Exclusive Interview: Summer Qing Talks ‘Looper’, a Tender Bruce Willis, an Oscar-worthy Rian Johnson and More

Summer Qing and Bruce WIllis in LOOPER. Photo by Alan Markfield. © 2012, Looper, LLC. All rights reserved.

After forging a successful career in Asia, Summer Qing debuts in Hollywood with Looper, film that combines action, drama and science fiction. The actress, also known as Qing Xu (her Chinese name), includes in her eclectic career titles like Life on a String, The Emperor’s Shadow, Farewell My Concubine, The Founding of a Republic, and Flash Point.

In a friendly interview, she shared with Desde Hollywood interesting anecdotes about her experience filming with Bruce Willis, her thoughts on Rian Johnson’s future, Hollywood, China and more.

DH: You are very popular and respected in Asia. Why did you want to do a Hollywood movie?

SQ: Hollywood is not just America. It represents the highest standards of the film industry. It gathers and attracts the most talented and creative film makers from all over the world. It is every film student’s dream to “do a Hollywood movie”, myself included. Hollywood’s environment offers the richest soil that gives filmmakers the nutrition needed in the business. I am truly grateful to have participated in such a great project.

Summer Qing and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Behind the scenes of Looper. Photo courtesy of Summer Qing.

DH: What did you find attractive in Looper?

SQ: First and most importantly, the script is great. The story is like nothing I’ve seen before, and the setting of China in the future: brilliant! Plus, we have the most excellent and creative cast and crew in the business, including Rian, Bruce, Joseph and Emily. It was such a pleasure to work with such a great team. Besides, I would be playing Bruce Willis’ wife. Come on! This is Bruce Willis we are talking about!

DH: How was sharing scenes with an iconic actor like Bruce Willis?

SQ: It was truly exciting and not to mention very romantic working with Bruce. I have seen a lot of his past work. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I’ve always felt that there was some kind of connection between us. Now that we made Looper together, we are officially “in the loop”.

I had such a great experience working with Bruce Willis. The first day I arrived on the set, he came to me, pulled me into his arms, and gave me a big long hug. He didn’t say a word but that said more than enough. We were like an old couple finally reunited, ready to take on another adventure in life.

There is a scene in which we have an emotional conversation in a car. When they were shooting my part, Bruce was off camera reading his lines. Like the superstar he is, he didn’t have to do that himself, but he did it anyway. On top of that, he cared about everyone on the set. I really respect him for that, professionally and personally.

Bruce Willis, Summer Qing and Rian johnson. Behind the scenes of Looper. Photo courtesy of Summer Qing.

DH: You have worked with great directors. What do you think about Rian Johnson‘s future?

SQ: I had such a wonderful experience working with Rian. I think he has all the qualities of a truly great film director. I am positive that he’s going to win an Oscar some day, maybe even for Looper!

DH: How do you think Looper will be received by the Chinese public?

SQ: Many sci-fi movies such as Source Code and Inception have been quite successful in China. More importantly, over time, they have built a large fan base, who are extremely keen on such genre. I am confident that Looper will be just as popular.

DH: According to recent news articles, China may require more Chinese actors and local shooting in future co-productions. What is your take on that?

SQ: As an actress, I want to focus on acting and the artistic part of film-making. I personally enjoy working in a multi-cultural and diverse production environment as it offers more angles and different perspectives. I want to work with film talents from all over the world, regardless of their nationalities and background.

——————————————————————————

Special thanks to Summer Qing and those who made this interview possible.

Looper is in theaters now. Go see it!

¡Thank you for sharing this article of DesdeHollywood.com in Facebook and Twitter!