Chin Han | From “Mortal Kombat” to Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” | Journey From Lion City

00:00 Chin Han joins Story & Craft

00:00 Chin Han: First scene I ever shot was in the prison cell and we had Aaron Eckhart, we had Chris Nolan, we had Gary Oldman on the first day and I was like, "Gosh," you know, I mean, "I have no idea what these guys are thinking. Not sure

00:15 Announcer: if there are- Welcome to Story and Craft. Now, here's your host, Marc Preston.

00:19 Marc Preston: Okay, here we go back again, another episode of Story and Craft, and, uh, you're here for it, so thank you.

00:26 Marc Preston: Uh, my name is Marc, and if this is your first time popping into the pod, as they say, or maybe they don't say, I said it, whatever, uh, y- thank you. Thank you for checking out the show. Uh, today we have a great episode sitting down with very talented actor Chin Han. Uh, you know him from movies like, uh, Mortal Kombat, The Dark Knight, Contagion, American Born Chinese, and of course Avatar: The Last Airbender, Season 2 on Netflix as we speak.

00:53 Marc Preston: And, uh, it was a great conversation. Really enjoyed talking about his journey from Singapore to being in blockbusters. Uh, really cool guy. Really enjoyed it. And, uh, do me a favor if you would, uh, make sure to follow Story and Craft. You know, just grab your podcast app or, well, grab your phone, which I guess has the podcast app on it.

01:11 Marc Preston: Follow the show, leave a review, like it, uh, like the show. I mean, it really does help people to find Story and Craft, and doggone it, I appreciate it. Also, everything you could possibly wanna know about the show, past guests, uh, past episodes, just go to storyandcraftpod.com. It's all right there. Okay, so let's jump right into it because today is Chin Han day right now on Story and Craft.

01:38 Marc Preston: Good to have you, my friend. Uh, where are you joining me from today?

01:41 Chin Han: Uh, I'm joining you from, uh, LA.

01:43 Marc Preston: Uh, now how long have you lived there? I know you're from Singapore originally, but how long have you been, uh, uh, living Stateside here?

01:49 Chin Han: I've been Stateside since, uh, since "The Dark Knight" actually, which was, uh, 2007.

01:56 Chin Han: The, the work has taken me far and wide. Uh, as you probably know, a lot of things aren't shot here. So yeah, it's been a lot of travel in the last 19 years. Hard to believe even.

02:09 Marc Preston: How long of a flight is it to, uh, to Singapore from, from where you are?

02:14 Chin Han: Well, nonstop I think will be about 16 and a half hours nonstop.

02:17 Chin Han: I think with a, with a stop, and usually it's in Tokyo, uh, that would be, that would be 18 to 20.

02:26 Marc Preston: I'm very enamored with the idea of Singapore, and folks that listen to my show know I, I've brought it up many times, but Anthony Bourdain, I'm a big fan. Perfect. And he loved Singapore. Right. Uh, with the hawker market, haw- hawker markets, uh, that they have there with all the different places to eat.

02:41 Marc Preston: I'm like, "Oh my God, that's a wonderland. I gotta check that out." But, uh, when you were growing up in Singapore, uh, it seems like they went through a tremendous amount of growth kind of in the last- Mm ... 20, 30 years, just, just kind of exploded. What, what was it like when you were growing up there?

02:55 Chin Han: Well, it's interesting because, uh, Singapore, uh, got independence in the '60s, and, uh, I was born in '69, so I got to see a lot of the development in the, through the '70s and '80s and, and '90s.

03:12 Watching Singapore rapidly evolve through the 1970s and 80s

03:12 Chin Han: I mean, most of the, most of the people I know know Singapore from, you know, from, from most recently the movies like "Crazy Rich Asians" or even more, uh, you know, even more recently I think the Uh, the Formula 1 races. I mean, they've taken to hosting quite big, uh, global events there. So, so, uh, that is the Singapore that a lot of people know, you know, that, that is, uh, modern, developed, affluent.

03:45 Chin Han: Uh, but it was very interesting to see Singapore in the '70s and '80s. I mean, I think that was- It

03:49 Marc Preston: was a very big, like, master planned, uh, exponential growth kind of a thing. It was... It seems like there are a lot of rules of how things operate, but it's very clean, very efficient, and there's a... You know, it's, it's a very interesting study in, uh- Yeah

04:04 Marc Preston: civic development, you know?

04:05 Chin Han: Civic development, I think, uh, engineering, I think, of a society. Uh, I think that's all, you know, part of a big master plan, obviously, and that, uh, we felt all of that, right, in the '70s and '80s. '90s was a fun time for me because that, that was actually effectively when I started my career.

04:26 Chin Han: But in the '70s- Right ... and '80s, uh, my education in film and theater, uh, were, were very let's just say, uh, specific to the, to the country. Uh, we, we had... I mean, there were, there were movies that were, were censored, uh, for, um, you know, I th- I think for Cultural sensitivities, I think as well, because, I mean, there's just so many, uh, ethnic races in a country like that.

05:00 Chin Han: And I think, uh, it was a country that was small enough, uh, for us to take all those sensitivities into consideration and to be able to kind of-

05:09 Marc Preston: That's, that's one of the things I noticed about it. It seems like that you have a lot of different kind of cultures blending. It's not a friction based on, you know, your culture, religion, whatever have you.

05:18 Marc Preston: It's very like respect and you'll be respected kind of thing.

05:21 Chin Han: As, as a child that was wonderful because, um, because going to school you'll get all the holidays, right? You, you get, uh, Hari Raya, you got Thaipusam, Vesak Day, uh, Christmas. Uh, we celebrated all the all the holidays of, of all the different ethnicities.

05:40 Marc Preston: I'm curious though, what, like, what... Like, you came into to this and you're coming, like, I think kind of the golden era of Singapore coming into its own. Um, it was cool for you, but what were your folks doing? What was their vocation, uh, as you were coming up?

05:52 How having parents as educators influenced his early cinematic tastes

05:53 Chin Han: I think it, it should come as no surprise that my parents were both, uh, educationists.

05:58 Chin Han: They were, they were teachers. Um, I think that that accounts for how open-minded they were. And obviously, um, coming from Asia, the, the focus generally is on other kinds of professions for their children, right? I mean, I think- Mm-hmm ... being a doctor, being a banker, being a lawyer, those things were very, uh, sought after in, in the time that I was growing up.

06:22 Chin Han: Um, but you know, I, I was always in love with the, the, the movies even from a very, very young age. So I would say that, you know, my education, uh, from movies in the '70s, uh, was, was huge. Uh, I also think that, uh, because we were at the, uh, confluence of all the, uh, different, uh, countries, right, I mean, o- of all the different trade that was going through the countries-

06:51 Marc Preston: Right

06:52 Chin Han: uh, through, through the country. Uh, I think, um, we were, uh, a colonial country at some point, so a lot of the television and film that we were getting at, at one point was very British, and then the American movies started coming in, coming in.

07:07 Marc Preston: Isn't that... Isn't Singapore, uh, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it like the biggest, if not one of, if not the biggest transshipment point for shipping in the world, I think?

07:17 Marc Preston: Yeah. Isn't it? Yes.

07:18 Chin Han: Yes. I mean, it, it, it, uh, goes back and forth, uh, between Amsterdam and Singapore for number one, I think. Uh, there, there is a lot of, uh, shipping, uh, trade and, you know... And so it, it also wasn't a surprise that the first, uh, English language TV series that I did in '90 Four, I, I believe, uh, was actually a soap about, uh, shipping families.

07:45 Chin Han: So Okay. Yeah, because it's such a big thing, right? It's such a big w-

07:49 Marc Preston: Well, I, I'm curious, um, where-- what were you watching? What was the, like, the movies and the film and, uh, that was maybe more Western, like from the US, what was coming up that was grabbing your attention?

08:00 The unique mix of global television that fueled his love for storytelling

08:00 Chin Han: So this was very interesting because, I mean, what started out with a lot of British, uh, shows, right?

08:06 Chin Han: Like, like, uh Uh, sitcoms like M- Mind Your Language, uh, I would say even, uh, Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, and then some of the more serious shows like Crown Court, uh, Brideshead Revisited, um, with Jeremy Irons, obviously. I mean, that was back in the day. Um, that stuff was very- I mean, did

08:28 Marc Preston: Benny Hill, did Benny Hill figure in at all?

08:30 Marc Preston: Were you into comedy or

08:31 Chin Han: Ben- Benny Hill was a bit too raunchy, I think, for, for Singapore at the time . So, um, so you know, I, I think that, that was what we got, and then slowly the American, uh, TV shows started coming. Things like, uh, Happy Days, you know, uh, Knight Rider. Um, the, the more... Uh, it was, it was very interesting because as a child I really liked, uh, reading and I, I liked the more literary, uh, kind of television, uh, material as well.

09:02 Chin Han: But then when the American stuff started coming, that stuff was, you know, undeniable because it was so interesting. I mean, you had a car that could talk. You have, uh, The Fonz in Happy Days. You have, um, um, Airwolf. You have Miami Vice.

09:18 Marc Preston: Uh- Oh, Airwolf, yeah. Yeah, yeah, that was... Yeah, that was this very specific time.

09:22 Marc Preston: That was... You know, all the stuff was, I would say, generally cool for, you know, kids to watch. Airwolf- Mm-hmm ... uh, A-Team, you know, things like that. Yes. But we had a big selection, and everybody was watching the same thing. Mm-hmm. That was the going kind of... We only had like three, you know, networks, you know?

09:36 Chin Han: But you had a lot of diversity in, in terms of the programming too, right?

09:40 Chin Han: Because I, I remember, uh, Moonlighting being very, very interesting also . For me, I think the comedies for me I, I thought were hilarious were things like Taxi, um, Cheers, basically as well. Yeah. So, uh, that stuff was... Yeah, that stuff came in and was d- d- gang- gangbusters and I think, I mean- Now,

10:05 Marc Preston: did y'all get it when it came out?

10:06 Marc Preston: Because I know that some things, you know, there's kind of a delay before it actually gets its international release. Mm-hmm. Were you getting it pretty much the same time it was airing in the US?

10:15 Chin Han: No, no. I, I believe we didn't get it at the same time as the US. So obviously, I mean, it was very exciting when you had friends or relatives or cousins who had gone to the US and they come back and they tell you like, "Oh, this is what happens after this is...

10:28 Chin Han: You know, this, this is the stuff that is, uh, that happens to so and so." But you know, on top of that, uh, what made my education in cinema and television, I think, interesting was also on top of that we had a lot of Chinese TV serials that were coming from, uh, Hong Kong. Right? Oh. So, so we had those epic, uh, martial arts, uh- novels, uh, movie, uh, TV shows

10:55 Marc Preston: that were- Yeah, Ja-Jackie Chan, uh, Jackie Chan came from Hong Kong- Yes,

10:58 Chin Han: yes

10:58 Chin Han: uh, uh, film,

10:59 Marc Preston: right? Okay.

11:00 Chin Han: So Jackie Chan, uh, Sammo Hung, all, all the young... You know, they were so young at that time, and Donnie Yen was even younger-- uh, was, was even later than that, so you can imagine, uh, how early that was. There was the Hui brothers, um, and they were doing movies for, uh, Golden Harvest and Shaw Brothers, right?

11:18 Chin Han: So, so we were getting all of that on top of everything else. I mean, I-- and I loved that stuff as much, right? I loved the serializ- But

11:25 Marc Preston: was Hong Kong-- uh, was the Chinese that you were getting from Hong Kong, that was different than mainland China, 'cause Hong Kong was its own-

11:31 Chin Han: Yes, yes ...

11:32 Marc Preston: ecosystem. Yeah. I have a-- Yeah, my grandfather did a lot of business in Hong Kong.

11:36 Marc Preston: Every six months to a year he would travel there and he had things manufactured, and he'd always have a, a suit made every time he went to Hong Kong, and I'd get these stories of just... Uh, it just seemed like this magical place I always wanted to visit. In fact, on my desk here I've got a little thing his business partner gave him that, you know, when he passed away.

11:51 Marc Preston: It's the business that was done there. W-Was, was Singapore very culturally, uh, uh, uh, little s- was it similar kind of to Hong Kong? And it's-- Y-You know what I'm saying? Was there a little bit... Of course it's a little-- not restrictive in some-- they're more mindful of certain things, but- Mm-hmm ... it seems like it's a very pro-business kind of arts kind of a vibe.

12:09 Marc Preston: Would that be an accurate assessment?

12:11 Chin Han: Uh, I think so, because I mean, the history is kind of similar, too, right? I mean, we were, were also a colonial- Yeah,

12:16 Marc Preston: colonial ...

12:17 Chin Han: uh, we're also a colonial country, so like the, the most popular thing-- one of the most popular things to do in Hong Kong is to go to the Peninsula Hotel to have high tea, right?

12:27 Chin Han: So that, that is very, um... That, that is customary. Um, in that respect, I, I think, uh, there, there are similarities, but Singapore was also further south Uh, in, in Asia and we, you know, the, the population I think is, uh, less homogenous. I mean, we, we have a very vibrant, uh, Malay community, an Indian community, a Eurasian community, and, and what was, what we call the Peranakan community, which is a Singaporean, uh, kind of a co- again, you know, uh, uh, a mix of a lot of the different cultures and, and then we have our own kind of culture with our own kind of cuisine.

13:09 Chin Han: So, um, it, it, it is... There are sim- similarities, but Singapore is, I, I think, uh, a little different because it's less homogenous as-

13:19 Marc Preston: Oh,

13:19 Chin Han: okay ...

13:20 Marc Preston: as

13:20 Chin Han: with the, with the Chinese population.

13:22 Marc Preston: As a kid growing up, did you feel that you had kind of the, you know, freedom to kind of go into the arts? Or were your folks kind of angling you in a direction of like, "Hey, you know, something that has a nice business card"?

13:33 Marc Preston: Or were you feeling like, "Hey, the arts are cool"?

13:35 Chin Han: Well, I mean, I was interested, and then they never... They always, you know, supported it. I mean, they, they kind of, uh, nourished my, my interest very much because my mom herself is a movie lover. So I grew up with a lot of, uh, information on, on her favorite, uh, stars and, and movies of, of the past.

13:56 Chin Han: And, and so, uh, when we were growing up in the '70s, when Singapore was going through, uh, industrialization, um, we, we would go to the cinemas a lot. Uh, and, and they were very, very kind of open with me in terms of the movies that that I was interested in. So I could, I could ask them to take me to a James Bond movie or I could ask them to take me to Star Wars or even The Exorcist or uh, Jaws.

14:29 Chin Han: And they would, of course, you know, I mean, preface any of these, uh, movies by, by telling me, you know, "It, it's a horror movie. It's make-believe. It's okay." Right. And so I, I got very used to seeing a, a lot of different kinds of movies when I was growing up. Sure. And I think that was very, very helpful.

14:49 Marc Preston: Was there anything that ever, any film or any actor that was like a Mount Rushmore for you where you're like, "Oh man, that just s- uh, spark for you.

14:57 Marc Preston: This like, I wanna do film." Maybe even something on stage, you know? I mean, was there, was there a pull to wanting to be on the big screen? Was that the thing for you or...?

15:06 Chin Han: It, it was a very interesting time because, you know, I, I think Singapore, uh, uh, the, the film industry in Singapore was at, in its nascent stages.

15:13 Chin Han: I mean, it, it's nowhere, you know, at that point in '70s and '80s, nowhere close to what was happening in Hong Kong, uh, where, you know, so much... There was such a great volume o- of, of movies and TV shows that were coming out of it. So, um, so theater, the theater scene at that time was also young but, but very interesting.

15:38 Chin Han: Um, but of course, I mean, I was too young to, uh- I think, uh, be aware of what was happening in, in the theater scene at that point. I think what was most accessible was the movies. I mean, you pay a certain amount of money, you go to the theater, and you get lost in there for two hours. I do remember certain movies that were just visceral, that had me gripped, uh, viscerally.

15:59 Discovering heavy, visceral cinema like “The Godfather” at a young age

15:59 Chin Han: I, I think, uh, I think The Godfather was one of them, and it was so operatic. It wasn't very different from the kind of movies that, you know, that, that Chinese were... the, in Hong Kong were producing, you know, that kind of big, uh, operatic, even melodramatic kind of, uh, themes and, and portrayals of, of family and revenge.

16:25 Chin Han: So I, I think that was very... That was-- That movie was very striking for me. I, I think, uh, Pacino's, uh, performance was, was incredible. But then I also was very won over by the whimsical, uh, movies like, uh, The Sting, right? I remember- Yeah.

16:43 Marc Preston: Yeah ...

16:44 Chin Han: uh, you know,

16:44 Marc Preston: uh- There's just some heavyweights in that. These are guys that made it look easy.

16:48 Marc Preston: You know? They just seemed to have effortlessness, you know?

16:50 Chin Han: They did, and then, you know, and then, you know, and then came the blockbusters, right? I mean, the late '70s came the blockbusters. Then Star Wars just kind of, uh, blew me away, and then Jaws was very, very exciting, uh, was also very exciting for me. A- a- and so I, I think for me, the Mount Rushmore, I think w- these, these were the guys, uh, that were, that were actually doing it.

17:16 Chin Han: Roy Scheider was a, was a hero of mine for the longest time. Yeah.

17:20 Marc Preston: Do you remember, do you remember Blue Thunder? Remember that movie with the helicopter and- Yes ... hell like that... Oh, I love that movie. Yes. I was... So when I was a kid, I was like... It's like 1984, I think. I th- I think that was right about- Yeah.

17:30 Marc Preston: John,

17:30 Chin Han: John Badham was, like, the k- you know, he was making all these incredible movies like War Games, Saturday Night Fever. Blue Thunder-

17:38 Marc Preston: Oh, yeah ... he

17:39 Chin Han: directed it too.

17:39 Marc Preston: Oh, yeah. Uh, you said John Badham?

17:41 Chin Han: Yeah, John Badham.

17:42 Marc Preston: It was a special era. It was-- I think it's an even special era for if you were a kid at that time because, you know, there was always something big.

17:49 Marc Preston: Um, kinda talking about some of your work, I th- I'm trying to remember. It was, uh, um Contagion. Contagion. Yeah. I know you're in that, but I, I'm having a difficult time placing where did you fall into Contagion? I thought that... Because it's been a while since I've seen it.

18:04 Chin Han: Well, the, the... I fall into the, there are three threads I, I think, uh, mainly.

18:09 Chin Han: One, one is the one that takes place in America, and that's the one with Matt Damon. And I think the other thread was the Jude Law, uh, thread, which was- Right,

18:20 Marc Preston: right,

18:20 Chin Han: right ... about the misinformation and disinformation. And, and then the third thread was

18:27 Marc Preston: the one- Oh, oh, oh, was that the one where you were, you, it was, you're trying to get the, the, for your- Yes

18:31 Marc Preston: village, you're trying to get the vaccine?

18:33 Chin Han: Yes.

18:33 Marc Preston: Oh, yeah.

18:34 Chin Han: It's a, it's a, it's a storyline with, uh, Marion, uh, Cotillard, and- Yeah.

18:39 Marc Preston: Okay. There we go. Yeah. Yeah.

18:40 Chin Han: And so that one, yeah, that, that one was, uh, that was, that was interesting. I mean, we, we shot a lot of footage from there. I think the first cut of, of Contagion was about Three hours long.

18:51 Chin Han: Uh, it was a m- it was a massive, uh, uh, undertaking for Scott Z. Burns, I think. That, that, that was a thick, thick, uh, screenplay. And, you know, I mean, the... We, we shot a lot of it. But I think what Steven had decided to do at the end of the day was he needed a movie that moved as quickly as the virus, I, I think.

19:13 Chin Han: And, and so- Yeah ... he eventually, he cut it down to a one hour, I think, 45-minute movie, or-

19:18 Marc Preston: Yeah, there was kind of a kinetic pace to that movie. And I think that really... And I wa- re-watched it with... I think my son and I re-watched it during COVID, or ri- right somewhere just on the tail end of COVID, I think. And I was like, "Man, this was..."

19:31 Marc Preston: It really resonated. Like, well, this was a little on point, you know? But w- Yeah ... Soderbergh, I know I've seen him where he shoots stuff a lot himself. Was it the... Yeah. Was this film kind of like that, where he had the camera and he was doing most of it?

19:43 Chin Han: I love it. I mean, he's also his own DP, right? So, um- Yeah.

19:47 Marc Preston: Yeah ... you know.

19:49 Chin Han: So it's wonderful working... It's, it's very, uh, or- organic. And I feel like even though, uh, Contagion was such a big budget movie with so many stars, right? I think there were, like, at least five Academy Award winners in that movie. I d- I, I felt like we were, we were shooting guerrilla, guerrilla style.

20:00 The fast-paced, guerrilla-style filmmaking of Steven Soderbergh's “Contagion”

20:07 Chin Han: Uh, we were also shooting in Hong Kong for that. I mean, to talk about Hong Kong being an incredible, uh, venue for filmmaking because the, the, the architecture of the city and landscape of the city is so dynamic and so interesting. Um, we were shooting, uh, in some of the busiest streets, like, uh, neighborhoods like Mong Kok, or, uh, we had, uh...

20:30 Chin Han: We had found a place to double for the airport, uh, too. So w- And then, you know, we were sh- we were running around the entire, uh, city. We were shooting on a floating casino that doesn't even, uh, you know, that I don't think is, is there anymore. But it, it's f- it's very fun. So it feels like you're shooting kind of a, an art house movie with him, uh, guerrilla style.

20:54 Chin Han: And then at the end of the day, you know, after all, all is said and done, when, when he's got his shot and, uh, he's sitting in the hotel lobby, uh, editing it on his, uh, computer with, uh, his editor or his producers-

21:07 Marc Preston: Really?

21:08 Chin Han: In, in, in the, in, in the, in the lobby of the hotel, in the, you know, in the restaurant of the hotel.

21:14 Chin Han: Uh, it, it's, it's, uh, it's quite a trip.

21:17 Marc Preston: I thought Contagion was just great. And I, I did like the way they broke it into different storylines because it is... And it really kind of gave the sense not only how it f- affects different people, but different parts of the world, you know? And that was, when you look at that and, you know, talk about, you know, social distancing and all those things became just, you know, daily phrases during COVID, you know?

21:34 Marc Preston: It was, it was really interesting. And he, he's a, an, uh... You know, he always did his sound mixing at a, uh, at a studio in New Orleans, and I'd shot something there, and I had to go do an ADR session. And I was not really paying attention to anything. You know, this engineer was in a different room. But I, I look on the table in front of me, and it was Ocean's, uh, it was either Ocean...

21:52 Marc Preston: I think it was Ocean's 12. Mm-hmm. The whole screenplay was sitting there. And I asked the guys, like, "There is a... What's, what's this all about?" He's like, "Oh, he does all of his mixing here." And, you know, that movie wasn't out yet, and I was so tempted to kind of thumb through it, you know? But, uh, you know, he's a, uh, a, is such a, a, a talented guy, and I think he just nailed it.

22:09 Marc Preston: Your, your part in it was, it was very interesting because it kind of boiled down to, you know- Mm-hmm ... you were, I think, working with one of the agencies or with them, and you kind of b- it all came down to, like, "Yeah, I got to take care of my people," you know? Uh- Yeah ... and if I'm not mistaken, they just gave y'all a placebo.

22:25 Marc Preston: They didn't even give y'all the real f- you know- Mm-hmm ... the, the, the village the real thing, I don't think, as far as- Yeah, yeah ... the vaccine.

22:31 Chin Han: Yes, they gave us a, a placebo. And, uh, and Marion, uh, character actually is, uh, is quite a heroic one as well because, uh, we develop a relationship in the course of the film.

22:45 Chin Han: And you don't see all of that, though. I mean, we, we have shot, and the stuff is in the script. Um, and she offers herself up as, as a hostage and to trade for the, for the vaccines. And of course, I mean, the tragedy of it all was that the vaccines were, were placebos. But, um- Mm-hmm ... it, it is interesting. I mean, I got so much out of that film.

23:08 Chin Han: Uh, it was kind of, uh, prescient at that point. But, I mean, to this day, I'm still friends with the consultant on the movie, uh, Dr. Ian Lipkin, who's, who's one of the foremost virologists in the world. So, I mean, that, that's been, yeah, that's been quite an experience. I think it was a really worthwhile experience.

23:31 Marc Preston: When you kind of, segwaying in and, uh, I'm not just going down your resume, but things like when I told my son, you know, I was talking to him, he was like, "Oh, I saw him in Mortal Kombat," you know? Um, you know, with the different genres of movies out there, uh, you know, talking about Mortal Kombat or The Airbender, you know, do you have a certain magnetism towards a certain genre or a certain, uh, type of work, uh, that kind of brings you joy?

23:54 Marc Preston: Or do you like jumping into just kind of whatever comes your way?

23:57 Chin Han: I, I like jumping into many things. I mean, it kind of mirrors my, my interest in movies, right? I mean, I think when I was a young person, you know, I would be first in line to see Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I would also be asking my, my folks to take me to, uh, Sophie's Choice, right?

24:15 Chin Han: So

24:16 Marc Preston: Really?

24:16 Chin Han: Yeah.

24:17 Marc Preston: That's kind of a heavy movie for a kid.

24:19 Chin Han: I know. I, I didn't quite understand all of it. It, it was very interesting because, I mean, I would be like, "Okay, look, I wanna see, I wanna see, uh, Reds." Also didn't quite understand what that movie was about. I was a kid at the time. Um, but then I wanna see Empi- Empire Strikes Back, and then I wanna see, uh...

24:36 Chin Han: And then I saw Gone in 60 Seconds, you know, the, the '70s, uh, version of that. Right.

24:41 Marc Preston: Right.

24:41 Chin Han: I wanted to see all the Bond movies, but at the same time, you know, I was, I was very drawn to, uh, things like, um Broadcast News, Terms of Endearment, you know, uh, things like that. Uh, Passage to India, the David Lean stuff, Chariots of Fire.

24:58 Chin Han: Uh, so in terms of my choices, in terms of the movies that I, I actually choose to do, I think it kind of reflects that, that, uh, just a very, very, you know, passionate kind of love for, for film, I think.

25:11 Marc Preston: The Avatar: The Last Airbender, that's, from what I understand, that's, that's kind of celebrating the Asian culture.

25:16 Marc Preston: That's really just kind of wired in. In fact, I talked to Ken Leung not too long ago, and, uh, you know, one guy, Daniel Dae Kim, I think he's... I always say that guy's in way too good a shape. You know, he makes me-- Every time I see him, I'm like, "Ah, gotta get to the gym." Sure. Being in America, do you feel, and I'm gonna kind of go off in a serious direction, but do you feel that there is a, there, there's good representation of culturally?

25:39 Marc Preston: Or do you think it's a little more of a theatrical representation, uh, of the, the cultural notes like you grew up with? You know, or hopefully I'm framing that in a way that makes sense, but, uh, do you think that it's, they're properly paying homage to the culture?

25:52 Pushing for volume and authenticity in Asian-American on-screen representation

25:52 Chin Han: Well, you know, I mean, there, there's always the discussion with, uh, tokenism or some kind of, uh, reductive representation.

26:00 Chin Han: I, I think, I think that's what you were, uh, referring to. Um, I think the, uh, the efforts that, that all of the Asian American and Asian, uh, talents, I mean, are, are now focused on, I- are, are twofold, right? I, I think there is one aspect of it to get the, um, quantity of roles up, and that, that is a very real fight, and that's a very real, uh, effort.

26:28 Chin Han: Um, and then-

26:29 Marc Preston: Right, so you're talking about the volume of movies-

26:31 Chin Han: The volume, the volume of actors- Okay, gotcha ... Asian actors in, in, in film and television, so that there is that, a quantity. And then, you know, for lack of a better word, quality, right? I mean, authenticity, things that, that we want to, uh, that, you know, we, we feel, uh, resonates in, in a real way and, and tells our stories in, in a real way that is helpful, right?

26:54 Chin Han: I mean, for, for society to, to be more empathetic or to understand each other better so that, you know, the potential for conflict is, is less. So it's twofold, right? I mean, on the one hand, we, we, we need to try to get the volume up and, and the other we need to get the, you know, the, the representation right.

27:14 Chin Han: Uh, sometimes they overlap, sometimes they, they don't. But, you know, I think that that is what we, we continue to, to work with. I think in recent years though, I mean, if you look at the stuff that has been coming up, like Interior Chinatown or even American Born Chinese, which, you know, I really enjoy working on based on the graphic novel, um, that Gene Luen Yang had written about Chinese families, about immigrant families, about, uh, second generation, uh, uh, Asian, uh-

27:45 Marc Preston: Yeah, that, that's the thing that fascinates me, being second generation, uh, especially when your parents had certain aspirations, goals, and reason why they may have, uh, people's parents for, for coming to the US.

27:56 Chin Han: Mm-hmm.

27:57 Marc Preston: And what's that cultural experience like? Like I'll, I'll go back to Anthony Bourdain, which I just loved watching him. He's talking about like the Korean culture, you know, the way that parents raise the, the children is very similar. So they talk about, you know, punishment and things like that. It, it's sort of the cultural notes, but they're naturally different depending on who your-- where somebody's family came from.

28:17 Chin Han: The, the challenges are different. Uh, I think, you know- Yeah ... I think when you're, you're in a place where you are the majority, for example, which I grew up, uh, the challenges facing my Asian American, uh, compatriots, I, I think are a, a little different. So, you know, it's been very interesting in the last 19 years being here too, I mean, just getting to understand the, the sensitivities and the things that m- m- my Asian American actors and friends, um, have to navigate, I mean, are, are...

28:47 Chin Han: It, it is very eye-opening.

28:49 Marc Preston: I think so. I th- But we're also living through kind of a peculiar moment in the American experience, you know? It's where some things you go, "Oh, we're, we're back to dealing with this nonsense again?" I thought we kinda, thought we kinda closed the door on that. Um, but the, I think coming from Singapore where it's sorta like, hey, the general idea is, from what I understand, the way I interpret it is, "Hey, we're all here."

29:10 Marc Preston: Mm-hmm. Uh, don't give anybody a hard time about, you know... It's very out of vogue to have any issue based on culture, religion, race, whatever. But, uh, but to come here, uh, what was your f- what... When you first got in and you started working- Mm-hmm ... what was your experience like? What were-- At first blush, kinda what was your first, "Oh, I'm here now, I'm doing a thing, and this is the first experience"?

29:32 The massive global reach of the American film industry

29:32 Marc Preston: What was that like?

29:32 Chin Han: I think the reach of the American, uh, film is, is like no other. I mean, it, it's re- If you're in an American blockbuster movie, uh, the kind of reach that that kind of movie gives you i- is really quite, uh, astounding. I mean, it- You know, before "The Dark Knight" opened to, to see that the response coming from Europe or Asia or, you know, or the, the US or North America or South America, Central America.

30:07 Chin Han: I mean, the thing is, the reach is, is the thing that is very, uh, compelling, um, f- for me when I was doing it. But, you know, the thing about the experience, especially for the first few movies that I did that were so-- I, I'm so grateful for also is that I, I was working on, on movies that were big enough to have a very, very, uh, large crew and production teams, uh, from all over the world, right?

30:35 Chin Han: So I mean, I, I, I felt more like I was in an international Olympic Village than, than anywhere else.

30:42 Marc Preston: Yeah.

30:43 Chin Han: Their sensibilities were different. I, I didn't feel, I didn't feel, for example, like I was in a John Hughes movie, right? Which is very A- American, I, I, I feel, and, and really kind of- Yeah,

30:53 Marc Preston: I, I don't think you get more-- especially growing up in our era, I don't think you get more American teenage life than John Hughes back in the day.

31:00 Marc Preston: Yeah.

31:01 Chin Han: And, and it captures the, the milieu perfectly, right? I mean, I think it captures that perfectly. Uh, but so I mean, I didn't feel that. I mean, all the-- like the first movie I did was, uh, "The Dark Knight"- It, it felt very international. Second movie I did was 2012, uh, which was, I mean, with a German director, Roland Emmerich, and with a, with a team of, of people that were also very, uh, uh, internationally re- represented

31:27 Chin Han: I was trying

31:28 Marc Preston: to think, weren't you or were, were you one of the ship captains- Yes, yes I- ... if I'm not mistaken? Yeah. Uh, I, I- See, I'm, I, I tell you my memory's not as bad as my kids say it is. Yeah.

31:37 Chin Han: That movie is... Man, that movie was... Yeah, I mean, it is the mother of all disaster movies. It, it wa- it was great. So I mean, th- those were my first few movies, and then Contagion, uh, came soon after, uh, as well.

31:49 Chin Han: So, uh, the, the American experience, uh, so far, I think the most American film I, or series that I've done would be American Born Chinese. I think that really- Mm-hmm ... uh, does the deep dive i- into what it means to be American, what it means to be Asian, what it means to be Asian American. And, um, you know, and I- by that time I was quite ready for it.

32:12 Chin Han: I mean, I, I, I thought the w- the, the show had a lot to say about that.

32:16 Marc Preston: Trying to think. Didn't Roland Emmerich do, uh, the Independence Day film? Didn't he do that also?

32:21 Chin Han: Uh, yes. Yes, he did that, too. And then I joined him for, uh... So I've done two movies with him now, and, uh, I joined him for Independence Day: Resurgence, which was another wonderfully ve- you know, fun, fun, fun movie to be part of.

32:36 Marc Preston: You were another kind of boss military guy in that, if I, if I remember correctly. Yes, I was.

32:40 Chin Han: Wow, your memory-

32:41 Marc Preston: You were on the moon.

32:42 Chin Han: Yes, I was on the moon. Um- I just ran into, uh, I ran into Jeff Goldblum recently, and we, we kind of reminisced about our time, uh, on that film because he was, uh, he was in it, too.

32:54 Marc Preston: Right.

32:55 Chin Han: Yeah. So it was, it was really cool.

32:57 Marc Preston: Has there been anybody you've interacted with who you've just been like, "Okay, this is one of the reasons why I have so much joy doing this"? Like, Jeff Goldblum is just such an interesting personality. I mean, who is it that you've, uh, that you've not only worked with but maybe you would love to work with because you're just like, "Oh my God, this, this person is just so unique and I just kind of wanna be in the same space as them"?

33:17 Working with his cinematic heroes on the set of “The Dark Knight”

33:17 Chin Han: Well, I think the, the, The Dark Knight was a really kind of a one-stop, one-stop, uh, shop for me, right? With all my heroes, basically. I mean, w- I got to work with, uh, Morgan Freeman, uh, Christian Bale, uh, Gary Oldman.

33:35 Marc Preston: Plus Heath Ledger during that. What, what a talent.

33:38 Chin Han: Um- He was a generational talent, I mean, for sure, I, I feel, right?

33:41 Chin Han: I mean, he's, he's so singular and also magnetic and y- you know, so connected to, to all his performances. I mean, e- even as the Joker, which is so out there, I mean, there, there is something very grounded about him that made the performance work.

33:58 Marc Preston: D- were you, like, pinching yourself every day came on set and like, "I get to be around this, you know, crew of, you know, g- guys and gals who have, you know...

34:07 Marc Preston: Really, they've, they've made the mark," you know?

34:09 Chin Han: Yeah, yeah, no. But, but I have to say, I mean, as, uh, the, um, the euphoria of being cast in The, The Dark Knight, I remember them flying me out to London on the first day of and then driving me from London two hours to Cardington, uh, where they were filming in the giant, uh, uh, aircraft hangars from World War II, uh, was so surreal.

34:35 Chin Han: Uh, I think my first, uh, stepping on set, uh, first, uh, time, for the first time with Chris and Emma Thomas was, uh... I think Christian was doing a photo shoot with the Batpod at that point in the bunker. And so it was, it was so surreal. But the euphoria very, very soon gave way to terror, uh, because, because the, the pressure of performing.

35:01 Chin Han: I remember my first day on set. The first scene I ever shot was in the prison scene, uh, was, was in the prison cell. And, and we had Aaron Eckhart, we had Chris Nolan. We had Gary Oldman, uh, on set. Uh, Heath, uh, dropped by to say hi, which was very sweet of him. But I remember shooting that on the first day and I was like, "Gosh," you know, I mean, I, I have no idea what these guys are thinking.

35:26 Chin Han: Not sure if they're, uh, they're like-

35:29 Marc Preston: Yeah, what I wonder about that is 'cause you don't wanna be a, you don't wanna be a fanboy, but I think you settle in, "Okay, I'm at work, I gotta do my thing." But at the same time, that im- as you're saying, the intimidation of the reality of the budget and the actors just kind of starts bubbling up and you start realizing where you are, and that's...

35:45 Marc Preston: It's gotta be exhilarating and scary at the same time. At least it would be for me, I think.

35:49 Chin Han: No, it was, and because the shoot was so long, too. I mean, they don't even shoot movies for that long now. I, I think there was a shoot, uh, the shoot days were in excess of 120 days, right? I mean, n- no movies shoot that long anymore.

36:03 Chin Han: I, I think even for big budget films you're looking at 60 to 70, 70 days. Mm-hmm. Um, and so, so it was very interesting because I, I felt like I couldn't, I couldn't relax for the entire, uh, duration of it. Of course, I came back and forth and, you know, I was in Chicago for a minute, and then they moved the, the entire company to London, and then we were in Hong Kong.

36:25 Chin Han: So there wa- there was a movement. So from around the time of I think May, June, all the way to November, December when I shot my final scene, I was just so highly geared, uh, geared up the entire time.

36:40 Marc Preston: What do, what do you do when you get off of a film like that? Your, your last day on the set wraps, you go home.

36:45 Marc Preston: Is it... H- how long does it take you to kind of spin down from that experience to be able to s- I don't-- 'cause to me that would be so exciting, so fun, and, uh, when you're talking about a blockbuster like that, does it take you a moment to readjust to before you can go jump into another project?

36:59 Chin Han: No, totally. I mean, I, I, I always take that time out.

37:04 Chin Han: Uh- I, I know some actors and some friends of mine are... I mean, they have to be working. I mean, they're, they're, they're, you know, I think that that's their lifeblood. That that's what-

37:15 Marc Preston: Right ...

37:16 Chin Han: m- m- uh, gets them up in, in the morning. Uh, for me, I think I, I'm happy to do two projects a year or sometimes even one.

37:28 Chin Han: I, I do take that moment to decompress. I t- I take a minute to get back to my own, uh, self. I mean, otherwise I always feel this, right? I mean, it's different for different actors f- but for me, I always feel like one performance can contaminate another performance i- in a way.

37:45 Marc Preston: Um- That's... Okay. See, that's the thing I, I was thinking about because you were...

37:49 Marc Preston: Uh, depending if you're doing two divergently different type of characters, what is it that kind of recenters you back to you so you can kind of have a fresh slate, you know? And then you look at some characters have a hard time letting go of that character. You see them in interviews, and if they pick up a little bit of an accent or a little bit of a mannerism- Yeah

38:06 Marc Preston: they... It takes them a moment to shake it, I think, which is kind of, you know, "Hey, they got into it," you know? Uh, but I know with Mortal Kombat, you know, one of the guys I'm, I, I'm kind of envious you had a chance to work with, uh, is Karl Urban. That guy's the chameleon of chameleons, you know? Yeah,

38:20 Chin Han: yeah.

38:20 Marc Preston: Uh, but with, with this project, I haven't had a chance to see it, but is it a physical thing for you?

38:25 Marc Preston: Have you... You know, uh, is it, is it more of a physical role or...?

38:28 Chin Han: Yeah, no. The, the... Getting into a role, I mean, obviously there are many different entry points, uh, uh, for me. Sometimes it's the dialogue, right? Sometimes it's the words. Sometimes it is psychoanalysis. Uh, sometimes it's as simple as finding the right, uh, voice Or the right costume for it.

38:45 Building a performance from the outside in using wardrobe and armor

38:52 Chin Han: And for a movie like that, because it's based off of a, a video game, um, IP, I, I think s- uh, working from outside in was quite useful because, uh, you know, finding the look, finding the, the hair, finding the, the armor, finding the, the, the, the, the kind of pieces because it helps you move, right? All the...

39:14 Chin Han: Everything that you put on yourself helps you move, uh, in a- Yeah.

39:19 Marc Preston: It's kind of like Tom Hanks once said that he, he doesn't fully get into a role until he puts on the character's shoes from wardrobe. And he said once he's got the shoes on, he's got the character. And I was like- Yeah ... "Well, that does kind of make sense," you know?

39:31 Chin Han: Yeah, yeah. Um- So the entry point with that I think is, uh, sometimes you work from inside out, sometimes you work from outside in. And I think for, for that, uh, it, it is more a physical, uh... The emphasis is more on the physical.

39:45 Marc Preston: Do you have any kids who, who, uh, you know, they appreciate your work? Or are they like, "Oh, that's just Dad doing his thing"?

39:52 Chin Han: I, I don't have any kids, but I have a lot of nephews and, and nieces. Um, and they, they, they do enjoy, uh, movies. Uh, they, they do enjoy m- movies. I haven't quite, uh, a- asked them what they, they thought of the roles, uh, some of which are obviously villainous. Um, but, you know- ... I'll take what I... I'll do

40:15 Marc Preston: the- That's gotta be fun for you, though.

40:17 Marc Preston: Do you... Still having fun doing that? 'Cause I think it's, it's a chance to express something you can't normally do. And to me, I would love to play a bad guy if I was a- still doing any real acting. But- Yeah ... being a bad guy's gotta be fun.

40:31 Chin Han: Yeah. Being a bad guy is fun. Uh, it's definitely fun. I mean, but, you know, I also do enjoy...

40:36 Chin Han: I mean, there were two movies that I played a father in. Uh, funny that we're talking about kids, but, uh, Final Recipe, which I did with, uh, uh, Michelle Yeoh, which was about a family of chefs and cooks, and then, um, American Born Chinese, where I also played a father. I found that, that particularly, uh, gratifying.

40:54 Chin Han: But coming back to the point of villains, I mean, the, the moral ambiguity is actually the thing that is, uh, that draws me to, to it, right? Mm-hmm. I, I do like the, the ambiguity of, uh, of these, uh, particular roles. You have to think a bit harder, you know, when you're watching the movie, and you have to kind of-

41:15 Marc Preston: It's like empathy, isn't it?

41:16 Marc Preston: You really have to have empathy for where that person came from to-

41:19 Chin Han: Mm-hmm ...

41:20 Marc Preston: I think properly render a result, you know, I think. Yeah. I, it just... You can't make judgment calls on them if they're a bad guy, you know? Uh-

41:27 Chin Han: Yeah. It

41:28 Marc Preston: helps me- Is, is that kind of the way you approach it?

41:30 Chin Han: Well, yeah, yeah. De- definitely, definitely.

41:32 Chin Han: And it helps me a lot obviously, like navigating the, the highways and the streets of LA with the incredible traffic. Uh, it's very easy to, very easy to fall into some kind of road, uh, rage. Uh, but, uh, but

41:47 Marc Preston: yeah. Yeah, the 405 is- at 3:00 AM one day I was driving going, "How is there traffic at 3:00 AM?" I never got over that.

41:54 Marc Preston: I was like, "How is this possible?"

41:56 Chin Han: Right. I'm always trying to time it, right? I'm always trying to time it. 2:00, maybe 3:00, you never get it. I mean, it's always, it's always, uh, very, very, uh, very busy.

42:14 Marc Preston: You know, it's funny you mention the, the thing about the, you know, Michelle Yeoh and doing that and, and, uh, uh, Family of Cooks. Uh, and that kind of brings me to what I call my seven questions I always ask everyone. And the first que- 'cause I gotta talk food at least once for every episode 'cause it's just fun for me.

42:25 The Seven Questions

42:28 Marc Preston: Uh, but the first question I al- always ask everyone is, uh, uh, what is your favorite comfort food? Uh, I mean, if you're having a rough day, it's like, "Okay, if I have this, it'll make me feel a little bit better," or a great day, it just kind of adds to it. What, what's your favorite comfort food?

42:44 Chin Han: Oh, it's very simple for me, actually.

42:46 Chin Han: Uh Rice.

42:49 Marc Preston: Mm-hmm.

42:50 Chin Han: Any kind of rice, fried rice, uh, steamed rice. Uh, there's something about it, right? I mean, that the carbs... I, I know it's very popular now, the keto diet or the high protein diet and the low carb diets, but rice is, uh, rice is, is very comforting for me. It actually calms me down. It puts me in a good space.

43:11 Chin Han: In fact, right- Mm-hmm ... right after this, uh, uh, conversation that we're having, um, I'm already thinking of the, of this, uh, Japanese place that I go to for hand rolls. Um...

43:23 Marc Preston: Oh, you're making me... Uh, here on the island on South Padre Island in Texas, and they have some good restaurants on the island, but it's a tourist zone.

43:29 Marc Preston: Uh, you know- Mm-hmm ... 3,000 full-time residents, and then right now we got tons of people pouring in, but it takes an hour to get anywhere. I realize it's been about two years since I've had real good sushi. Yeah. So I'm, like, salivating just thinking about re- really good stuff at the r- Last time you were- I love the

43:44 Chin Han: rice.

43:44 Chin Han: Yeah. When we... When was the last time you were in LA? I, I'm constantly amazed by the, the quality of, uh, Japanese food here. It's really-

43:52 Marc Preston: I w- uh, I was there, uh, two years ago for an awards show. I always gotta go to Canter's Deli is always a stop station on the cross, Jewish kid. Uh, but I... You know what? I've always wanted to go, there's some Korean places I've wanted to go to there.

44:04 Marc Preston: Right. Um, and but there's something in Singapore, what is that u- ubiquitous thing? It seems basic when you look at it, but it's more dynamic. It's just this, like, it's a boiled chicken or a steamed chicken. It's chicken rice, right?

44:16 Chin Han: Right. It's, it's the Hainanese chicken rice. It's the Hainanese chicken rice.

44:20 Marc Preston: Uh- It, it looks like it doesn't have a lot of flavor, but from what I understand, it's very flavorful. It's got a lot going on, right? It's, uh-

44:27 Chin Han: It's incredibly flavorful. Uh, the, uh, broth in which they cook the rice in is, uh, something that they, they, they kind of steam the chicken, and they get that oil.

44:40 Marc Preston: Oh, yeah.

44:41 Marc Preston: Um, uh, and then they- Oh, so

44:41 Chin Han: they make the rice

44:42 Marc Preston: from the... Oh, so that's how they do it. Yeah. See, that's one thing I love about rice. You can infuse it with all kinds of flavors that way. Yeah.

44:49 Chin Han: And then, and then the choice of the chicken also, I mean, the way that it's prepared, it's, it's so tender and it's just kinda, you know, soft and, and, and tender and flavorful.

44:58 Chin Han: So, uh, yeah. No, the Hainanese chicken rice. Speaking of Chine- uh, Singapore cuisine, so you have Hainanese chicken rice, you have the chili crabs, uh, chili crabs and pepper crabs. Right. We're big, huge on seafood and, and, and so, uh, and, and a ton of spicy, spicy things.

45:17 Marc Preston: You know, I have a thing I introduce my kids to, and they actually kind of like it, uh, is using Sichuan peppercorn but not being conservative, using quite a bit.

45:25 Marc Preston: Yeah. You know, just, uh, uh, you know, see. I always do this right about a time when I haven't had something to eat and I'm making myself hungry, and I'm thinking about your-- think of me fondly when you have your wonderful hand rolls today. Uh, but the next question I got for you is, if you're gonna sit down for-- with three people, uh, living or not, just having coffee, spending an afternoon talking story, who would those three people be, uh, that you would love to sit down with and share an afternoon with over coffee?

45:50 Chin Han: Oh, wow. Uh, that, that is... I mean, there's just so many. Uh, I would love to pick the brain of, uh, Stanley Kubrick. Mm-hmm. Uh, I think, uh You know, I, I'm a huge fan of, of Paul Newman, I, I think

46:14 Marc Preston: Oh, yeah, yeah. Uh- The more I learn about him, the more I like the guy. You know, he's one of those guys just really a mensch, as my people say, you know?

46:22 Chin Han: Well, it's very, um... You know, that, that they'd recently had the, the TV series about him and Joanne Woodward called The Last Movie Stars or something. I think- Mm-hmm ... that was the title of it, and I think the, uh... I think he, he seems like someone who, you know, would be, be nice to spend, uh, time with. I got to spend a little time with Robert Redford, so kind of...

46:41 Chin Han: Uh, on Captain America: Winter Soldier, so I mean, I can only imagine that would be... That would just kind of, uh, complete the, the list of, of, of people I'd like to spend time with, uh, um, from that era.

46:56 Marc Preston: You, you know, the great thing is just watching them talk amongst themselves I think would make for a... You know, how would they interact with one another?

47:02 Marc Preston: What... You know, 'cause y- where you kind of feel like a fly on the wall. Uh, but-

47:05 Chin Han: Yeah, yeah. Oh, and, and there's one more. I, I have to mention, uh- Mm-hmm ... Sidney Poitier. I think Sidney Poitier-

47:10 Marc Preston: Oh, yeah, yeah ...

47:11 Chin Han: would be, would be an amazing person to, to, to chat with.

47:14 Marc Preston: Just, just the way that he spoke I think is just kind of like listening to somebody speak.

47:19 Marc Preston: It, it's just, you know, sometimes it... Like a Morgan Freeman you could spend time with. You just can sit there and talk to him all day. "Just, just talk to me," you know? Yeah. Sidney Poitier is like that. Now, if you were to go back when you're a young guy, of course you have this, this wonderful, uh, catalog of things that you were watching when you were young.

47:34 Marc Preston: Gotta know, who was your first celebrity crush when you were a kid?

47:39 Chin Han: Oh, that's easy. Uh, it would be, uh, Lea Thompson.

47:44 Marc Preston: Y- you know, that and, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, Some Kind of Wonderful. That was the one I saw her in, and it was like, "Lea Thompson, yes." And,

47:51 Chin Han: uh- So the, the, the... Yeah, the, the double, the double whammy of, of, of, uh, Back to the Future and Some Kind of Wonderful happening around the same time was so incredible, uh, f- uh, for me that I even s- you know, that I even went to see, uh, How the Duck a couple of times.

48:09 Chin Han: So...

48:11 Marc Preston: You know, especially Mary Stuart Masterson. I mean, you, you know, just- Yeah ... we, we, as kids, we were lucky. We had some, we had some great, uh, great folks on film back in the day. Um, now if you were to... If I said to you, "Okay, uh, Chin Han, you're gonna have to live on an island for a year. It's a beautiful island.

48:25 Marc Preston: You love being there, but no streaming." That means if you wanna listen to music, you get to bring one CD or maybe a box set. Uh, and to watch a movie over and over, you can only bring one DVD. So what would that CD be, and what would that DVD be that you could watch over and over for a full year?

48:41 Chin Han: Oh, boy. Uh, the CD.

48:45 Chin Han: I think the CD would be, uh, Peter Gabriel, I think. Is it So? Uh, the, the album- So

48:52 Marc Preston: I was a- I was about to say I think it's So. Yeah, that was his, that was his about '88. That's the cover.

48:56 Chin Han: I mean, that would be "In Your Eyes," that, that song is from that album I, I believe. Um, and movie Well, now you've got me thinking about Some Kind of Wonderful Uh, but I, I think it would have to be...

49:11 Chin Han: But I mean, Some Kind of Wonderful and Pretty in Pink, the two of them. I mean, they're kinda like, as- they, they're kind of jostling for a top position, uh, in, in terms of John Hughes movies. But I think, uh, you know, I, I do like, uh, Love Actually. I think that's, that's a great, uh... I, I watch it- That

49:28 Marc Preston: was a good movie, yeah.

49:30 Marc Preston: Multiple storylines that you could follow in that, right?

49:33 Chin Han: Yeah. Uh, Love Actually kind of, uh, you know, kinda satisfies on, on, on a few different levels.

49:42 Marc Preston: Very good. Well, the next question, Gad. If you were to, uh, let's say from the time you get up to the time you go to bed, if you said, "Okay, today was a perfect day," what was the recipe for that day?

49:51 Marc Preston: What were a few of the things that happened in that day to make it perfect for you?

49:57 Chin Han: I think, uh, a, a visit to the museum, I think would be one of them. Uh, and then I think, uh, followed by a trip to the bookstore And then, uh-

50:14 Marc Preston: No, uh, no. Is that a, is that a, like, regular bookstore or is that, like, a used or like, uh...

50:18 Marc Preston: Like, one of those used bookstores. You know what I'm talking about? Like it's, uh- Yeah ... or is it l- like a Barnes & Noble kind of a thing?

50:24 Chin Han: Okay. So, so th- this is interesting because, I mean, I do like used bookstores as well. Um, I don't know if you've been to this one in Portland. Uh, I think it's called Powell's, I think, uh- Mm-hmm

50:36 Chin Han: in, in Portland. I, uh... That, that is a gi- gigantic used bookstore. I also like going to the one in, in LA called the, The Last Bookstore, but I think that, that, tho- those are new, new books that they have. Um, I do like the smell of new books. I do s- like the smell I don't know how environmentally friendly this is, but I do like the smell of paper, uh, very much.

50:57 Chin Han: Um, and, and s-

50:58 Marc Preston: Yeah. I, I... Hey, that's, that's totally normal. You ever go into, like... For me, going to carpet store, ah, fresh new carpet. Like, you know, it's like I don't know why I like the smell, but. But yeah, the bookstore, there is a unique smell to a bookstore. And, and see, that aesthetically is, is... It's one of those things that can be calming for some people, I'm sure, you know, 'cause it's- Yeah

51:14 Marc Preston: peaceful, you know?

51:16 Chin Han: It is peaceful, and then, you know, I also kind of like w- just, just wandering. You're just wandering in a bookstore and just picking up books that I, I've never seen or writers I've never heard of. It's almost like a... You know, it's like kind of a, a, you know, one of those, uh, m- m- mystery boxes, if you can call it that, where you just put your hand in and you don't know what you pull out.

51:37 Chin Han: I, I like that kind of visit to the bookstore. And then, uh, wrapping up the day, uh, with a visit to the theater or the cinema. I think that would be, that would be quite complete for me.

51:48 Marc Preston: Very nice. Very nice. Well, uh, last couple questions. Now, if I was to say, "Okay, you know, you've had a great career, uh, but right now acting really is not available to you anymore-"

51:58 Chin Han: Mm-hmm

51:58 Marc Preston: what would be an alternate career or vocation that you would find joy in doing, you think?

52:04 Chin Han: I, I, I've enjoyed, uh... It's still related to the business. I mean, I, I've enjoyed directing very much. I mean, I, I started out in the theater, and there was a period of time when I was directing theater. And, uh, that was That was very fun for me.

52:22 Chin Han: I mean, I just like the company of actors, and also, you know, I, I think, uh, the creative aspect of that, um, I, I, I think that would be something I, I would enjoy. Apart from that, I think the other and creative endeavor, coming back to food, is cooking. I mean, obviously, um, d- doing the movie and training for that movie, that did acquaint me with all forms of cooking, like street cooking, uh, continental kind of cuisines, and even, uh, molecular gastr- gastronomy and, and, and all that stuff.

52:56 Chin Han: So, you know, anything that, that is kind of creative and, you know, uh- Well,

53:01 Marc Preston: if you were a chef, if I said that that was an option, you know, uh- Yeah ... would you have a specific j- we call it genre, uh, a kind of food, a certain technique, something that you feel fits with you and your personality and your style.

53:13 Marc Preston: What would, what would that be?

53:14 Chin Han: Um, I, I... It's strange. I mean, I'm, I'm quite, uh... I think I'm more of an introvert, so I do like, uh, quieter things in general. But I have to say the style of cooking that I love is street cooking. Or maybe that's- Yeah ... in line with Anthony Bourdain's, uh, love for, you know, for all the countries that, you know, all the, like, Southeast Asia countries that he's gone to.

53:37 Chin Han: Street cooking, I mean, it's, it's so dynamic. It's so robust, you know. I mean, you're, you're cooking with that tens of thousands of b- uh, BTU, I think, that kind of- Yeah ... flame, uh, you know, in the street and with a giant wok. I mean, I- You

53:53 Marc Preston: have people that are just real specialists at one thing, and they do it just-

53:57 Chin Han: Right

53:57 Marc Preston: magically, you know? Yeah.

53:58 Chin Han: It seems simple, but it's the right amount of rice wine. It's the right amount of soy sauce. It's the r- right amount of tossing. Uh, and then watching them, watching them do it, uh, whether it's in the streets of, uh, Hong Kong or Thailand or Singapore, it's like an art form. I, I always f- liken it to, to a dance.

54:17 Chin Han: So I mean, I, I think that would be incredibly fun to do.

54:22 Marc Preston: Yeah, you look at bookstores the way I look at a big Asian market. Like I can look at there and go, "I don't know what this is exactly, but I know I've seen it before." Uh, and it's coming home and just getting a protein and just like figuring it out and start throwing...

54:34 Marc Preston: I, I think it's wonderful to improvise, but sometimes there is a specificity and a only so much of this. And you learn, like you learn the hard way sometimes. You put too much of one thing in there, it's like wow, this is way too salty or something. But, uh, the improvisation is what's fun to me. But yeah, the street...

54:49 Marc Preston: That's why I wanna go to Singapore. Uh, from what I understand there's so many in the markets, the hawk- hawker markets I think is what they call

54:56 Chin Han: them. Yeah, the hawker centers, yeah.

54:57 Marc Preston: Um, now the last question I got for you, going back to of course talking, uh, back to the future. If you had a DeLorean, you can go back to when you were 16 years old, uh, and you've got a piece of advice.

55:08 Marc Preston: You've got a few minutes to talk to 16-year-old you to offer a piece of advice to either make that moment of your life a little bit better or, or to put you on a little different track or something. What would that piece of advice to 16-year-old you be?

55:21 Chin Han: Um, I think I, I think it would be, it would be to have come to this career a little, uh, earlier even, I think.

55:33 Chin Han: I mean, I did start very early, but I, I think I, I held off on it for so long, right? I mean, I, I think I, I was interested in it as a, as a young child, but I, I kind of dipped my foot in. I would go for auditions y- you know, as a, as a teen, uh, with, with theater companies, maybe get the part and, and then say no.

55:55 Chin Han: Or the school play and audition, and I remember auditioning for The Crucible at the time and, and then getting a part in it and then saying no. And I held it off for, for a long time and un- until I got my degree actually in economics and linguistics, uh, at the university and then finally I was like, "I think now is the time.

56:14 Chin Han: I, I think now is the time to really, really just dive in."

56:18 Marc Preston: Now, now you have the official degree, now you gave yourself the freedom to do it, but you're thinking, okay, if you're younger just go ahead and dive in. You know, that's a-

56:26 Chin Han: Yeah, that's, that's, uh, that's such a wonderful freedom that only youth can provide.

56:35 Chin Han: When-

56:35 Marc Preston: Exactly. Well, th- that's, there's something about, like, you know, the, uh, the, the naivete of youth probably allows you to do some things you wouldn't do when you know better, you know? Um- Yeah ... but, uh, but also when you get older, you go like, "Meh, go for it. Why not?" You know? But I'm, I'm... By the way, I know you've got, uh, Avatar: The Last

56:54 Chin Han: Airbender.

56:54 Chin Han: Yeah.

56:55 Marc Preston: But what else do you have in the pipeline? Are you working on anything else right now or anything, uh, you'd like to kinda throw out there?

57:02 Chin Han: Well, I'm about to start on, uh, a movie called The Big Fix, which is based on a true story about the, uh, a crime syndicate, uh, involved with match fixing in soccer, and that movie, uh, that movie also stars, uh, Mark, uh, Wahlberg and, uh, Riz Ahmed.

57:22 Chin Han: Uh, so I'm about to head out actually very soon, uh, to, to Australia to start. Oh,

57:28 Marc Preston: very good.

57:29 Chin Han: Yeah. So that, that's gonna be, that's gonna be very fun I think. Yeah.

57:35 Marc Preston: Well, Chin Han, thank you so much. It's been, uh, honestly more than a pleasure, and, uh, I've loved your work, and, uh, looking forward to enjoying, uh, even more of it, my friend.

57:43 Chin Han: Thank you. Thank you very much.

57:46 Marc Preston: Well, there you go. Chin Han. Uh, really enjoyed hearing about his journey. Uh, just, just a cool guy. Everything he's been in, he's just a, just a cool dude in every movie. Sometimes a villain, sometimes a villain, but always entertaining. And of course, uh, you can check him out in Mortal Kombat II, uh, came out not long ago.

58:06 Marc Preston: Also, uh, going back into the library, The Dark Knight, Contagion, American Born Chinese, and of course, right now on Netflix, you can check him out in Avatar. The Last Airbender, Season 2 is on right now. Okay, so, uh, that's it for, uh, today. But before we go, I want you to please grab your podcast app. It means a lot to me if you could just, uh, follow the show, leave a review, like the show.

58:29 Marc Preston: It's just really appreciated, and I thank you very much. And for, uh, everything Story and Craft, just go to storyandcraftpod.com. Past episodes, past guests, you know, it's all right there. Um, but I'm gonna get on out of here, and I want you to have a great rest of your day. And, uh, hey, thank you again. And as I always say, thank you for making what I got going on here part of whatever you've got going on.

58:54 Marc Preston: It means a lot to me. And, uh, I'm gonna be back with you here soon, just a couple of days away, another episode. So come back, and I'll see you then right here on Story and Craft.

59:03 Announcer: That's it for this episode of Story and Craft. Join Marc next week for more conversation right here on Story and Craft. Story and Craft is a presentation of Marc Preston Productions, LLC.

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59:28 Announcer: I'm Emma Dylan. See you next time, and

59:41 Announcer: remember, keep telling your story.