I like it about her that she’s a little off. No matter how difficult it is, she still managed to keep that dream. That’s a beautiful, private universe in her heart. There’s a light there. And also that she’s willing to help others, no matter how she makes her money. She’s willing to sacrifice.”
Bai Ling on Developing an Onscreen Relationship with Damien Nguyen: “I don’t think that I develop anything with anybody when I’m doing a movie. When I got there, they were already there three or four months and he was there. So I’m just being told, ‘Go there.’
Our characters don’t have to match perfectly. They have different personalities and different molds. They just happen to have fate putting their journey together, forced, and they share at the moment whatever they can share. There’s a space in between.”
Bai Ling on Director Hans Petter Moland: Ling admitted that she didn’t really feel as if Moland gave her much direction and that she felt he was very cold to her throughout the process. However she did come to respect his style. Ling said, "Hans Petter would say, ‘If I don’t have the shot right, you’re never going to leave the set.’ I feel like as actress how fortunate it is to have someone guide you and guarantee you, that’s what I want to do."
The Emotional Difficulties of Her Role in “The Beautiful Country:” “You have to play the part but it’s hard to go there emotionally because I have to imagine what happened before. It was quite painful psychologically. You feel betrayed. I feel used. I feel worthless and hopeless. It really affects you and I don’t like that part but you have to go there as an actress.
Sometimes I feel like I’m entangled with my character. I’m having a love affair with her. It’s her journey but I’m giving her life and blood. Sometimes we challenge each other. It’s difficult and it makes me feel like I’m so fortunate and grateful for my life compared to hers.”
Bai Ling on Coming to the United States: “It’s difficult because I [didn’t] speak English and I was just alone. You want to express yourself but you don’t know how. And I worked at all kinds of jobs. I was a waitress, I was hostess, I was babysitter. And I was the happiest waitress ever! My friends would ask, ‘Why are you so happy?’ I said, ‘I’m not going to do this for the rest of my life. When you’re doing something, you might as well enjoy it.’ So it was difficult but I’m adventurous. Whatever opportunity comes to me, I’m going to take it. I just see where they’re going to take me.
For me the good thing was that I didn’t grow up here and I didn’t see any the obstacles. I just had this single dream that there’s something beautiful in me so I just wanted to go there. That somehow made it easier because I didn’t see other obstacles. Now I’m more aware of things, more afraid of things. But back then, I didn’t know anything.”
On Her Fears: “[I am not afraid of] much, actually. Probably when I’m thinking about it I’m aware of all these obstacles and this and that. That’s why I don’t like to live in Los Angeles much. But I feel like basically I learned to just tango and sing and dance along with life, whatever comes to me. I’m sure I’m going to continue acting because I’m good at what I do and I love what I do. But if I don’t act I’ll be happy to just enjoy life. I like to do nothing sometimes. Plus I’m writing a book… It’s taking a long time.”
Bai Ling on her Playboy Spread: “They’re very respectful and they’re very happy with the shots I did. They think it’s very provocative and very artistic. It’s beautiful. Basically I think Hugh Hefner’s such an intelligent man,” said Ling, adding, “…I think the human body is a gift. They’re beautiful and it needs to be cherished and celebrated and respected. It’s the human minds that are dirty, right?”
