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mercredi 23 septembre 2009

LISA CHENG INTERVIEW: HONG KONG SPIDER GIRL

Known as the “Hong Kong Spider Girl”, world champion rock climber Lisa Cheng (鄭麗莎) is also an accomplished gymnast, martial artist, successful bodybuilder, and for the last four years has been the reigning queen of the Miss BodyFitness event at the Hong Kong Bodybuilding Championships.

Lisa’s extraordinary physical abilities and multiple athletic activities have led her into a career as actress, stuntwoman and fitness model, as well as sports broadcaster for the Chinese TV program Now Sports. Action Queens is proud to present Lisa Cheng’s first-ever interview in English! Enjoy...

Frédéric Ambroisine: Your real name is Lisa Cheng, but you’re also known as Lisa Sa. How did you choose this name?

Lisa Cheng: Actually, my real name is Cheng Lai Sho Lisa. I used Lisa Sa just for fun on FaceBook and it became really popular. Then people started to call me Sa-Sa, and I liked it (laughs)! That's why I am Lisa Sa.

FA: Does Sa-Sa have a meaning in English?

LC: No, it doesn’t. It’s just a short form of Lisa: Sa or Sa-Sa. I’m fine with people calling me by any name…



FA: You are involved in a lot of sports activities like climbing, bodybuilding, Thai boxing, gymnastics etc... When did you start practicing these sports?

LC: I have ten years experience climbing and four years in body fitness. I think climbing is my strength; I am “Spider Girl”! I started climbing in 1998, started body fitness in 2005, gymnastics and boxing in 2006, and Muay Thai in 2007. I’ve been a member of the Hong Kong Elite Sport Climbing Team since 2002, the Hong Kong Elite Body Building & Fitness Team since 2006, and I was on the Hong Kong Elite Aerobic Gymnastics Team in 2006 and 2007.



Lisa Cheng's daily routine: Working out, jumping and climbing!


FA: Have you ever used your climbing skills in real life for any reason?

LC: Um…. Climbing trees and catching a ball a few times, haha …Actually, I’ll climb anywhere if I think it’s not dangerous. It usually isn’t too high, and it’s just for fun.

FA: Why did you quit the Aerobic Gymnastics Team?

LC: The main reason I quit is because I broke my knee and incurred ligament injuries while training in 2006. I had surgery in 2007. Also, to be a member of the team I had to pay a training fee every month, which was quite expensive. So, right now I choose to do my gymnastics training in China. It’s cheaper than Hong Kong, more extensive, and very, very good.



Lisa Cheng: gymnastics training

FA: What contests have you won so far?

LC: I won the 2006 World Cup Championship in the World Speed Climbing Competition. In body fitness, I was the 2006 Miss East Asian Fitness Champion, and I also won the 2008 East Asian Championship. For the last six years I have won first place in the Hong Kong Women’s Speed Climbing Competition, and for the last four years I have consistently won the Hong Kong Body Fitness Championship.



Lisa Cheng: competing for Miss Fitness at the East Asian Bodybuilding and
Body Fitness
Championships (Mongolia
2008/Singapore 2006). Guess who won?
FA: You're also a model, stuntwoman, personal trainer and actress. How do you manage your time?

LC: Right now I’m living in Guangzhou, China and am focusing 100% on training for the August 2009 Asian Body Fitness and Miss Fitness Championships in Thailand (1). I am also preparing to compete in the December 2009 East Asian Games in Hong Kong. I currently work and train full time Monday through Friday: three hours of belly dancing and modeling in the morning, two hours of gymnastics in the afternoon, and two hours of body fitness workout at the the gym in the evening. I’ll probably keep up this work pace until December 2009. On Saturdays and Sundays I sometimes go back to Hong Kong to do some personal training at the gym, visit my family or do other activities.



Lisa Cheng in 2009: strong is beautiful!

FA: Tell me about your action movie role!

LC: I played a hit woman in the 2008 movie “Mutant Cop” (<變種警察> or <狙击黑白森林>) [unreleased movie starring Simon Yam and Michael Miu]. I’m sorry I don’t know the English title!! I was a stuntwoman for this movie, so I used a gun and other weapons to kill a few guys... In the end, their friends shot me back and I died (laughs)! Actually, being an action actress has been my dream since childhood. Now that I am getting older and can afford to obtain more training, I really want to keep learning different skills and continue to improve myself. I want to be ready and able to handle all the different requirements of any job opportunity I might get!

FA: Who are your favorite actors and actresses?

LC: 100% Angelina and her man! I like her character in “Tomb Raider”. She’s elegant, special, beautiful, healthy and sexy. As far as Hong Kong actors, I like Michelle Yeoh and Andy Lau.



Left: Lisa Cheng & Angelina Jolie (montage) - Right: ready for Halloween! (2008)

FA: You also had a role in the movie “Blood Money”. When was that?

LC: The shooting of “Blood Money” took place in December 2008. It’s an Australian action thriller directed by Greg McQualter. They shot it in Hong Kong, China and Australia, so there were three different production crews: one for each country. The action directors came from different countries as well. I knew one of them, Zheng Liu from Beijing. As far as I remember, the story is about a drug dealer who kills somebody’s parents so their son comes back to seek revenge…

FA: What role did you play?

LC: Actually, I just played a pretty chick in this movie….I didn’t have any action! Haha! But I found a lot of guns on the set and wanted to show them some action. So I held a gun, played with my friends, and took some pictures. I love action! I hope to show it in front of the camera, not behind. Haha!

FA: You recently had a role in the comedy “All's Well Ends Well 2009”. Tell me about it.

LC: I play one of Ronald Cheng’s unlucky girlfriends. We shot it in May 2008. I spent nine hours working on my stunt, but it only appears in the movie for a couple seconds! Basically, I get hit by a carpet being carried in a passing car, and get carried away by the carpet! I personally knew a lot of the people involved with the film, and the director Vincent Kok took good care of me because the scene was a little dangerous. But I had so much fun filming that I didn’t consider it as work at all!



Ronald Cheng and Lisa Cheng in “All's Well Ends Well 2009”

FA: What kind of characters would you like to play in the future?

LC: I would like to try all different kinds of roles, but I think I'd be better at doing action movies.



Lisa Cheng: photoshoot for the August 2009 edition of Sportsoho (#7)

FA: When did you do your first TV or movie work?

LC: Let’s see… if I remember right, it was in 2006. Once I had won the World Cup in the World Speed Climbing Competition, more people started to notice me. This has enabled me to begin working in TV and movies.

FA: Do you have a manager or managing company who takes care of all your work, or are you your own manager?

LC: I handle everything myself!

FA: What have you had to do as a stuntwoman? Do you think stunt work is a tough or dangerous job?

LC: I actually don’t have very much stunt experience; just a couple times… but I used to play around just for fun. I feel that being a stunt woman is quite a dangerous job. However, if I am not confident that I can safely perform the required action, I will not take the risk. I have seen quite a lot of people get hurt. I want be an actress more than a stunt woman. I haven’t done much film work but I want to do more in the future. I don’t think my stunt experiences have been very dangerous. I thought it was all good fun: jumping into the sea, getting hit by a car a little bit, getting shot and dying, shooting people, stabbing people with a knife, fighting, climbing... I don’t think this is too dangerous. It’s so much fun! I have never had any stunt training for movies and I have never gotten hurt. But I have been injured during my regular training.



Lisa Cheng: Just some regular “Spider Girl” training!

FA: What happened?

LC: I tore my right knee ligament when I was practicing a high-to-low flip with a rotating landing. I tore my ACL ligament. So sad…

FA: For which TV and movie companies have you worked?

LC: I have worked freelance for different companies, but have spent most of my time at Now TV doing work for their sports program Now Sports.



Lisa Cheng with the Now Sports team

FA: You seem to feel comfortable talking in front of the camera for your TV interviews. Is this natural for you or did you have to gradually learn how to do it?

LC: I feel very natural in front of the camera because I just talk about my real life. I have no special training but I do have a little bit of experience. I have been interviewed by many different sport medias since I was a child.



Edcon Gabriel and Lisa Cheng preparing for an episode for Now Sports (June 2008)

FA: When were you contacted by the TV channel Now Sports to be a TV broadcaster?

LC: I’ve been working for Now Sports since January 2008. When I started, I did voice-over behind the screen once or twice a week for about three months. After that, Now Sports wanted me to sign a contract with them as full-time staff but I didn’t want to work under contract so I refused. Instead I have been doing freelance work for them.

FA: What are the easy parts, or difficult parts, about this job?

LC: I think I can communicate easily with everybody. I have discovered that many people enjoy talking with me and dialoguing. I think that the difficult part of this job is when I’m expected to talk about the rules of a sport I am not familiar with. I need to study the game and memorize all the rules in a very short period of time.

FA: How long do you spend preparing for one episode of the TV program?

LC: The truth is that I never really have much time to prepare. I work under a research team; they give me the information I need right before the deadline, or face to face on the actual day of shooting. So sometimes I need to do some extra research myself.



Lisa Cheng revising before a monologue for Now Sports (July 2008)

FA: Are the episodes scripted or improvised?

LC: They provide me with voice-over scripts for each episode. And they also provide me with recommended questions and reference materials when I interview somebody.


FA: Why did you choose to learn boxing and Muay Thai?

LC: I started boxing because I have a friend in gymnastics who is also a boxer. So it was easy for me to begin. A few months after I started regular training, I had an accident - my knee injury - so I couldn’t train anymore. But I didn’t want to give up on it, so I took a boxing coach course to learn about the theory. At that time I had a friend who was a Hong Kong boxing team committee coach. The Hong Kong team were about to enter a Muay Thai competition in Thailand. I wanted to travel and I wanted to watch fights so I bought a ticket and followed them. I found that Muay Thai is more skilled, more useful and more dynamic than boxing. And I found out that Muay Thai training in Thailand is cheap and professional: very systematic training programs are the norm there. So I started to come to Thailand by myself. I go back from time to time….



Lisa Cheng: Muay Thai Action Queen! (Thailand 2008)

FA: Did you choose to train in Muay Thai in order to attend a Mixed Martial Arts competition?

LC: I worked as a K-1 commentator for Now Sports and have also often watched MMA fights. Doing these things was motivation for me to want to train in fighting. I think Muay Thai is the most harmful fighting in the MMA (laughs)!!



Lisa Cheng & Master Noi: Muay Thai training in Bangkok (2008)


FA: Have you ever fought in real life?

LC: The last time I really fought was when I was a kid… haha! No more after that… I think I changed my attitude after I got into the sports field. It’s been a long time since I have even argued with anyone.

FA: And have you fought in a martial arts competition before?

LC: I have not yet entered a fight competition but I think I will someday. I want to win, so I want to be well prepared.

FA: Women with too much muscle are not really...“feminine”, right? I assume there are different categories and different kinds of training for female bodybuilders. Can you explain a little bit about your bodybuilding training?

LC: I agree that women should not have too much muscle. I’m in the Body Fitness and Miss Fitness categories, which are different from the Bodybuilding category. So I don’t need to build up too much muscle. I need to be more feminine, pretty, sexy, and have a healthy muscle style for the Body Fitness category. So I usually just put a lot of energy into training at the gym: five days a week, two hours per session. Concerning Miss Fitness, we are judged on the level of the physical ability of our bodies. There is a 90-second aerobic session in which you have to show off your physical skills onstage. That’s why I’m learning gymnastics right now. (2)

FA: Is there any female bodybuilder that you like?

LC: Yes! Roongtawan Sing Jindasing. She’s a Body Fitness, Bodybuilding and Miss Fitness champion. She’s from Thailand and was my idol when I started out in the field. On top of her multiple championships, I really like her face…and her heart.

FA: Which category do you prefer: Body Fitness or Miss Fitness?

LC: The goal of Body Fitness is to have a perfect body, and Miss Fitness is for showing off physical skills. I like the Miss Fitness category more, but Body Fitness is actually easier for me to win. I hope that more hard work will help me have better results in both categories.




Lisa Cheng:Miss Fitness event, 2008 Asian Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships

FA: I noticed that most of the magazines about Hong Kong movie stars primarily gossip about their private lives. But it seems that magazines about sports celebrities are more serious and respectful. Am I right or wrong?

LC: Absolutely right!! I think everybody in Hong Kong, not just magazines, has respect for athletes. I like my image because I represent Hong Kong when I compete with other countries. On the other hand, regarding movie stars, this is just the way Hong Kong is… Everybody likes to talk about the stars so the media likes to follow them around and expose their private lives.

FA: For which magazines have you modeled? Was it only for Fitness magazines? Or for fashion magazines too? Any other sports magazines?

LC: I have been interviewed by almost all the Hong Kong magazines and newspapers but the interviews were mostly about my life. Occasionally they ask me to do a bit of fashion modeling, which I am happy to do. I have mostly appeared in teen and sport magazines. I have also done photo shoots for catalogues, posters and things like that for different sports companies like Nike, High Peak, Sport Direction, Exxtasy, Orca and SSI.

FA: What commercial and/or fitness videos have you shot recently?

LC: I recently shot an instructional video on how to use the fitness facilities in the Hong Kong Police fitness rooms. It was a project for the Police sponsored by the Hong Kong Government.

FA: How do you feel about the July 2009 cancellation of the Bodybuilding events by the East Asian Games Association?(3)

LC: It was unbelievable! When I heard that the Bodybuilding events were suddenly cancelled, my heart was totally broken! I had been excited and looking forward to joining the competition for an entire year. The East Asian Games Association had decided to host the Bodybuilding events and they were to take place in my home town, Hong Kong. I had East Asian competitor experience and I believed that I would be very successful and do well if I just worked hard. I decided to give up my job and even paid to go all by myself to China to do some hard training. I still feel really sad and disappointed. Now I will attend a different tournament in China. I usually use the China competition to warm up for the East Asian Games, but now I will put all my heart into the upcoming China tournament. I will actually compete in the several Miss China Fitness competitions held throughout China in September and November 2009.



Lisa Cheng - Hong Kong - September 2009

FA: Any other projects?

LC: I tutor school fitness courses because I want to save money for travelling, training and other goals! I also plan to begin preparing to do more work in commercial jobs. I’ll tell you something: I don’t know why, but I have a special feeling that something is coming up for me soon. I really hope so! Haha!

Interview conducted by Frédéric Ambroisine July-September 2009. Edited for ActionQueens.com by Sylvia Rorem and Patty Keung (Gig Creations). Photos: Lisa Cheng's personnal collection. Research for ActionQueens.com: Victor Gee, Adeline C. Kayee, Michael Ortega and dleedlee (HKMDB forum). Mega-thanks to Lisa Cheng for her kindness and patience!

(1) This section of the interview was done in early July 2009. Since then, Lisa Cheng won both the August 2009 Asian Body Fitness and Miss Fitness Championships in Thailand.
(2) Additional comment by Lisa Cheng: “Since the cancellation of the Bodybuilding events at the 2009 East Asian Games, I am now training at the gym seven days a week, two hours or more per session.”
(3) Read more about the cancellation here Bodybuilding muscled out of 2009 EAG (China Daily) and
here Lisa Cheng feels lost at Bodybuildong contest being cu (Ta Kung Pao)
(Chinese only)

Translation of above article - Ta Kung Pao - July 22nd, 2009: Hong Kong athlete Lisa Cheng is in Guangzhou preparing for the East Asian Games. She feels very shocked and disappointed that the Bodybuilding events have been cut. When asked to comment regarding the incident, she said, “I was only informed by a friend this afternoon. I feel hurt and almost unable to accept this reality. I’ve only just pulled myself together. Ever since I found out that there would be Bodybuilding events at this year’s East Asian Games I have been practicing diligently. In fact, I am training with China’s Guangzhou body building team right now. I have a lot of advantage in this contest and am very confident I could win a medal. Now that I know the contest has been cut, I feel lost and very upset. Originally I intended to use the East Asian Games as a warm up before I entered the national contest in Thailand. Now I can only focus on the Thailand contest.” There is a rumor that there are conflicts between the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) and the Asian Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (ABBF). The IFBB has apparently tried to block the official capacity of the ABBF. About this, Lisa comments, “I have heard before that there were conflicts between the two federations, but as an athlete, not everything is under my control. I can only do my best within my own arena.”




vendredi 18 septembre 2009

A TRIBUTE TO BUTTERFLY WU AT THE PARIS CHINESE FILM FESTIVAL!

The 4th annual Festival du Cinéma Chinois de Paris (Paris Chinese Film Festival) will be held at the Gaumont Opéra theaters September 22nd through October 26th, 2009. More than 30 screenings will feature many new releases including Feng Xiao-gang’s “If You Are The One / La Perle Rare 非诚勿扰”; Gordon Chan’s “Painted Skin 画皮”; Cheng Kaige’s “Mei Lanfang梅蘭芳” and Ning Jingwu’s “Lala’s Gun 滚拉拉的枪” (closing movie – the director will be attending!). Classic films include the great animation movie “The Monkey King” and a 2005 documentary about the Shanghai Animation Film Studio co-directed by Chinese cinema expert Marie-Claire Quiquemelle (also attending!).

The Festival also includes a special tribute to the Queen of Chinese Cinema, Hu Die 胡蝶 a.k.a. Butterfly Wu (1908-1989), the famous “Girl in Red” from the lost 1928 film series “Burning of the Red Lotus Temple 火烧红莲寺”. This film was the first major Chinese martial arts movie and also the longest movie ever made, with a running time of 27 hours divided between 18 parts!


The film festival begins on September 22nd, and Opening Night, September 29th, features A Tribute To Butterfly Wu presented by Frédéric Mitterand (French Minister of Culture), Wang Taihua (Chinese Minister of Radio, Cinema and Television), Jérôme Seydoux (Co-President of Pathé Films), Jean-Jacques Annaud (Film Festival “Godfather”) and Deanna Gao (Film Festival Founder and President).

  • Butterfly Wu Tribute films: (click on title to read summary):

September 29th, 2009
8.00 pm “The Twin Sisters / Sœurs Jumelles 姊妹花” (1933)

October 1st, 2009
6.10 pm “A Marriage Through Tears and Laughter / Amours Prédestinés 啼笑姻缘” (1932)
8.00 pm “The Dreams of Spring / Rêves de Printemps 春之梦” (1946)

October 2nd, 2009
6.00 pm “The Divine / Le Fard et les Larmes 胭脂泪” a.k.a. “Rouge Tears” (1938)
8.10 pm “The March of Tenderness / Le Marché de la Tendresse 脂粉市场” (1933)

October 3rd , 2009
4.40 pm “Destins de Femmes / A Bible for Daughters 女儿经” a.k.a. “Bible for Girls” (1934)

This is the very first time these extremely rare prints will be shown outside of China, so don’t miss this amazing opportunity!

Festival’s Website: French - English - Chinese
Other Link: Empress Butterfly: Hu Die (The Chinese Mirror)
mercredi 16 septembre 2009

CANDACE KITA INTERVIEW PART 1: HOLLYWOOD HOTTIE

After playing an American housewife turned Super Villainess in the Fox Kids television show “Masked Rider” while still a teenager, actress and model Candace Kita quickly moved on to sexier characters in movies (“Barb Wire”, “I now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”) and television (“Complete Savages”, “Son of the Beach”, “Two and a Half Men”, “Nip/Tuck”).

Candace is also a women’s safety advocate and created a weekly radio show in L.A. called Hottie Help with Candace Kita in October 2008. This year she will publish The Hottie Handbook: A Girl's Guide to Safety. She also recently inspired an action comic book, Kyu-Shin, closed a deal with iPhone, is appearing in a 2010 calendar and is launching a cosmetics line for Asian women. Before you read about Candace’s future projects, please enjoy this first part of her interview in which she discusses her modeling and acting careers….




Frédéric Ambroisine: Kita is not your real last name. Why did you change it?

Candace Kita: I changed my last name several years ago after “Masked Rider” when I joined a new agency. People at the agency thought Candace Bender (my real name) varied by only a few letters to the actress Candice Bergen. So it was changed on their advice. Kita means "north" in Japanese. Many times actors change their names because their real names are too close or exactly the same to someone who is already famous. Funny, huh?


FA: You are Japanese-American. Were you born in Japan or in the US?

CK: I was born in the United States and was raised all over including California, Texas, Florida, Belgium and England.

FA: Do you speak Japanese?

CK: I speak very little Japanese unfortunately. I was primarily raised in areas where there weren’t a lot of Japanese-speaking people and didn’t have the opportunity to go to Japanese school on the weekends like a lot of Japanese Americans. Sometimes I watch the Japanese soaps and game shows on TV and can sort of make out what is going on.

FA: How often do you go to Japan?

CK: I’ve actually only been to Japan once; it was a great experience and one of my goals is to go back very soon.

FA: How long did you live in Belgium and England before moving to Texas?

CK: I was in England for two years and I was in Belgium for a year.

FA: Why did you choose to study philosophy and religion in college?

CK: I have always been interested in philosophy. Where I went to school, the philosophy and religion departments were tied together so I ended up double majoring in both. I also have an equivalent to an art minor. After college I pursued a Master’s degree in sociology. But I am lacking my thesis because I got bitten by the acting bug and quit to pursue a career in the dramatic arts.

FA: You started your artistic activities as a flautist. When was that?

CK: I started playing the flute when I was 11 years old. I love music and was interested in a woodwind instrument in particular. I ended up playing in the Palm Beach Symphony Orchestra and had many wonderful experiences because of it.

FA: You also studied sign language. When and why?

CK: I studied American Sign Language in college because I had always been interested in it as a language. It is a conceptual language and the signs really correspond to their meaning. Because of this, I felt like it would be an easy language to pick up. It has actually really helped in acting as I’ve booked quite a few roles doing sign language over the years. I can be seen doing sign language in the movie “VIP” with Pamela Anderson.

FA: How did you get the opportunity to start modeling?

CK: One day I walked into a hair salon with a girlfriend of mine. She was going to get her haircut and I was just along for the ride. I have very long hair and was sitting in the foyer waiting for her. The owner of the salon asked if I would appear in an advertisement for the salon. That was my first job and it sort of went from there. I didn’t initially pursue it at all, but opportunities began to present themselves when I was out and about. I was eventually with the Wilhelmina Agency in Los Angeles for five years.

FA: What did you learn from the agency?

CK: I learned the importance of keeping your book fresh with new pictures all of the time. It is really important to shoot often to get new looks. And it is important to build good relations with clients so they will ask you back each year.

FA: What kind of work did they give you?

CK: I had campaigns for Nordstrom, Marshall Fields, Neiman Marcus, The Little Book, XOXO, Diesel, Chinese Laundry, Brighton Shoes and Accessories, Life Stride. These and others were my main clients that I worked with each year.



FA: When and how did you make the transition into acting? And where did you study?

CK: Modeling opportunities may have presented themselves to me, but beginning to act was a concerted effort. I first had to move to Los Angeles in the 90’s and then began pounding the pavement just like every other actor out there. I have always had a private coach whom I’ve worked with for years and hire him for every theatrical audition. But I’ve also studied with some great commercial and theatrical teachers in Los Angeles. Most recently, I’m taking a comedy class that will begin next month. So it is never-ending studying in a nutshell.

FA: Did you move to L.A. specifically to become an actress?

CK: Yes, I moved to L.A. with the express interest in being an actor. Good thing I didn't know how difficult it would be until I got here or I might have never moved!

FA: Your first movie appearance was in the 1991 film “Stealth Hunters”. How did this opportunity happen? Were you still living in Texas at that time?

CK: Yes, this is a great question. Sometimes things literally fall into your lap. I was living in Texas at the time and was in graduate school. A friend of mine was a special effects makeup artist and considered the best in Texas. His friend did all of the special effects weaponry on “Robocop” which was filmed in Dallas. He had a friend who was directing a film and needed a newscaster. I came in and got the part. Ironically, they changed the end of the film at the last minute and I got cut out.

FA: How easy or difficult is it to work with the right people when you’re a beginner?

CK: I was lucky; within two weeks of moving to L.A. I had both a commercial and theatrical agent. But I also didn't sit around either. I immediately found a bookstore that catered to actors, found an agent and managers book, and made over 80 submissions by mail. I'll never forget. I received calls within a week and had met with over twelve agencies within the next two weeks, and chose my agent and manager then.

FA: "Masked Rider" was your first major role. How did you get the part?

CK: I auditioned five times for the part. This took place over the course of a month. Usually you find out quickly if you’ve landed a role. For this part, every time I went to a callback, I thought that was it and moved on. Then, a week later, I’d get a call to go back again. I was much younger than the role so at first this was a problem for them. At the 4th audition, they paired me up with a few people to see who I looked right with. And the 5th I finally went to network. And after I got the part they had me come in a few times so hair and makeup could play with my look to get it just right for actual shooting.



Candace Kita in Saban's "Mask Rider" (1995)

FA: Can you describe your character in "Masked Rider"?

CK: My character, Barbara Stewart, was married to Hal Stewart. They were the typical American couple, but I was Asian and we had two adopted children, one Caucasian and one African American. We were FOX-KIDS’ first multi-racial family. Our family adopts another son who is from a far-away planet. We don’t know this and all sorts of funny things start to happen because of this. My character was kidnapped to Spider Base in outer space and becomes a villain, Barbaria. She then fights the Masked Rider.



Candace Kita as Barbaria on the set of "Mask Rider" (1995)


FA: After playing the calm, soft, typical housewife Barbara, you go to the dark side as Barbaria. It seems that you had a lot of fun playing the bad girl. How did you prepare yourself to play Barbaria?



CK: Barbara Stewart and Barbaria are two completely different characters, to say the least. I basically prepared myself by getting into the costume. I remember a quote from Jimmy Stewart; he said if he got into the shoes of his character he would become the person. Getting into the costume, which is quite elaborate, helped immensely. Also, as a sidenote, becoming Barbara Stewart was no easy task either. I don't look like Barbara, and was always the first one in the makeup chair at 5:45 a.m. each day. It involved heavy makeup and a laquered hairdo. It looked very simple on camera, but was actually not. A few times we rehearsed a scene early on set before going into makeup. The crew with whom I had worked for over a year did not recognize me.

FA: “Masked Rider” is basically an Americanized version of "Kamen Rider", right?


CK: Yes, the American version took pre-existing footage of “Kamen Rider” in Japan and used it in the new series here in the States. We did three seasons and 40 episodes, including one episode, “Ferbus’ First Christmas”, that won the Film Advisory Board Award for Excellence in Portraying Family Values. The concept was basically an alien from a distant planet, Edenoi, is marooned on earth. While on earth, he is adopted by a kind family, the Stewarts, and learns about life on earth while fighting the evil Count Dregon and his minions. The villains were great on the show and were my favorite to watch.

FA: Were you familiar with "Kamen Rider" before working on "Masked Rider"?

CK: No I was not, and researched as soon as I was told I got the part. It is funny, last July I was a guest at Comicon, San Diego. When I was there I was introduced to the director and producer of the new “Masked Rider” series. Many of the cast members in the new show had also not heard of “Masked Rider” and did the exact same thing I did as soon as they found out they got the part!

FA: Other than “Masked Rider”, you also appeared regularly in two other TV series between 2001 and 2004...

CK: Yes, I was a series recurring in a show for ABC called “Complete Savages”. I play Mel Gibson’s girlfriend, Misty, and die a funny death in three episodes. It is the only time Mel Gibson has acted on American television.


Candace Kita & Mel Gibson: Two Misty's deaths in "Complete Savages" (2004)

FA: You and Mel Gibson did some hilarious spoof safety videos for the series. Four years later you have your own radio show about safety, Hottie Help. Is this a coincidence?

CK: I know; it is funny. I realized that a while back too. Mel Gibson was executive producer of the series so he would cameo as Officer Steve Cox. Each week I died an unusual death like Kenny in “South Park”. So it is ironic. Mel and I actually spoke about people behaving inappropriately, but little did I know I'd write a book about it.


Mel & Candace in "Complete Savages" (2004 - Episode: "Thanksgiving with the Savages")

FA: How did you meet Mel Gibson for the first time, and how was it to work with the star of “Mad Max”, “Lethal Weapon”, “Braveheart” and
Payback?

CK: Mel is a super nice, easy going, energetic person. He has more energy than almost any other person I have met. I met him the first day on set and he was full of life and made me laugh. He is actually known for being a prankster on set. He had me put on fake chest hair in the makeup department once for fun. Then in rehearsals for the hot tub scene, he told me to very casually take off my robe and get into the tub with him. The crew was so shocked for a moment no one said anything. Then, they all burst out laughing.



Candace & Mel on the set of "Complete Savages" (2004 - Episode: "Hot Water")

FA: Your “Complete Savages” safety videos are hilarious! They should have appeared more often!

CK: Mel had plans for many more episodes with me, but the series was cancelled. His next episode involved me getting attacked by giant ants at a picnic. That would have been super! And another episode where Officer Steve Cox has flashbacks and imagines me in a rice patty with a gun and huge bamboo hat on. I told him that was too stereotypical and I didn't think it would make it on air. Haha. I was also a regular on “Son of the Beach” - a spoof of “Baywatch” - on FX. I did five episodes with Tim Stack.



Candace Kita in "Son of the Beach" (2001 - Episode: "Rod Strikes Back")

FA: In the beginning of your acting career, you appeared briefly in the great erotic thriller “Wild Side” starring Christopher Walken, Anne Heche, Joan Chen and Steven Bauer...

CK: My part was cut out of “Wild Side” although I appear in the credits.

FA: Actually, you appear in the 110-minute director's cut of "Wild Side"! I read that the movie was taken from director Donald Cammel and was cut by the studio. He was so upset that he committed suicide. Four years later in 2000, the original editor restored it and made the director's cut available on DVD (Tartan UK). Did you know about that?

CK: How funny, I was cut out of one version and not the other! Yes, I knew about Donald Cammel committing suicide a few years after the fact. I knew his wife, China Kong, and felt badly for her afterwards. I don't know what she is doing now as it has been several years. Donald co-directed a very good movie starring Mick Jagger in 1970, “Performance”.



Christopher Waken, Candace Kita and Anne Heche in "Wild Side" (1996)

FA: You’re very funny as a prison convict in an episode of "Pepper Dennis" with Rebecca Romijn. What was it like shooting?

CK: It was interesting because we shot for one week in a real women's correctional facility in Los Angeles; it was high security and very interesting being in a real jail. Haha. We wore the real orange jumpsuits and were in tiny 9 x 12' cells. It made me realize you really don't want to ever go to jail; the food is just terrible!



Candace Kita and Rebecca Rominj in "Pepper Denis" (2006)

FA: You’re going to be in the very last episode of "Nip/Tuck". Can you tell me more about it?

CK: I am only allowed to say that I am a guest star on the final episode of “Nip/Tuck”. This is the very last show of the entire series, not season, and will show sometime in 2010. They said it is a "cheeky" ending to a "cheeky" series. I had actually never seen an episode until after I got the part. It is a very tongue-in-cheek show. The cast is great and Famke Janssen (“X-Men”) also has a role in the series finale.



Candace Kita on the set of "Nip/Tuck" (2009)

FA: Have you always had full control of your image as a model and actress?

CK: No and this is something that is difficult. Sometimes it is very difficult to control your image. I suggest to new models to always read the contract carefully; take the time to read it fully. And if you have any questions, ask.

End of part 1. Coming soon: Candace Kita: The Hottie Helper. In this second and final part of her interview, Candace will talk about her women’s safety radio show, Hottie Help with Candace Kita; her charity work with Hotties with a Heart; the Comic Con; the action fantasy comic book Kyu-shin, and her many other new projects!


Interview conducted by Frédéric Ambroisine in July/August 2009 and edited by Sylvia Rorem in September 2009 for ActionQueens.com. Thanks to Mike Rollerson & Candace Kita.

Candace Kita Official Website
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