Russell Wong: No monkey business - FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo

To most Filipino fans, the name Russell Wong may not ring a bell just yet but the face does look very familiar. You must have seen him somewhere, haven’t you?

Of course, you have. Russell is the sexy hunk (6’1" tall and weighing 185 lbs.) in The Joy Luck Club where, in the party scene, he seduces a Chinese girl by first biting into a watermelon in extreme close-up, making the fruit look like a slice of delicious red meat, before launching into a waltz with her across the huge ballroom. Perhaps Filipino fans started to connect with the "familiar face" with "the name that doesn’t ring a bell - yet" when they saw him in Romeo Must Die (with Jet Li) for which Russell was nominated for the Best Actor plum in the first ever recent Annual AMMY Awards (alongside Chow Yun Fat, Keanu Reeves and Jet Li himself).

Russell also starred in the film adaptation of the James Clavell’s best-seller Taipan, in Wayne Wang’s Eat a Bowl of Tea, Abel Ferrera’s China Girl, China Cry, New Jack City and the TV series Vanishing Son.

Early next year, Russell will be seen as the title role in the Hallmark Entertainment mini-series The Monkey King, with Thomas Gibson and Bai Ling as co-stars, in which he plays half-monkey and half-human. Written by David Hwang, The Monkey King is an adaptation of the ancient Chinese novel Journey to the West (by Wu Chen), filmed in Singapore, Malaysia and Prague.

Here’s the synopsis of The Monkey King:

American Nicholas Orton, a former scholar of Chinese literature, has sold out to become a cowboy capitalist in China. The goddess of mercy, Kwan Ying, disguises herself as a contemporary woman to lure him into the underground world of the Han Emperor’s tomb, where he discovers a magical world filled with the legendary figures of Chinese mythology. The lost original manuscript of Journey to the West, a great Chinese folk novel, has been stolen by a gang of demons, who are on the verge of destroying it; if they succeed, Nick’s world above will be plunged back into the dark ages. Together with the Monkey King, a god whose adventures were recorded in Journey to the West, Nick embarks on a pilgrimage to recover the lost manuscript and deliver it back to safety in his world.

Along the way, they’re joined by Monkey King’s old comrades from Journey to the West to battle numerous demons as well as the philosopher Confucius himself. Nick also falls in love with Kwan Ying, who will lose her magical powers if she returns his love. Through these adventures, Nick reclaims his original devotion to Chinese literature, and Monkey learns the power of romantic love.

A bachelor at 37, Russell was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" by People magazine. He’s a native of New York, one of seven children of a retired Chinese restaurateur and a Dutch artist mother. Besides acting, his special talents include martial arts (he does his own stunts), photography, golfing, boxing, singing and mime. Russell was in Singapore last week for the early promo of The Monkey King and Funfare had a 10-minute phone interview with him.

Excerpts:

Why do you think they cast you as the Monkey King?

"One of the monkey’s traits is arrogance. Maybe they cast me as the Monkey King because I’m full of ego." (Laughs)

How did you prepare for the role?

"I went to a zoo and videotaped monkeys as part of my research. I also read an English translation of the three volumes of the original story."

How long did you shoot the mini-series?

"About 12 weeks. I spent an average of 14 hours a day on the set."

How much of you is Chinese, how much is American and how much is Dutch?

(Laughs) "From the waist up, I’m Chinese; from the waist down, I’m Dutch. Inside me, I’m more of an American, having grown up in America. My father is Chinese and my mother is Caucasian."

How were you brought up, the Chinese way or the American way - or a mix of both?

"My Dad was working all the time and my Mom was the one often left at home, so I must have imbibed more Caucasian traits. But in movies, I do mostly Chinese things so that must be how I imbibed Chinese culture."

Do you speak Chinese?

"Only a little Mandarin."

Have you visited China?

"I’ve been to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong."

You started in showbiz early, didn’t you?

"At 18, I started studying pantomime, dance and acting lessons, and martial arts. I’ve always wanted to be an actor since I was a kid."

Do you think Asian actors in Hollywood are limited to Asian roles?

"Pretty much."

Isn’t it frustrating?

"Yeah, it’s frustrating."

Do you think there’s a discrimination in Hollywood against Asian actors (as there seems to be against Afro-American actors)?

"To some degree, yes."

Would you strip naked for a role?

"It depends on who’s going to direct the movie, what the story is all about. It has to be a very interesting material."

By the way, how did it feel being chosen one of the "50 Most Beautiful People"?

"Flattering. Yeah, very flattering!"