Movies & TV / Columns
Bai Ling On Her Role In Cruel Love, Memories From Working On The Crow
Image Credit: Nick Lyon
The 411 Interview: Bai Ling
Bai Ling is an actor, director, and producer who has been in the entertainment business, according to her IMDb page, since at least 1984. Bai Ling has appeared in such TV shows as Homicide: Life of the Street (1993), Touched by an Angel (1998), Angel (2000), Jake 2.0 (2003), Entourage (2005), Lost (2007), and The Unit (2007), and in such movies as The Crow (1994), Red Corner (1997), Wild Wild West (1999), Southland Tales (2006), Crank: High Voltage (2009), Maximum Impact (2007), and Scalper (2023), among others. Bai Ling’s latest movie is the thriller Cruel Love, directed by Nick Lyon and currently available to rent via Amazon Prime and Apple TV and available to watch for free on the Fawesome streaming platform. In this interview, Bai Ling talks with this writer about making Cruel Love, working with director Nick Lyon, star Christian Oliver, and more.
**
Bryan Kristopowitz: How did you get involved with Cruel Love?
Bai Ling: It was the director, Nick, and the producer and star, Christian, who approached me because they wanted someone with name recognition and star power to play this character. Christian came to my café where I live and took me out for lunch. I liked his attitude and sincerity, and I could see how deeply he believed in this project. Then Nick called me to explain his vision, and I really liked it, as well as the character he presented to me.
For me, their professionalism and how much I liked the role determined whether I would do the film. I also had another offer overseas, but I turned it down because I really liked this role and the way they presented it to me. I’m glad I did it because it’s a powerful human story that is very relevant to the world we live in today. It’s also a story about love. And my character serves as a key element in the film, which is something I really liked.
BK: How did you approach your character Mei Li? Is Mei Li a villain or is she just misunderstood?
BL: I think I created an iconic character in this film. I made her extreme, powerful, and deadly. With any role I play, I never approach the character as either good or bad. To me, they are all human beings with flaws.
Mei Li is not a villain to me. She is a deeply wounded and deeply passionate person who dreamed of having a good life. Her violent side is simply a form of protection. As a woman, she has a strong mind and knows what she needs to do in her world to survive and thrive. Whoever blocks her path becomes an obstacle preventing her from finding happiness, so she has to get rid of them.
In her mind and in her world, she is a hero and a powerful person. I gave her the quality of being either fire or ice—nothing in between—because life is very simple in her eyes. Whatever she does, she believes it is completely justified.
She is also a very passionate person, so for her, action is passion. The minute she feels something, it is already done. I gave her a very instinctive personality: no BS, just action—act now. She knows who she is and what she wants, with absolute clarity in her mind. I love and admire those qualities in her: clarity, confidence, and the ability to make precise decisions and execute them.
BK: What was it like working with Cruel Love director Nick Lyon?
BL: I loved working with our director, Nick, because he knows exactly what he wants within his vision. At the same time, he gives me complete freedom while keeping everything so precisely under his control.
That dynamic challenges actors to be completely present and precise in every moment when the camera rolls, while also allowing us the freedom to be spontaneous, both romantically and creatively. I felt safe and protected under his direction. I could let my imagination and my character’s actions go to the extreme because he knows exactly where the boundaries
BK: What was it like working with Christian Oliver, who plays Ivan?
BL: I never imagined that this would be his last work. It makes me so sad to think about him, especially when I remember the intimate scenes we did together. It also reminds me of when I first met him and the hope he had for this film, and how passionately alive he was, both in life and in his commitment to this film.
Working with Christian was a joy. He had such a gentle soul. He was gentle and subtle, yet completely dedicated to this film and to his character.
I felt that he had done a great deal of preparation for the role. His skill was so refined that you almost couldn’t notice what he was doing, and yet everything felt incredibly real, sensitive, subtle, and natural. Indeed, this film is dedicated to him. He did an amazing job.
BK: What was it like working with Elisabeth Harnois, who plays Julia?
BL: Elisabeth is a very grounded person and actress. She worked so hard and dedicated herself completely to the role. On set, she stayed deeply committed to her character. Never really talked to anyone. I would say I have never seen anyone so committed or so willing to give herself completely to a character. Her performance feels so real that you can’t help but truly feel for her. She was a true professional.
BK: What was it like working with Ken Davitian, who plays Harry?
BL: He was just himself, and he fit the role so perfectly without even having to do anything. That ruthless quality is something he naturally has. He was easy to work with, and I felt that the energy between our characters was such that my character could just boss him around (haha, it’s funny!).
It was also funny because while we were filming, he sometimes couldn’t remember his lines. I guess he didn’t have enough time to prepare, but he would simply take each line with the script supervisor feeding him, and deliver them like a pro. It’s nice to watch someone in front of everyone handle a difficult situation professionally.
BK: What was the hardest part of making Cruel Love for you as an actor? What was the easiest?
BL: Well, for me, nothing was hard. Instead, it was all totally fun. When I am emotionally open, everything just comes to me easily.
If there was a challenging part, I wouldn’t put it that way. It was more about designing the character, the story and emotions behind her. I had to decide what kind of tone and actions would best express her personality. From there, her behavior and actions would naturally follow. My goal was to take this ordinary character and make her extraordinary, with her own unique magic and persona.
The easiest part was that our director gave me complete freedom.
BK: Do you have a favorite scene in Cruel Love?
BL: Yes—the scene that was cut from the film, which you can watch on my Instagram, @iambailing. Haha, just kidding!
It’s hard to choose. It’s like asking me, “Do I like my left eye or my right eye?” I would say every scene with Christian, because it was his last film, so each scene was precious to me.
I do wish our director hadn’t cut some of the amazing, fun, sexy scenes between Christian and me. But, well, that’s filmmaking.
But really, every scene with Mei Li served a purpose, and every scene was very important to me.
BK: Do you consider Cruel Love a thriller, or is it more of a drama with thriller elements?
BL: I would say it’s a comedy—haha, just kidding!
It’s a powerful, touching, and deeply profound love story with a dangerous thrill at every turn throughout the entire film. I’m not sure how you would define it, but I would say it’s definitely a thriller.
BK: What was it like working with the cast and crew of The Crow (1994)?
BL: Wow, it was my very first Hollywood film, I did not even speak any English. So it was a shocking and powerful experience for me. The whole crew was incredibly professional. It was a big-budget film, and every department was so carefully designed and beautifully done. I was like: wow Hollywood really has a lot of money.
Working so closely with Brandon Lee every day also made the experience very special and profound to me. It made me very sad to think about him, and to realize life is a precious mystery. Branden Lee showed me so much love, and also I witnessed how much his dedication was to the film. In every way, he was incredibly disciplined. I remember how he wouldn’t even eat snacks because he wanted to keep his body fit, strong, and perfectly presented on camera.
He also cared so much about me because I was so new to Hollywood and it was my first film. I could sense that he really felt for me, and in every way he could, he showed me so much love and care.
I also learned the magic of cinema through that experience, how magical it really is. No matter what happens to the actors, what has been captured on film remains there for eternity, preserving exactly how they looked and who they were at that moment in time.
Cinema is magic. It has the power to change time itself.
BK: What was it like working on the movie Crank: High Voltage (2009)?
BL: Wow, working with Jason Statham was so much fun—both playful and professional. Because it’s such a hilarious comedy, my character allowed me to just say whatever came to my mind on set.
In the beginning, the two young directors were skeptical, but once they saw how hilarious I could be, they just asked me to say and do whatever I wanted. Most of my scenes with Jason were improvised. I improvised so much, and Jason was often just there laughing and couldn’t keep a straight face. Haha! I had so much fun playing my character with him. It was a kind of reckless freedom and pure fun throughout the entire shoot. And Jason was very patient and supportive of me—a truly generous actor.
When I was working with Jason, I saw a real person, not an actor. He was so real and honest in his performance, and I think that’s what made him a star. Jason is also a very humble person and incredibly dedicated to his work—a true professional, in my experience. I really admire that quality in him. He is real and powerful.
And I think the funniest and most praised comedic role I’ve ever played was in that movie, opposite Jason.
BK: What was it like working on Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (2017)?
BL: Haha, it was so hilarious! I remember we were filming downtown in Los Angeles, and I was fighting with sharks, hundreds of sharks! But on set, there wasn’t a single shark there. It all depended on my imagination in that moment when the camera started rolling.
I was fighting in all kinds of directions as if hundreds of sharks were attacking me from everywhere. Even the sharks were coming out of the camera! I was genuinely afraid they were going to eat me, but my character was a hero, so I had to keep fighting until the director yelled, “Cut!”
Sometimes the takes were so long that I was completely out of breath and collapsed on the ground, but I still had to get back up and keep fighting the fake sharks. Haha! It was so funny and exhausting at the same time.
If you had been on set watching me, you probably would have thought, “Bai Ling is totally out of her fucking mind!” But for me, it was completely real. There were sharks coming from the sky and from the ground, even flying at me from every direction like dangerous missiles. It was so funny!
That’s what I do as an actress. I give myself completely to the moment. The next day, every muscle in my body was hurting so badly that I had a hard time getting out of bed and even walking.
That’s my dedication as a professional actress! So crazy at times of what we do as actors.
BK: What was it like working on Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance (2015)?
BL: Wow, that was such a strange experience. I didn’t know it was a sequel to the famous cult classic movie, which had so many devoted fans, and I really didn’t know what I had walked into. It felt almost like a dream—fighting and running around in my high-heeled boots!
But surprisingly, I created such a powerful character, with an otherworldly, exotic quality, and deadly in every action she commanded.
I learned something through that film: I didn’t need to know everything about my abilities. All I needed was faith and trust in myself. Those qualities came out and surprised me, serving me in unexpected ways.
I realized I have magical tools within me as an actress. All I need to do is get out of my own way and let them come through.
Everything moved so fast during the filming, but once I gave myself the freedom to trust myself, I was able to create magic for my character as an actress.
BK: How has the movie and entertainment business changed since you started acting?
BL: Well, it has changed a lot, from shooting on 35mm film to digital, and from traditional cinema to streaming. But I don’t mind the changes because they’re exciting and fun.
As an actress, nothing really changed for me, because the core job of an actor is always the emotional journey of the character itself. It’s the truth and life we give to our characters. It doesn’t matter what format it’s in. My job will always be exactly the same with my characters, and as long as I enjoy that process, nothing really affects me.
And truthfully, my real joy is the filmmaking journey, creating, breathing, and bringing the character to life in front of the camera.
And besides, change is the only thing that never changes in life. Like a river, it keeps flowing, beautifully moving and constantly evolving. I like this part of life.
BK: According to your IMDb page, you have directed one movie. Is directing something you hope to pursue more in the future?
BL: Yes, I am very proud of my directorial debut film, My Quarantine Romance with Toilet Paper. It’s still in post-production, and it will be my love letter to the world and to everyone who experienced the tears and joys of those brutal lockdown times in our history. But it’s a comedy—a romantic comedy, showing us that even in desperate, sad, and seemingly hopeless times, there can still be tremendous joy, laughter, and the beautiful magic of life itself.
I wrote it, directed it, composed the music, starred in it, produced it, and even financed it myself. But directing is not something I am pursuing as a career. I love acting because I’m so good at it! Haha!
But making this film showed me that even during the most difficult times, there can still be beauty and achievement. I made myself a director during that sad time. It showed me what courage can lead us to, and my whole life has been based on my courageous spirit toward life itself. I am proud of that.
BK: Any moviemaking heroes?
BL: I don’t watch a lot of movies, only sometimes for fun, but I admire many directors who take chances and have their own unique vision. I admire the director of The Odyssey—Christopher Nolan. And of course, Quentin Tarantino. I also admire the two female directors who directed Wonder Woman (2017) and Barbie (2023)—Patty Jenkins and Greta Gerwig.
I also loved the director who directed Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), Destin Daniel Cretton, who is Asian. I really admire filmmakers who are willing to take risks and create something different.
I would love to work with all of these directors someday.
BK: Any upcoming projects you can tell us about?
BL: I have many film projects at different stages, but what I’m most excited about right now is the book I’m writing, My Outrageous Romancing in Hollywood. It’s a collection of true stories about my love affairs with some of the world’s most celebrated biggest movie stars and rock stars, but it’s much more than a book about romance. It’s not a collection of shallow tabloid gossip or sensational stories. These are powerful, sexy, provocative, yet deeply human stories about love, desire, passion, fate, vulnerability, and the extraordinary people behind the fame.
The stories reveal what happened behind the glamorous curtain of Hollywood, the unexpected encounters, the seduction, the heartbreaks, the secrets, the laughter, and the magical moments that could never have been scripted. Some are outrageous, some are deeply intimate, some are funny, and some are almost impossible to believe. Yet they all really happened.
I wanted to write these stories because Hollywood can look like a dream from the outside, but behind the lights, fame, and red carpets are real human beings searching for love, connection, passion, and meaning. Through these experiences, I discovered not only the magic of Hollywood, but also something profound about life, love, sex and myself.
My Outrageous Romancing in Hollywood will be bold, revealing, sexy, emotional, and deeply human. It’s going to be a bombshell!
You can also check my IMDb page and my Instagram, @iambailing, for updates on my film projects.
BK: What do you hope audiences get out of Cruel Love?
BL: I hope audiences walk away thinking about what love really means to each of us, and how we choose love in our own lives. But Cruel Love is not only about love. It’s also about the complicated, unpredictable, and sometimes dangerous journey of life, and how the experiences we go through can shape who we become.
I hope audiences look at my character, Mei Li, and ask themselves: How did she become the person she is today? What happened to her? What made her love this way?
And ultimately, I want the film to leave you with questions rather than easy answers: Can love survive everything? Can love die? And if it dies, can it be reborn? Because sometimes love is beautiful, sometimes it is painful, sometimes it is dangerous, and sometimes, even when we think it is gone forever, it finds a way to come back to life.
That is what I hope audiences take home from Cruel Love: to question love, to feel love, and perhaps to look at their own lives and ask what they would be willing to do for love.
BK: Just how difficult was it to act in those gold high-heel shoes?
BL: Haha! Yes, it was incredibly hard! I acted all day in those super high, eight inch golden heels. It was total torture!
After a few hours, I would even skip lunch and snacks because just thinking about walking down those steps and stairs again felt like I had to summon real courage, as if I were preparing myself for war. Mentally, it was almost unbearable!
It made me want to scream to all men, “Appreciate women more!” Because we go through so much to bring beauty, elegance, and grace to the world.
At the end of the day, all I wanted was a foot massage. And I did! Haha! Honestly, it felt like that foot massage was the greatest pleasure in the whole world, maybe even better than sex! Haha!
And it made me wonder: Would I still want to be a woman in my next life and wearing those high heels? My answer is: Yes! I would! What extraordinary creatures women are.
**
A very special thanks to Bai Ling for agreeing to participate in this interview and to david j. moore for setting it up.
Cruel Love is currently available to rent via Amazon Prime and Apple TV and is available to watch for free on the Fawesome streaming platform.
Check out my review of Cruel Love here!
Check out the official Bai Ling website here, official Facebook page here, official Instagram page here, official Twitter page here, and official YouTube page here!
Check out Bai Ling’s IMDb page here!
Cruel Love poster courtesy of Mad World Creative. All other images courtesy of Nick Lyon.
