Interview with Julia Ling - Buzzine - May 2009

Here's a great interview with Julia Ling from Buzzine back in May 2009, where Julia describes how she's developed Anna Wu's character, as well as her thoughts on being multilingual, the entertainment industry and American culture.

Jeanmarie Simpson: Julia, it is such a treat for me to have the opportunity to speak with you.

Julia Ling: Thanks for welcoming me to Buzzine!

JS: I love what you do with “Anna” on Chuck. She is bright and interesting and multi-dimensional. The writing is clever and witty, and your ensemble is so talented, but how do you approach the work? You are so transcendent — it’s hard to remember that you’re acting.

JL: The writers and producers of Chuck certainly are an amazing team, and we are lucky because a good script makes our jobs as actors so much easier. Of course, an actor always feels the need to bring more to the table than just what’s in the script.  I started my research at a local Best Buy.  When I approached the Geek Squad techies to ask about their job,  their first response was, “You look so much like this girl on a show calledChuck.”  [Laughs] I replied, “Yeah I get that a lot.”  Anna Wu wears tons of makeup on the show, so I guess I look completely different in real life. I also brought my own geek experiences from school.  It wasn’t too hard because I actually majored in Chemical Engineering at UCLA, so we studied computer programming.  I started building computers since I was a little girl.  I was very active in the Engineering Society of UCLA (ESUC).  The engineers that surrounded me taught me what being a geek was all about. Then I asked myself, what would make Anna Wu unique?  At the time, I was really into the whole Japanese anime girl look, and I grew up playing video games, with many thanks to my older brother for that. So I thought it’d be cool if Anna was one of those gamer anime geek girls who fixed computers for a living, tried to look tough by the way she dresses, but was really just a sweet girl who enjoyed the attention from her Buy More co-workers.

Check out the rest of the interview over at Buzzine!

[Buzzine]