Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Polar’s Fei Ren

Delving into the performing arts wasn’t in the realm of possibilities for actress-director Fei Ren. Having grown up in China, her family expected her to pursue a career in psychology. It wasn’t until after graduation, while she was caring for her grandparents who suffered from dementia, that she realized how short life actually is. She made the decision to live life on her terms and made the pivot. Since then, she’s built an illustrious résumé with credits including Lucifer, Supernatural, The Magicians, and her latest film, Polar.

Pop Culturalist chatted with Fei about Polar, her journey to the industry, and representation in Hollywood.

Polar Questions

PC: Tell us about Polar, your character, and what drew you to this project?
Fei: Polar is an action-thriller starring Mads Mikkelsen. My character, Hilde, is an assassin that’s trying to chase him down because he’s become a company liability. Hilde is a real badass. I really enjoyed playing her because there’s so much freedom in playing the villain.

The film is based on a graphic novel, which stylistically doesn’t have a lot of dialogue. Everything is fast-paced and action-oriented, so it was fun for me to work with the whole team to try to make sense of her.

PC: Your character is the leader of the A Team, a group of killer assassins. How did you prepare for the role?
Fei: I had a kickboxing trainer and I did yoga everyday—that really helped get into the physicality of the character. The production team also had me train with Special Forces when it came to weapon training. In addition, I had a great conversation with our director, Jonas Åkerlund, about why Hilde dressed a certain way and what her intentions were.

There’s an animalistic quality to Hilde. Initially, it was more ape-like and masculine, but as we developed the character on set, she became more like a black panther. So, she was sleeker and the movement was more economical.

PC: What are some of the challenges of adopting a graphic novel for live-action? Were there any nerves given the success of the comics?
Fei: I didn’t feel any pressure with this adaptation because there was so much freedom in the role. It wasn’t dialogue heavy and there wasn’t much of a backstory. It was up to me to make sense of the character and create her for myself.

The biggest challenge on set was with the blocking. My character is leading five or six assassins and we were in cramped rooms with the whole camera crew. There was a challenge with the reality of filming and spacing, and what I thought my character would do action-wise. Then, there’s always safety when it comes to stunts and weapons.

PC: Besides Polar, do you have any other upcoming projects that you can chat about?
Fei: Right now, I have a couple of theatre projects that are in preparation. I also have some possible television roles, but nothing is set in stone, so fingers crossed.

Career Questions

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting, directing, and theatre?
Fei: I’ve always loved performing. When I was little, I trained as a dancer, but I stopped around middle school. Growing up in China, pursuing a career in the arts wasn’t an option, especially in my family. Everyone wanted me to major in psychology, so that’s what I did.

Then, when I came to Canada to study at a university, I accidentally got into modeling. It rekindled the fire for my passion in the performing arts. By the time I finished university, I was taking care of my grandparents who both had dementia. It was emotionally very overwhelming, but it really showed me how short life can be. I realized I couldn’t live life by other people’s expectations. The arts have always been something I wanted to do, but never dreamed I could.

PC: There’s been a lot of conversation about diversity and representation in Hollywood. As an Asian actor, what has your experience been like and have you felt the slow progress that’s being made?
Fei: I have to say that I jumped into the industry at a very good time, which was around five years ago. When I modeling ten years ago, there was a lot of discrimination and it felt like barriers couldn’t be broken. I was always the only Asian in the show, and for the longest time, every agency would say, “Oh, we have one Asian already. We don’t need another.” There was a ridiculous quota for how many types of people they needed. That used to be the norm, but it’s changing and shifting.

It was similar when I started acting. There were a lot of stereotypical roles that were very hyper-sexualized. They weren’t well-rounded characters. It was like, “Oh, we need this ethnic quota. We need a sexy Asian. Let’s put her here.” It wasn’t fulfilling. I recognized it right away and communicated it to my agent.

It was a fight. It still is. We need to start creating more content for women with diverse stories who come from different ethnicities, ages, and demographics. That’s why I got into directing. I wanted to be the creative force in the stories that I was telling.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Fei: Friends! If I’m ever stressed, I put it on. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched all ten seasons.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Fei: Mr. Bean. I think he’s a genius with physical comedy.

PC: Favorite book?
Fei: That’s a tough one. Right now, I’m reading Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds. I love reading inspirational stories and seeing how people overcome their obstacles and fight through. This book has given me a lot of inspiration.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Fei: I just saw two beautiful plays in New York. One was called American Son and the other was Choir Boy. Those were deeply moving and very relevant to our current political climate. The acting was so courageous. I know how heavy it must be to perform it eight times a week.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Fei: I listen to a lot of classical and meditation music on my own time. For characters, I listen to different things to get into different mindsets, but on my own, I just always like something chill and very organized feeling.

PC: Hidden talent?
Fei: I can make beautiful cups and bowls.

Keep up with Fei by following her on Twitter and Instagram, and watch Polar out now on Netflix.

Photo Credit: Angelo Pesce