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Q&A With Actor Hoon Lee

Hoon Lee, being bowled over. Don’t diss “Banshee” star Hoon Lee on Twitter, even if you’re just kidding. Lee had tweeted about an upcoming guest appearance on an episode of “The Black List” and I replied, tongue in cheek, “You’ve been on my black list for years.” I was rewarded with a fan of Lee’s telling me to “Back the fuck up!” After I assured the tweeter that I was only kidding and that I was writing a profile about him, she gushed, “Mr.Lee is an awesome actor! He takes you into the heart of the character.” She added, “and he’s CUTE as hell!” Others had similar thoughts. After watching two seasons of Cinemax’s hit show “Banshee,” it’s easy to see why Lee has so many fans. Apart from his ample acting chops, Lee is the most imposing Asian male presence ever in an American series. The man is as muscular as an action figure and can hold the menacing gaze of a panther. Lee’s cut enough to go shirtless, but for “Banshee” he takes it to another level: He squeezes into tight skirts. Job, Lee’s character (pronounced the biblical way), is a cross-dressing hair stylist and genius computer hacker who snaps lines like, “Suck my tit!” Lee says he lost 30 pounds for his vision of Job. Staying in that shape isn’t always easy because in Charlotte, N.C., where “Banshee” is filmed, “You get hit with a biscuit every five steps.” He’s going to be hit with a lot more biscuits: “Banshee” was recently renewed for a third season. You wouldn’t know it from seeing Job, but IRL Lee laughs easily and often. I caught up with Lee over ramen and pork buns–a reward for completing an intense physical workout session. Giant Robot: How did you prepare to get into Job’s mind for the first time? Is it easier to slip into it now? Hoon Lee: The first time would have been my audition. The scene was a confrontation with “homophobes,” I believe the script called them, in a diner. I keyed in on the things I knew I could swing: a sense of vindication, anger, violent intent. Everything else, the sort of external affects of the character I just sort of took a stab at. The script certainly carried a lot of the character to begin with. The character seemed “full” on the page already. There’s an adjustment period with Job — to settle back in after I’ve been out of the skin for a bit. And so much of what he does and says is quite different from my natural impulse. So I have to make sure I give myself a bit of a soak in the character before cameras roll. I wouldn’t say it’s “easier” but I would say I have more faith that I’ll find him if I put in that little bit of time. GR: Banshee is infused with violence and sex. But after the initial shock wears off, it seems like an artistic...
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carsick cars · maybe mars · Music · MW · News · shouwang zhang · zhang shouwang ·

An interview with Zhang Shouwang from Carsick Cars

grcarsick1-band

Is Carsick Cars the biggest independent band in China? Possibly, and they’re probably the best-known Chinese band in the U.S. as well. With the gorgeous drone of the Velvet Underground, experimental edge of Sonic Youth, and a touch of Kraftwerk, the group has familiar (and impeachable) elements for Western ears. I saw them at Los Globos last week during their current North American tour promoting 3, the new LP engineered by Hamish Kilgour from The Clean and mixed by Sonic Boom from Spaceman 3. Afterward, I had a short conversation with the band’s founding member, guitar player, singer, and leader, Zhang Shouwang.

The new album sounds great and so did last week’s show. How has the new lineup’s sound developed since getting together?
We spent a long time to create the chemistry, learn, and record. I think because we spent so much time at it, we feel comfortable with each other. We’re very stable and the two new members bring a lot of fresh ideas.

You knew the guys before, right?
It’s a small music scene in Beijing, and everyone sees each other all the time. After the last Carsick Cars group broke up, I had already played for fun with He Fan from Birdstriking and it was very natural for him to play bass in the band. It took more than two drummers to find Houzi. The rhythm of Carsick Cars is simple, but it’s not like anyone can do it. The other drummers didn’t really know how and had their own style.

You always play with the coolest drummers.
Wang Xu in White+ is the best drummer in Beijing. Most drummers there just play rock but he pays everything, such as jazz.

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GR2: Exhibition 4/5 – 4/23 – Suspects -Albert Reyes, Sean Chao, KMNDZ, Ray Young Chu, Prodip Leung, Aaron Brown

Group Exhibition, “Suspects” featuring Albert Reyes, Sean Chao, KMNDZ, Ray Young Chu, Prodip Leung, Aaron Brown. It’s always difficult to encapsulate the work of six artists who are participating in one exhibition. The theme is that each of them creates characters which ultimately become topics of questions and thoughts, hence, Suspects. Artists Albert Reyes, KMNDZ, Sean Chao, Ray Young Chu and Aaron Brown reside in the LA area, while Prodip Leung hails from Hong Kong. Each approach art from different backgrounds which include graffiti, illustration, music, and simple creativity. Giant Robot 2 – 2062 Sawtelle Blvd LA, CA 90025 310-445-9276 April 5 – April 23rd, 2014 6:30-10pm  
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GR2: 3/23 3-5pm Sunday, Giant Robot – Tales of Print

Giant Robot 2 – 2062 Sawtelle Blvd LA, CA 90025 310-445-9276 Sunday March 23th, 2014 3-5pm Join us in a talk about Giant Robot magazine. Established in 1994, Giant Robot began as a zine and grew into a full sized magazine sold around the world. Considered by many as influential in Asian Popular Culture and in pop culture circles in general, the magazine ceased publishing at the end of 2010, but it’s legacy lives on. Scheduled to appear are the editors Eric Nakamura and Martin Wong and other guests TBA. Projected photos, stories, and more. For any additional information, contact eric@giantrobot.com
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