 FAN MAN Photos courtesy of BLT Roger Fan is one of the stars of Justin Lin's Better Luck Tomorrow. Aside from being an all around good guy, he's been in tons of commercials, a few features including Corky Romano, and also was one of the makers of "The Quest for Length," a short film about short penises. |
|
GR: Do you work a day job, or do you act all the time? RF: I've been in L.A. for over seven years. In that time I have been very, very lucky. Acting has been paying my bills 100 percent, and I have yet- to have to take on a day job. I was fortunate enough to meet a really progressive commercial agent who got me off and running quite quickly. Since then, I have done 40-plus commercials shown the U.S. and worldwide. The best thing about having a great commercial agent is that you have the financial freedom to focus on your acting: theatre, independent films, etc. This stuff is crucial in terms of getting your skills up to par with the best. They allow an actor to stretch and explore so that when bigger, more lucrative opportunities come by--such as studio films, leads in TV shows, etc.--he or she will be ready and, hopefully, be regarded as a fine actor. GR: What was the vibe like on the set of BLT? RF: Working on Better Luck Tomorrow was amazing. It was magical in every sense of the word. Every now and then you see some A-list stars on Charlie Rose or The Actor's Studio talking about magic on a set. They're usually referring to a low-budget indie they decided to work on instead of the $20 million payday they would have gotten for an action film. I never understood what magic meant until I worked on BLT. Because we had no money, the only reason people would want to do the project is if they were personally inspired by it. From the minute I read the script I had a strong hunch that it was something special. The script was so well-written: deep, funny, unpredictable, great character journeys, etc. GR: Was it fun? RF: Better Luck Tomorrow was the most difficult project I ever worked on, but also the most fun. There was this tremendous sense of love and family that I have never felt on any film of any budget. Everyone came to the film with a strong sense of personal passion and wanted to make the best damn film they possibly could. I consider myself very lucky. I strongly believe that an actor can go through an entire career and never experience the magic we had on our set. Everyone kept his or her eyes on the prize. Everyone put their personal egos aside and focused on the bigger picture, like "Let's make a kick ass film!" You couldn't wait to get back on the set and work because the material was so exciting and dangerous, and the people on it felt more like family than just people you work with. GR: What was Justin Lin like on the set? RF: Justin was like Captain Picard on the Enterprise. He was really cool and calm, and you always felt safe on his project. Here's a guy who knew the technical aspects of film inside and out (which is a rarity for any filmmaker) and also had the ability to really work with people and with actors (which another rarity). Most directors are either technically savvy or people savvy. A director who has both of those things is very rare. Never once did I feel like I was working for Justin; I always felt like I was working with him. He promoted a tremendous sense of teamwork and family. I think everyone felt that way. There was also a sense of trust on the BLT set that enabled the best work from every person. It was amazing how much Justin respected the need for actors to have a safe place to create and explore. I'm sure there was tons of production hell going on while shooting the film, but Justin and his producers kept it away from the set so that we could create and shoot the best film we possibly could. That is a serious rarity. GR: Has your part in BLT affected your everyday life? RF: I've had the great fortune of meeting many well-known producers, directors, agents, casting directors, writers, etc. during and after Sundance. Being an actor is a strange journey because you can be totally unknown and obscure one day, and, the next, be a household name. Basically, actors need great roles in great films to shine. Justin made a very solid film. I don't think the mainstream has ever seen such solid acting from an ensemble of Asian American actors. It's not that Asian-American actors are not talented; they just don't have roles that will allow them to fully utilize their talents. In my personal experience, working on most Hollywood movie sets has been like trying to run a race with your legs tied. Since you are not the star, your role will not allow you to fully utilize your talents. Hence, you are seen as just a so-so actor. If anything has changed because of Sundance, it's the perception of mainstream Hollywood that Asian-American actors can act--and act very well. Because Justin's film does not try to push any ethnic-political agenda, I think mainstream Hollywood was blown away by the fact that six actors, who happen to be Asian American, were so "normal" and accessible--not gangstas, massage parlor girls, etc. Hollywood professionals and moviegoers alike may be one step closer to allowing myself and other Asian-American actors to be Indiana Jones, Neo, Hannibal Lechter, Jack Ryan, etc. |