Interview – Shirley Chen (Beast Beast)

I was totally unaware who Shirley Lian Chen was until the vice like grip took complete hold over me by an exemplary performance conveyed in breakout Sundance hit, Beast Beast.

Made during her senior summer going into college, Shirley shows spectacular, natural range. Citing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and the strength and vulnerability of actresses in it, as dream inspirations (an original artwork by Shirley hung on the wall behind as we spoke) vibrant, smart, a force of nature; an absolute joy to talk with, even at 5.30am my time.
Your role Krista, evolved from short film to feature.
SC – attending a performing arts school (LA County high school for the Arts) as a theatre major. The department sent an open call audition for the short, so that’s when I met Danny Madden (director). I remember it being cathartic, rewarding; one of my favourite audiation experience ever. So much came from that day.

Was a feature nurtured immediately.
SC – At the time I was seventeen, so I was growing up a little before we made, Beast Beast, our collaborative relationship continued to develop on another short and I didn’t know this, but another script was prepared to show people at SXSW film festival. A Kickstarter began, I was thrilled they didn’t recast Krista. I’d honestly be happy with anything Danny asked me to be a part of it, he’s an amazing, wonderful person, director, artist, friend.

Maybe a part in all his projects now.
SC – (laughs) oh no that’s not the case, I would be there if required and appreciate our collaborative symmetry but both of us will have varying career directions and jobs to take, I’m sure.

Tell me a little bit about your family heritage.
SC – born in Pennsylvania USA, my parents immigrated from China as a result of a job opportunity that my dad received around when my brother was eight. Because of that, mum always wanted to have a daughter, so with that she took the chance whilst in America to try for a girl. Very shortly after they arrived, I was born, in some ways it was her significant American Dream.

Were you always going to be an actor.
SC – started out watching my brother in high school plays thinking it looked so much fun connecting with that experience as an audience member. Soon after, I signed up for acting classes and eventually mum moved to LA with me to help cultivate that dream.

Getting to share the Sundance experience with my parents after such support was a really big moment watching together then having executive producer Alec Baldwin, tell my parents how impressed he was at my performance was a nice rewarding full circle moment. A long time coming but there’s much more to do.

What is Alec Baldwin like, did he visit the set, or produce from afar.
SC – Alec, works alongside Casey Bader for their production company. Casey is a lovely fun presence on-set all the time. Early on when travelling to Palm Springs for another film festival to screen Krista, I was in the passenger seat sitting next to Danny when he casually said; oh, by the way Alec Baldwin saw Krista and loved you in it! I was so shocked; absolutely wild. Often, I was nearby during phone calls with Danny. Alec was massively supportive but also hands off giving the creative team space. Having him at Sundance breathed life into what we were doing.

Krista isn’t much different from you, happy-go-lucky, until a certain shift in high emotions. What did you draw from, without spoilers.
SC – that was something we talked about a lot, writing the feature version of Krista tailored to my personality. The shift was very much intentional in pre-production and creative process. In terms of the dramatic turns of Krista, I approached from the most humanistic side possible. Any teen does not expect anything bad to happen directly. Stumbling through life learning along the way I can relate to, then forced to grow up immediately, how to deal with it then channelling angst from an authentic place.

I was right there with you the whole way.
SC – thank you so much Shane. I had never had to cry on cue in multiple takes. I learnt ways how to access thoughts, often hiding in a corner listening to, ‘you’re got a friend in me’ of Toy Story, to get into an emotional state.

Well, I didn’t expect to associate, Beast Beast with Toy Story.
SC – Danny mentioned that a trick for Jim Cummings (Thunder Road) was a channelling a certain scene from, Inside Out, really spoke to him. For me it was the Toy Story, song.

What are you like at accents.
SC – (laughs) have had some training in British cockney, Russian and Irish, don’t think I could pull them out as readily as I did in high school, but have had training. Absolutely not however in your accent of Australian. I did have a friend at camp who said if you speak ‘rise up lights’ really fast it sounds like razor blades, in Aussie.

Is the chant, ‘Beast Beast ready to act’ an actual thing.
SC – for me it is, it came from a tradition at my school passed down through the grades. Not sure where it came from originally.

Can you skateboard like Krista does.
SC – Danny with (co-star) Jose Angeles taught me a little bit and that’s what you see in the film. I can roller blade, roller skate, but skateboarding I can barely stay afloat.

Did you hang out with fellow cast outside of filming schedules.
SC – sure quite a lot, we went to Waffle House as one big group one particular night when we sang together and ate till late, some local guy was yelling and cursing at us. So many great memories and friendships from the production. Courtney Dietz who plays Johanna, Krista’s best friend, we connected and owe much of my character’s realism to her. Getting to palm off her was brilliant.

Were there deleted scenes you partook in from final cut.
SC – for sure deleted moments but forgot about until reminded we shot them. One I distinctly remember is Krista blow drying her hair singing along to a Steady Holiday song opposite a mirror. It was very much teen girl scene, getting ready because she has a crush. You might see lip-syncing on the extended Blu Ray cut (laughs) the song became my anthem.

What is it about martial arts (that you also do) that assists acting.
SC – started martial arts because of a play I was in that shut-down the day before opening night because of Covid. I learned Chinese martial arts for a sword fight, something I thought I’d never be interested in. Learning that skill taught me confidence not envisioned for myself before. It goes together for fingers crossed, a potential Marvel movie role (laughs) It’s a sense of discipline.

How does it make you feel, your little independent feature expands on festival success, branching out globally for all to see.
SC – I’m along for the ride, it’s surreal. I didn’t imagine it. In 2017 doing the short film It really didn’t think it would lead to any of this. It was a formative experience to work on that set, everything afterwards is a gift.

If you were not an actor what occupation would you be doing.
SC – Graphic design.

Your dream co-star on a future project.
SC – Brie Larson or Saoirse Ronan. Absolute idols of mine.

Your final word on Beast Beast.
SC – Hopefully people take away the love, thought, care that went into the making when watching it, connecting with characters through mixed emotions. One of the special things for me was seeing the scenes I wasn’t part of and reacting as an audience member. It reminds me of joy in humanity, as well as some terror.

BEAST BEAST available on digital platforms | Read our review here.

You can follow Shane A.Bassett on Twitter @MovieAnalyst

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Shane A.Bassett

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