Ben Lei
Joan Chen’s latest film, “Dìdi”, is a heartfelt exploration of identity, family, and the delicate balance between cultural heritage and the teenage struggle to fit in. In the film, Chen portrays Chungsing, the mother of the titular character Chris Wang (played by Izaac Wang), affectionately called “Di Di”—meaning “little brother” in Chinese—by his family. Written and directed by first-time filmmaker Sean Wang, “Dìdi” is a deeply personal project that draws from Wang’s childhood as an Asian American in Fremont, California. The film premiered to acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, where it received the Audience Award, resonating deeply with festival goers.
Chen brings depth and nuance to Chungsing, elevating the role with a graceful and authentic performance informed by her own experiences as a Chinese actress and mother. Her performance has generated long overdue Oscar buzz ever since the film debuted at Sundance.
Chen first rose to international prominence with her breakthrough role in Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1987 film “The Last Emperor”, a film that won nine Oscars. Despite its success, Chen’s performance went unrecognized by the Academy, reflecting the limited award recognition actors of color often faced until recent years. In the following decades, Hollywood frequently approached Chen with stereotypical “dragon lady” roles, prompting her to shift her focus to projects in China and other parts of Asia.
More recently, with the expansion of roles for Asian actors in Hollywood, Chen has been drawn back to projects like “Dìdi.” In “Dìdi,” Chen’s character mirrors her own experiences as an immigrant mother, facing both personal and cultural expectations. “My parents never thought acting could be a serious career… they were glad I did it, but somehow thought I’d grow out of it and find a ‘real’ profession,” she shares.
This tension between personal passion and familial obligation reflects her character’s struggles in “Dìdi,” as Chungsing juggles raising her children, Chris and his older sister Vivian (played by Shirley Chang), and caring for her absent husband’s mother, Nai Nai (played by Sean Wang’s grandmother Chang Li Hua), all while setting aside her own dreams of becoming a recognized artist.
The recent rise in roles for Asian actors has created opportunities for both newcomers and seasoned veterans like Chen, allowing her to reintroduce herself to a broader audience. In her interview with Awards Focus, Chen reflects on her journey and emphasizes the importance of stories like “Dìdi” in today’s landscape.
Awards Focus: First of all, it’s so lovely to meet you! My mom actually took me to see “The Last Emperor” when I was a young child. As an Asian American myself, I remember how important it was to her that we see a movie in the theater that actually starred Asian actors. So, it’s truly an honor to talk to you! So my first question – what drew you to the role of Chungsing and how did you get involved with the project?
Joan Chen: Well, I received the script and a beautiful letter from Sean Wang, along with a stunning lookbook. The letter was heartfelt and beautifully written, describing his relationship with his mother and his intention to create this coming-of-age story. He also mentioned it being a love letter to his mom. I was very moved by his letter. The script itself was beautifully written and solid.
Coincidentally, my two daughters, who are still teenagers, also read the script. They’re usually quite critical, but they both loved it. Sean’s lookbook was unique. It consisted entirely of original photos he took of Fremont, his school, his home, even his laundry basket. It had a sun-drenched yet lived-in feel, very different from the derivative lookbooks filled with pictures from other films. Based on all of this, I felt there was a good movie to be made, even though it was Sean’s directorial debut.
AF: It’s interesting that you mentioned your daughters. When they read the script, did they find any similarities between you and your character?
Chen: Yes, they felt the role was perfect for me. Actually, this experience of making the film, having them read the script, opened my eyes to their interest in my career. Before then, I just felt like a mother providing for their needs, not someone they cared about professionally. So, it was a revelation that they actually cared about what I do. My younger daughter even worked as a production assistant on set. It was the first time she saw me work and observe me being someone else’s mom. It brought out a lot of emotions in me – yearning, regret, the deep love we have for our children, things we often don’t talk about in Asian families. So, it was a beautiful experience.
AF: When I saw the trailer, I fully expected your character to be the stereotypical tiger mom we see in so many coming-of-age films, and yet, instead, you play Chungsing as quite the opposite and unconditionally supportive? How does that relate to your own experiences? I know your parents were in the medical field and I can only imagine a creative path might not have been their dream for you.
Chen: You’re right. For me, my parents never thought acting could be a real profession, a serious career. They were happy I did it, but somehow expected me to grow out of it and find a “real” job. This was a common sentiment among first-generation immigrants who wanted their children to have the security of a stable job. Encouraging them to go into film wasn’t really a thing a few decades ago, maybe more so today. However, Sean’s mom’s patience and support for his passion is a great example for me. There are mothers like Sean’s mom, and many other immigrant mothers like that, who are not like the stereotypical strict matriarchs or tiger moms often portrayed in films.
I don’t think I was a tiger mom. As an older mother, I made a lot of decisions based on fear, which wasn’t the right approach. Being an immigrant parent, you don’t always know how to raise your American children in this country. It’s fraught with misunderstandings and confusion, something I deeply sympathize with. I felt 100% authentic and real in this role, which is why I loved playing Chungsing. She’s playful, artistic, loving, gentle, but also unsure and lacking confidence. She constantly blames herself for her children’s behavior or unhappiness, feeling she might have done something wrong to cause it. This is because she doesn’t fully understand the American culture, and for Chungsing, being a stay-at-home mom amplifies that disconnect.
This kind of isolation also meant putting her own dreams of being an artist aside, a sacrifice I think many mothers can relate to.
AF: There are several scenes in “Dìdi” where Chris is questioning or lying about his Asian identity. As an Asian parent raising children in America, were you able to relate to his story?
Chen: I did worry very much for my children, you know, about their identity confusion and identity crisis. One little example: in preschool, my older daughter’s school principal (it’s a very small school) had parents visit the class. And so, they were meeting the children when they shook hands with Angela. Angela looked at them, and the first sentence she uttered was, “I don’t speak Chinese. I used to, but I don’t anymore.” Before anything else…before even “hello”. Just because they were looking at her and she was seeing maybe what they were seeing – that she is different from her entire class. She was the only Chinese American.
The principal, when I picked her up, told me this story as sort of an amusing anecdote but in my heart, I began to worry that she was so precocious and sensitive about it. She looked into other people’s eyes and felt they were seeing something different. So, I worry about that. And so Izaac’’s behavior of saying, “Oh, you know, I’m half Chinese,” was both funny and heartbreaking at the same time.”
AF: You have so much experience, both acting and directing. How did you collaborate with Sean, who was a first-time director? Was it difficult to restrain from offering too much advice?
Chen: While I was working with Sean on the set, I really didn’t have any urge to correct him or be the director. I was just being the actress, and I trusted him before we began filming. We had quite a lot of communication about the character, and I know he knows this material better than anyone else as he has worked on this script for many years and it’s deeply personal. A lot of the things are autobiographical. I also got to spend time with his mother and had a very detailed biography of Chungsing’s character including a recording of Sean’s mom reading all my lines. She has a gentler voice and a gentler mannerism than I do. And I liked that. I tried to incorporate that. And after the first day of work, I knew we’d be fine.
And, you know, even though Sean is so young and not as experienced, I found that he has very strong instincts. He has a very susceptible heart. He feels it when you give the scene. I remember during an important scene where my character was telling Izaac about my own dreams. It’s quite a long monologue. After a take, he said, you know, maybe we bring a little more levity to that moment because the topic can get heavy and drag the scene down, the character down and, and to have a little levity in there.I trusted him and the scene turned out much better because he nudged me here and there a little bit.
AF: And there’s another scene with levity that I wanted to ask you about, the fart scene. The line you have about sniffing it away is one of my favorite lines in the entire movie. In Chungsing’s mind, was she intentionally trying to break the tension of the moment?
Chen: I think she was sincere. She believes if she sucks it all in, then it’ll be less smelly. So, she believed it. The line was in the script, and I think it may have come from Sean’s mom. I loved it. It also reminds me of how mothers will do anything to make their children’s lives a little bit better, even if it means doing something a little silly.
AF: In the closing shot, following an awful, yet typical argument between a teenage boy and his mother, Chris is eating and you’re just staring at him and smiling at him. There is no dialogue. It’s a beautiful scene. What were you, Izaac and Sean trying to convey in that moment?
Chen: I think that was my last scene with my character’s son. And I think the whole story is about that. They finally actually see each other, we see each other, and that is all we need in life. We acknowledge and see each other.
As I was doing that scene, I wanted to cry because my own youngest daughter, with whom I’ve weathered so many storms in her adolescence, was watching on the monitor. She was there and I just wanted to show that love to my own child and show that I see her. And I think it’s the first time my daughter actually saw me in the same way it’s the first time the character Di Di sees his mother. That to me, is such a beautiful moment.
AF: We’re in an era now, where we are thankfully seeing a lot more roles for Asian actors. Are you excited about what’s coming next for you?
Chen: I’ve just finished a film in Quebec, in Montreal, where I played a middle-aged wife from China who’s raised two children while helping her husband in a convenience store all her life. She is this role, but deep down, she’s actually a repressed lesbian. And because of where she came from in China and that era, she could never be herself. Eventually, something happens, and in the film, for once in her life, in late life, it’s now or never. She falls in love. So it’s a family drama as well as a love story—the kind of sacrifice you make on two ends. It’s a very challenging and deeply rich character. For instance, I came upon that one, and I’ve never played a character like that, and I’m so, so happy. At my age, I could play somebody I’ve never done before, and it’s very challenging. Just because of my life experience, going through so much, hopefully, the characters have the same type of complexity. I’m still dreaming, and I’m really glad, as you said, there are many more parts now for Asian Americans in Hollywood. I feel really fortunate to still be here. I’ve waited decades to be in this era.
“Dìdi” can now be seen on NBC Universal’s Peacock streaming service.
