Award-winning actress Kheng Hua Tan stars in The CW’s Kung Fu as Mei-Li Shen, mother to Olivia Liang’s Nicky, and before the series you might have seen her in such programs as Marco Polo, Grey’s Anatomy, and Magnum P.I. as well as her scene-stealing performance in Crazy Rich Asians. Audiences love Nicky, Althea, and Ryan, but the family ties that bind them are strengthened by the love and care of their parents, Mei-Li and Jin, played so well by Kheng Hua Tan and Tzi Ma.
As tonight’s Kung Fu episode “Harmony” brings us the reopening of the Shen family’s restaurant Harmony Dumplings, KSiteTV had the opportunity to speak with Kheng Hua Tan about this episode which one could say is the kind of story for Season 3 that last year’s “Clementine” was for Season 2. There’s action, there’s drama, there’s humor, and there’s Lil Dumpy. (Go with us on this.) You can read our interview below.
KSITETV’S CRAIG BYRNE: Last week’s episode gave us a long-awaited conversation between Mei-Li and Pei-Ling. Was this a scene that you yourself had wanted to do for years?
KHENG HUA TAN: Oh, my goodness… first of all, Vanessa and I… actually, every single person on the regular cast, we’re all really, really good friends, and Vanessa is a wonderful, wonderful friend of mine. We have grown so close over the last three years. Many times in a social situation, we would sit down and we would look at each other – we call each other “forever friend” – and we would say, “hello, my forever friend! When am I ever going to have a scene with you?” And then at the beginning of season three, a little birdie told us “you guys are gonna have a very interesting encounter.” When I read that script, my hair stood on end. For one, I couldn’t wait to be in front of the camera with my forever friend Vanessa Kai, who I think is just the most excellent actress. But secondly, I love the tone in the relationship between Pei-Ling and Mei-Li on so many levels.
I love how, from an Earthly point of view, we related to each other as women, we related to each other as parents, and as mothers. I considered her a mother stepping in for when I failed and in my mothering of my own child. I love that layer. I also really enjoy relating to another woman, as Mei-Li. Mei-Li is always in the kitchen. You see her life, as a chef, as a boss, as a mother… but I really enjoyed sitting down and just talking to another woman. Despite the fact that Pei-Ling comes from the magic realm, I look at her, and I just put that aside. I just relate to Pei-Ling as a person, and when I watched that in 303, I was reinforced as to that particular choice. I love that it opens up so many possibilities, don’t you think?
This week Harmony Dumplings has the grand reopening. What can you tease about the episode?
I can tell you that you will see the entire family and partners in a way that you have never seen them before. Working together, and turning Harmony Dumplings inside out, upside down, and putting it all back together in such a magical way that you have to tune in to see how we do that. And one small hint, you can tell your audiences this: It involves lobsters!
I love how that episode turned out. The grand reopening rolled out many different sides of the characters, making it such an ample playground for the actors to spread their wings. I mean, looking at the character of Ryan and what comedic chops Jon Prasida has… we see Olivia Liang, playing Nicky in all seriousness and kick-ass spectacular moves, but what comedic chops she has! I just love watching my family… I call them my family… just having so much fun.
I think that a lot of times when we’re asked questions like “why do you think Kung Fu has been as successful as it is?” I always want to say “yes, sure, you know, we can talk about some nuts and bolts,” but very often, I do want to tell people that it is also because of that magic quality of a group of people who love each other, a group of people who respect each other… and when I say group of people, I’m talking about not just the creators and the writers, and the story developers… I’m talking about the cast. I’m also talking about the entire production crew, from that set master, our wardrobe assistants… we have so much fun with everybody. And I think it shows, because when your costume designer is having so much fun designing a costume for you, and when I can have a conversation with Angus [Strathie] and go “I love the flat skirt, because I’m going to be jumping around in the kitchen,” do you know how rare it is to have a career like that; to have a job like this? I think conversation needs to go to those places sometimes, to share our experience in a show like this.
On that note, was there a feeling of calm for you to be back on the familiar Harmony Dumplings set and have it “rebuilt” and full of people again?
It was calming, but it also was very different. Because, of course, before we began filming Season 3, we’re given a rough shape of where our characters and our storylines are going. I knew that despite the fact that Mei-Li is going back into Harmony Dumplings, I knew that the Mei-Li that is going back in not going to be the same Mei-Li. The kitchen that we’re going back into is not going to be the same kitchen. I knew that there was going to be enough newness to bring a shine and a sizzle to Season 3 – for me, and for my character – and I’ve really embraced – and still am embracing, because there are so many things to come, Craig!
What does Mei-Li think of Jin’s current political involvement?
Love it! One of the things I spoke to the creators and the writers about at the beginning when they were giving me a Season 3 brief, I said “everything that is happening to Mei-Li is wonderful. Wonderful! Yes, please! All systems go!” But I said, I just want to share with you that her anchor in life will always be Jin. The person who roots her will always be Jin. And despite the fact that we are growing as individuals, as many older couples grow because our children have grown up… Ryan is living on his own, Althea… well, she’s back in the family house, but honestly, she’s married and has her own life, and definitely, Nicky has her own life, too!
I am in that same stage as a parent. We are at a phase of our lives where we can rediscover ourselves as individuals, and the writers have given me this, and I love that. They have given Jin this, and I love that for him. But at the end of the day, husband and wife go back to a home where the person that is closest to them is. They reflect on their lives, and they draw from each other the strength to continue to develop as individuals. I feel this is a shade that I want to audiences to see, and the writers have definitely given us this. You see many scenes where husband and wife look at each other and we say, n not so many words, I” love you, I support you now, go do your thing outside. I’ll see you later on.” I love that.
What would you like to say to the fans will be reading this?
I say that we are nothing without our audiences. I’m not just talking about fans… I am evolved enough as a performer to know that I need all audiences to become better as a performer, including audiences that may not be totally sold as to what I’m doing, or the project that I am in. We always say that the audiences are the missing actor, because, we need audiences in order to present our work. I want to be better. I want to do more. I appreciate my audience’s time and engagement.
Kung Fu “Harmony” airs TONIGHT at 9PM ET/PT on The CW. A gallery of photos promoting the episode can be found here.
