Exclusive Interview: Vanessa Kai Talks Kung Fu Season 3, Pei-Ling’s Evolution, and More

Vanessa Kai is delivering a powerhouse performance as Pei-Ling in the CW’s Kung Fu.

Now in its third season, the series picks up following the aftermath of an earthquake that hits Chinatown, leaving Nicky (Olivia Liang), her family, and her community attempting to rebuild their beloved city in more ways than one. Nicky, still reeling from her abrupt breakup with her boyfriend Henry (Eddie Liu), and the shocking death of her nemesis-turned-ally Zhilan (Yvonne Chapman), puts on a brave face as she juggles a new job teaching kung fu while fighting a growing crimewave in San Francisco. But she’s thrown on her heels by the introduction of a mysterious vigilante, Bo (guest star Ben Levin) — and the shattering return of a woman who appears to be her deceased shifu, Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai).

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Vanessa about Kung Fu Season 3, Pei-Ling’s Return and Evolution, and more!

PC: At the end of Season 2, we see the return of your character. How early on did Christina [M. Kim] and Bob [Berens] tell you about her storyline and the role that she would play in Season 3?
Vanessa: I learned about Pei-Ling’s storyline at the start of the season right before we started shooting. They initially shared just the first half, mainly because I think they didn’t want to overwhelm me. They knew how much of the story they needed to tell me in the first half, but then I got so excited. I started to fish. I was like, “Wait, does this happen?” They were like, “Oh, okay, okay.” Then they shared a bit more with me. It was great.

PC: Ahead of each season, Christina and Bob sit down with each of the actors and they discuss what they want to see from their characters. What did you want to make sure was part of Pei-Ling’s storyline in Season 3?
Vanessa: Oh my goodness. Christina and Bob are brilliant storytellers. There wasn’t anything more that I could have hoped for with Pei-Ling’s storyline because her return, her resurrection, was already more than I could have ever imagined. It is in her return that she now has another opportunity to learn and grow.

Throughout Seasons 1 and 2, we experience Pei-Ling as a character who has already lived. She already embodies a wealth of life experiences, and so her return was another opportunity for new experiences and to build and rebuild relationships, which I think adds more dimensions to her. Her entire journey has been a tremendous experience.

PC: This season, you’re essentially getting to play two different characters. What is the process like, especially as you shoot things out of order? How challenging/fun has it been for you as a storyteller?
Vanessa: Oh my gosh. It’s been fantastic. It’s been so much fun. First and foremost, I can’t thank our showrunners Christina and Bob enough for really blessing me with this huge opportunity to play these brilliantly dynamic and polar opposite characters. I’m so, so grateful. The process has really been diving into a whole new character and getting to know who she is and what she sounds like. What does a 2000-plus-year-old magical being sound like? How does she speak? How does she move? What is the fire that has been keeping her going all these years? What is the engine that drives her now? It was asking all those questions and diving in. That process has been rather meditative. That’s another layer of the process. It’s getting to know her so well that when I transition back and forth between these two characters that the transitions are seamless and specific. As a storyteller, to play all these colors has felt like a glorious kaleidoscope.

PC: The fantasy and the magical aspects of this show have created opportunities to introduce new dynamics and relationships that we never thought were possible in Seasons 1 or 2. As Pei-Ling’s world has expanded, which has been your new favorite dynamic to explore and why?
Vanessa: Oh my God. There are so many to choose from. Why are you making me choose just one? It feels like I’m a kid in a candy store because I get to have dynamics, relationships, and interactions with everyone.

First and foremost, what I really love is the opportunity to have real-time moments with Nicky versus in flashbacks or in her subconscious. I love exploring the dynamic with Mei-Li. It’s thrilling for my character to meet Nicky’s mother, which is the impetus for her journey to China. It’s been incredibly exciting getting to explore San Francisco with Ryan and getting glammed up by Althea. It’s so fun to be part of the Shooby Gang. Let’s not forget the opportunity to reconnect with Pei-Ling’s sister Zhilan. I feel like an overarching theme has been exploring second chances.

PC: There’s this beautiful scene in Episode 307 where Pei-Ling and Zhilan are able to reconcile. You and Yvonne [Chapman] handled that journey with so much nuance. What was your initial reaction when you read that scene? As an actress, how did you create this space for yourself to dive into that moment?
Vanessa: When I first read that scene, my initial reaction was, “Wow, this is so powerful and important.” How do we dive into that? How do we get to a place of reconciliation when these two sisters have a history of guilt, resentment, and violence? How do we get there and have it be grounded and hopefully believable? How do we do that while also honoring Pei-Ling’s Shaolin values as well, right? Because it’s all part and parcel. There were two ways of entry, if you will, through which I found my way in because it clicked with me that her Shaolin values are similar to bodhisattva.

A bodhisattva is a person who foregoes their own personal peace/paradise in order to help others in their sufferings. That was one version of it. That’s not to say that she’s this angel because at the end of the day—and this is where the second way comes in—at the end of the day, she’s human. She’s a daughter and sister, and she’s spent a lot of time in Xiao’s source realm taking inventory of her life and wondering what she would have done differently. When she returns to learn that Zhilan is gone, but then she comes back, she isn’t going to let that opportunity slip by. My hope is that audiences recognize or can relate to and resonate with her need for family, connection, and this sense of responsibility and her desire for forgiveness.

PC: You’ve had so many standout moments. What has been your favorite scene in Season 3? Which has been the most challenging to film?
Vanessa: I think the most challenging has been something that I haven’t done before. It was in the most recent episode where we’re shooting in the quarry. It was raining. There was a pickax. There were the elements. I was learning how to work within this different environment, which was new to me but so much fun.

As for the most fun, there have been so many. I feel like it’s been a roller coaster ride. One that stands out is in Episode 5 and jumping out at Eddie [Liu] when Xiao takes over. It’s hard to say. The whole season has been a dream.

PC: In the last episode, we know that there’s still a bit of Pei-Ling in Xiao. What can you tease about the rest of her arc this season?
Vanessa: Oh my goodness. I’m going to cheat a bit because I’m going to quote Olivia [Liang] because she tweeted it, so now I feel like I can say it, but I can tease that it’s so juicy, emotional, and delicious. I think she said that she cried so hard that her contact fell out and she was blind for the rest of the day. I’ll say that. Olivia’s contact fell out. It was emotional. It’s so good. Everyone should tune in.

PC: You’re such a dynamic storyteller. While we hope this show goes on for many more seasons, as you look ahead, is there a dream role that you would love to bring to life? Has your vetting process changed now that you’ve been a part of a project like Kung Fu which has had such an impact on audiences?
Vanessa: The landscape has changed so much. It would be fun to play a superhero or supervillain. I’m also interested in playing the everyday story of the average person. What does that look like? We’re all experiencing love, loss, and joy. We’re searching and discovering. I just love being a part of world-building.

That’s why I really love writers. I come from a theater background as you know. Theater is a collaborative process, but we don’t exist if the material doesn’t exist. I really love when writers sit in a room to create the material. That goes for screenwriters, television writers, and journalists. You sit there for however long and think about a story, and then you build the world that you want. For me, it’s how can I be of service to you. That to me is the joy of figuring it out together.

To keep up with Vanessa, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Kung Fu every Wednesday at 9/8c on the CW.

Photo Credit: Laura Baldwinson