HOLLYWOOD INSIDER
‘Mulan’ cast on women empowerment, racism and the COVID-19 pandemic
Published March 12, 2020 10:50am
By JANET SUSAN R. NEPALES
Los Angeles — Coming perfectly on the heels of the #MeToo movement and the cries for equal pay for women and women representation in the movie industry is the classic story of Mulan.
New Zealander filmmaker Niki Caro (“Whale Rider,” 2002) brings the epic tale of China’s legendary warrior to life in Disney’s “Mulan” which stars the 32-year-old actress Liu Yifei as the fearless female warrior who takes the place of her ailing father, masquerading as a man, and fighting against and with men.
Also starring Jet Li as the Emperor and Donnie Yen as Commander Tung, the movie is the live-action feature of the animated 1998 version where our very own Lea Salonga was the singing voice of Mulan.
Liu Yifei, who was born in Wuhan, Hubei, China, does a lot of action scenes in this version. Although also a singer, Liu does not sing in this movie. In fact, expect no singing from this live-action adaptation of the classic animated film.
After doing a lot of Chinese TV shows, Liu Yifei graduated to doing films like “The Forbidden Kingdom” (2008) with Jackie Chan and Jet Li and “The Assassins” (2012) with Chow Yun-Fat and “Outcast” (2014) with Nicolas Cage.
The cast of Disney's Mulan. Photo courtesy of Janet Susan R. Nepales/HFPA
Jet Li, 56, who was at one time considered the heir to the late Bruce Lee and who made films like the “Shaolin Temple” franchise and “The Expendables” (2010) with action stars Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham, came out of retirement and returned to the big screen to play the Chinese emperor in “Mulan.”
On the other hand, Donnie Yen, 56, from Canton, China, is a martial arts master who got his first big break when he appeared with Jet Li in “Once Upon a Time in China II” and also teamed up with Jackie Chan in “Shanghai Knights” in 2003.
We recently interviewed these talented actors and director in downtown Los Angeles and below are excerpts of our conversations with them:
Liu Yifei
Liu Yifei at the premiere of Disney's Mulan. Photo courtesy of Janet Susan R. Nepales/HFPA
Why is it so important for you to do this version of this movie?
I’m so happy and thankful for this beautiful opportunity because I think it opens up my imagination and it really is telling me that I’m on the right path.
When they’re asking me what is your goal as an actress — this is a very big question — I always say, don’t limit yourself. And some people might not get what I say but I’m not that kind of person. And this is showing that I’m on my right path and I love acting so much I would never give up and I enjoy every moment. And I’m happy that Mulan as this character, she too, she never gives up, she had the courage to look deep inside herself and to make choices to be the best version of her.
When you were making the film, were you thinking of both American and Chinese audiences?
The process is you don’t think about it. I don’t know if Niki agrees with me or if you agree with me, but my own process is, I can’t think of the result because it’s just so pure, the passion for the movie. You have to lose yourself and throw yourself in that character so you can’t think of anything else.
But to the result, I think if it’s a good movie, if the character herself is convincing then for both countries or for the world, it’s the same.
It's a story where women are empowered but at the same time conveying traditions are much more ingrained in a patriarchal society. How do you combine that?
I totally agree. There is no definition for I love you therefore because. I love you just because I love you. For a daughter, as a father, as a lover, that is so…it’s really the same for everything. And I love the openness of the story; I love to discover all the possibilities in that story because even though I’m Chinese, even though I play different characters, each character for me is a brand new journey.
I learned Mulan too, it’s not just oh you’re from China, you know her. No, for this journey I had to learn all the conflict and every detail that’s in her mind. I’m trying to put the pictures together. And I think we can do great things without knowing and accept who we really are. If we embrace everything we have and we do, we are going to achieve more.
You are originally from Wuhan. Do you still have family there? Your thoughts?
Thank you so much for your care in asking. My grandma, she is still in Wuhan and she’s doing great, thank you. People are being really careful. They’re really aware of themselves and being careful for others too. For me, I just really hope that this will work out soon and things will get better everyday.
Who inspired you in your career?
It’s Stanislavski. I think all the actors really have to thank him for what he’s done all his life.
Can you tell us about the audition process you had to go through?
Even in my wildest dreams I never really imagined that I would work with a woman director who is talented in this scale of a big movie, that’s happening now. So if you ask me if I am nervous, of course I’m nervous.
But on the other hand, I had to ask myself: Why do you want to audition? Is it just because this is a huge movie, what do you want? So I asked for a script to look at and it took me one day, the whole day, to process.
And then even to audition I did my homework; I wrote down notes throughout the flight. And I’m so sure that it’s me…no, I’m going to bring the strength and the acting in that day. But all I can do is just throw myself in that experience. I can’t think of any results.
And then after that, I went through the physical training. It’s also very interesting. Everything I do they had to record. You’re like, ok, I did an ok audition, a good audition, I don’t want to ruin it with less pushups, you have to push yourself so hard. And every time I am done with something the trainer will write something on that book, this thick, writing specific things, I don’t know what he’s writing.
What kind of inner motivation did you find in yourself to justify the action of Mulan or to be Mulan? You have to have some experience in your life.
What you say is one point, experience of yourself but I’m looking for something that is present. Because memory itself, of course memory is important but it’s always something you already had.
To learn a new experience means a whole other group of new surprises. Every night when I do my homework for the character, throughout my way, and if I find something new that passion can get me through tomorrow’s whole day training. That’s just really inner strength and I love that I feel for, the emotion that I felt for the character would really push me through all the journey that I need for training or for shooting. That feeling is here in my heart.