parts. You're with William Morris?
A: Yeah.

Q: Do you still have to go to casting calls?
A: I don't go to cattle calls any more. The casting directors would single me out, treat me a little differently if I'm right for the part. Sometimes I get offers, sometimes I just go and take a meeting. I don't mind reading if it's a good environment to read. It's still very very competitive. I think Asian females in America are probably the highest paid film actresses.

Q: Why do you say that?
A: That's what my agent said.

Q: You mean on an average basis?
A: No, Asian actresses on the screen. I don't ask everybody how much they made. It could be my agent is just saying that to make me feel better so she doesn't have to work that hard.

Q: You expressed an interest in filmmaking. What are you doing about that?
A: I love stories. When I see a beautiful movie that I won't be acting in, I imagine me making a movie like it.

Q: Have you taken any steps to become a producer?
A: I don't really have the time yet. I'm pretty occupied as an actress right now. But I am [interested in producing] first for myself, because I see so many crappy roles out there I just don't want to play. Second, I just love good characters. Certain things I know there's no part for me but I just love the story, I would just love to tell it.

Q: Earlier you mentioned you were working on a soap opera called 24 about Chinese students in America...
A: The script is being published in China. There's some problems with other people, we're kind of holding it, we're not making it.

Q: You wrote it?
A: I co-wrote it.

Q: Are they fiction stories?
A: Fiction based on life.

Q:There was another project you were working on with your friend?
A: Mosquito Net is still alive. We sold the story to Golden Harvest. That's like my love, my passion. It's a very very good story. I also work with a writer whose name is Skye Lee, a Canadian Chinese writer who wrote a very beautiful book called Disappearing Moon Cafe, so we're trying to work out of the book and also her other stories into scripts. There are a few stories that I like, but I don't know how to approach them because there's no part for me--just books I read.

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Q: What kind do you read?
A: I've been reading very many different books. I used to follow writers, and whatever book they wrote, I would go buy right away. Since I've been in San Francisco I met Amy and through Amy I met other writers based in San Francisco. Isabelle Allende...

Q: Who's your favorite author?
A: Isabelle Allende. I like her stories a lot. Since I met her, I've read a lot more of her books. There's a writer that I read who wrote about native American people. Very good writer. I love her story. There are books recommended to me by friends, I mean writers that I've never heard of. Just books I've picked out while I was on location. And oftentimes while I was reading, I say, Wow, this is a great story! I would love to tell that story. I mean there is no part for me whatsoever...

Q: Do you read a lot?
A: I read a lot. On location that's all I do.

Q: You were working on a cosmetics line.
A: The perfume, yeah. It's coming out in November. PAGE 13

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