Ludi Lin is Fuzhou-born, and he sure can kick some butts
FUZHOU-born Ludi Lin is relishing his role in Power Rangers as a harbinger of good things to come in Hollwyood.
He has the role of Zack, the Black Ranger. The movie begins screening in China on May 12, and Ludi’s butt-kicking skills could draw huge crowds to the box office.
Ludi isn’t just another Englishspeaking Chinese actor hanging on to a minor role.
His words show his hunger for meatier roles. Said Ludi: “I went into acting thinking that it was about imitating a character, but found it is just the opposite. It is more about what is inside me, confronting my own truth and emotions.”
He is into snowboarding, scuba diving, Muay Thai and jiujitsu martial arts. Of this obsession, he said: “Acting and sport have many things in common. They challenge the performer. There can be no deception.”
His family had relocated to Australia when he was nine. After attending college in the US and Canada, Ludi returned to China about five years ago.
His recent years in China have been put to good use. He had modest roles in smash-hit movies Monster Hunt and Lost in Hong Kong while also appearing in The Weinstein Co.’s made-in-Asia series Marco Polo for Netflix. This year he has lead roles in two Chinese movies: My Second First Romance and TIK Films’ upcoming Come Across Love.
On what he intends to do about stereotyping, Ludi said: “I don’t want to be pigeonholed as an Asian guy on screen. I want to beat back those caricatures of Asian roles in Western cinema, which are often simplistic or melodramatic. They should be capable of being humorous, strong or sensitive.
“I love the celebrity and the stardom. Its what I asked for. But the craft has to come first. The thrill comes from affecting people, making them react. Honestly, I want it all.”