Stephanie Hsu: My EEAAO performance wasn’t just about identity, it was my training

I came to Everything Everywhere All At Once a lot later than most fans! I didn’t really know what it was about and I only watched it after seeing some tweets about the backlash to the film and the backlash to the backlash. While I can completely understand why EEAAO isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, I enjoyed the movie. Is the “science” stupid? Yes. Very. But again, if you just sit back and let the story wash over you, it’s enjoyable, moving and even good. The strength of the film is the trilogy of performances by Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu. All three actors – plus Jamie Lee Curtis – got nominated for Oscars. Michelle is the first openly Asian actress to be nominated in the lead actress category (Merle Oberon always denied her Asian ancestry), which… is kind of stunning to think about.

Meanwhile, Quan and Hsu are nominated in the supporting categories, and I think Quan will probably win (he took home the Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards). But what about Hsu, who was fantastic in the film? Who is she and where did this performance come from? Well, she’s only the second queer actor to be Oscar-nominated for playing a queer role. She spoke to EW recently about all of that and more:

She recently rewatched the film: “I really wanted to do it as a blessing, as a ritual of recognition not only for myself but for the whole family that came together to make this movie, our crew and everyone. I wanted to return to that little moment in time where we first made this thing, purely out of love for this story that we were telling before anyone really knew who any of us were. So that was a really healing moment to get to see it again, acknowledge how far we’ve come, and also just to be like, ‘I f—ing love our movie!’ So many people tell me that they start sobbing right when it starts, and now I am that person too. Before anything even happens, I’m just like, ‘Oh my God, look at this family. I know what they’re about to go through!’”

Everyone’s first time: “I am just really proud and really happy that not only our principal cast, but so much of our creative team was celebrated as well. It’s 11 nominations, and every single one is everyone’s first time.”

Working with Michelle Yeoh: “When I think about Michelle, I just feel so lucky and grateful that I get to be alongside her in this record-breaking, history-making moment. I know that has not been an easy road for me, and she’s had to go through that times 10. So it’s pretty wild that we’re having this moment together. Our movie is a lot about intergenerational trauma, but I feel like today we get to have a public-facing moment of intergenerational healing.”

She studied acting & graduated from Tisch: “I had this thought right before I found out: ‘What if I told you every choice that I made was intentional? What if I told you that my performance didn’t just come from my heart and my identity, but also because I studied Shakespeare and Chekhov and was lucky enough to get to be trained?’ I feel like sometimes that doesn’t always translate to voting bodies for some reason. So it does feel like a high honor, because I feel the genuine appreciation for all of us and for our work.”

EEAAO encapsulated her drama training: “I always say that Everything Everywhere is the most honest handshake I could possibly make with Hollywood. It really encapsulates so much of my training and what I wish for. I feel really passionate about dramaturgy and story. I had a traditional acting experience when I was at NYU, but then my mentor Liz Swados was an experimental theater queen who taught me that every artist has a huge responsibility to be in communication with the world and to make art that hopefully moves us into a better place. It should be subversive and wild and scare us, but it should also shake us out of our seats”

Her nomination means a lot to the weirdo community: “I know so many people see themselves in Joy and Jobu. So I really feel like anytime good news happens, it’s not just for me, it’s for so many other people as well who don’t get to be seen or don’t get to be heard and are desperately wanting to know that they’re worthy of existing. I’m not even just talking about identity. I’m talking about the weirdos and the artists and people who are not cookie-cutter Hollywood starlets.”

[From EW]

This is amazing: “What if I told you that my performance didn’t just come from my heart and my identity, but also because I studied Shakespeare and Chekhov and was lucky enough to get to be trained?” Because she is! She trained, she went to Tisch, she got her degree, she’s been a working actress for the better part of a decade, and now she’s being treated like an overnight sensation who based her performance on her own background. Anyway, I love her now? “It’s for so many other people as well who don’t get to be seen or don’t get to be heard and are desperately wanting to know that they’re worthy of existing. I’m not even just talking about identity. I’m talking about the weirdos and the artists and people who are not cookie-cutter Hollywood starlets.”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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