In an exclusive interview, Flickering Myth sat down with Ye Zhong to chat living in Los Angeles and her role in The Bet!
Hi Ye Zhong, welcome to Flickering Myth! When did you first realize you were meant to be an actress?
I dreamed of becoming an actress since the age of 14, but because my parents disapproved of it, growing up, my life had nothing to do with acting. After I graduated from college, I enrolled in an intensive program at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and UCLA and realized that I wanted to act for the rest of my life. In 2020, I was finally accepted to The Academy, the oldest acting school in the US, to train full-time. When I had just graduated from my full-time program, I was selected as a finalist by Warner Bros. TV Actors in Training program. I was very honored! In the same year, I decided to gain more theater experience, so I audited and was accepted for the Academy Company program. I was part of four plays in 7 months – intense but so much fun! All these fantastic experiences made me learn that I was born to be an actress and I want to keep acting as long as I can.
You hail from Southern China, what is the film / TV industry like there?
Actually, Northern China has a much bigger film and TV industry than the South. In general, the industry in China has a higher beauty standard for actors and actresses. It’s also harder to get into the industry compared with the US. If you want to be an actor, you usually need to pass the test to get into an acting college first to accept professional training, and then you get into the industry.
Are there many opportunities for a budding actress?
From my experience, getting to work in a bigger production is harder, but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. I would say there’re many different opportunities for new actors. People always need actors and actresses in their projects, short films, music videos, web series, commercials, etc. If you are who they need, they will give you a chance to audition. I got some auditions that I wouldn’t imagine I could get. So, I would say don’t limit yourself and keep applying. Keep working on your craft so that when the opportunity comes, you are ready.
Congrats on your role in The Bet! Can you tell us about the project?
For fun, I participated in this year’s Los Angeles 48 Hours Film Project with a group of friends from my acting school. Together we created a short film called The Bet!. It’s a short comedy buddy film about two men and a mysterious mission.
What character did you play?
I played a supportive role, Ms. Fang, in the film. People thought she was just a sweet lady who owned a Chinese restaurant, but actually, she is a mysterious key character who pushes the story under the table.
What were some of the filming challenges?
Time. Time was our biggest enemy during filming since we only had 48-hour to make a film. My scenes occurred at the film’s beginning and end, but we had to film them at the very end because of the location concerned. By that time, it was already midnight, and everyone was exhausted after a whole day of filming. We wrapped the film at 4am, and it definitely feels like we just finished a marathon.
How did you prepare for the role?
In real life, I am very different from my character in the film, so I talked to the director and the screenwriter to better understand my character. Then I did some script analysis before filming to ensure I had a clear objective. I also worked on my voice a little more than usual to lower my voice so that I could show the best color of my character.
Do you have a particular genre of film you prefer? If so, can you explain?
If possible, I would love to do all the genres in my acting career! But I want to do more dramatic films for sure. I love comedy, but I definitely watch more movies in the drama genre. An action film is something I would love to try one day. It would be a big challenge for me, but I always love doing combat scenes. I love the romance genre too… I guess I just want to try everything!
Are there any actors or directors you would love to work with in the future? Any actor you’d like to play alongside?
I have a list of actresses that I hope I can work with one day! Growing up, a lot of female actors inspired me. For actresses close to my age, I would love to work with Jennifer Lawrence and Saoirse Ronan. I always love their acting. For Asian actresses, I would love to with Michelle Yeoh and Masami Nagasawa. For directors, I wish one day I could work with Christopher Nolan, Ang Lee, and Chloé Zhao.
Finally, any advice you would give any actor who is trying to break into the entertainment industry?
There’re so many in my head, but one piece of advice I really want to give is to work more with your peers and learn from them. People always say making connections is very important in this industry. As new actors, we are always eager to know more famous casting directors and producers and hope they can help us with our careers. Yes, it is helpful, but I think it is also very important to make connections with people who are at the same stage as you, like new actors, producers, and directors, people who are also at the beginning and have the same passion as you. I am always amazed at how much I learn from my peers and how many opportunities they provide me. One of my acting teachers once said, “you never know how far people will go in this industry, so work with new people and never look down upon anyone. ” I always keep that in mind.
How can people find and follow your journey?
They can find me on Instagram as @yezhong_ and also on IMDB Ye Zhong! Thank you so much.
Our thanks to Ye Zhong for taking the time for this interview, and for Liz Rodriguez from EMR Media for helping us with the interview.
