While the movie The Interview may feature slow-motion helicopter explosions and classic Goldberg and Rogen toilet humour, Vancouver-born actress and comedian Diana Bang, who studied psychology and geography at UBC before becoming a professional actor, is anything but farcical in real life.
A unique combination of West Coast geniality and old-school work ethic, Bang takes a straightforward attitude toward surviving in a notoriously challenging industry.
“You have to work your ass off,” said Bang. “Otherwise, it’s not worth it.”
The choices that Bang makes in her portrayal of her Interview character Sook -- North Korea's chief of propaganda in the film -- are rooted in extensive research. Countless documentaries and TED Talks by and about North Korean women helped her distinguish audible differences between accents of the North and South, while providing sociocultural context. Bang also studied footage of female military leaders to find examples of the sort of body movements that might be appropriate for someone in Sook’s position.
“Women in the military … they’ve got that very strong gait,” said Bang. “And I knew that my character, if she’s in the government, that means she's been trained in the military.”
Being of Korean descent herself, Bang took advantage of the valuable resources that existed closer to home. “I got a dictaphone, and I got my mom and her friends to record my lines,” she said.
It wasn’t all homework and vocal exercises, though.
“My favourite scene to shoot was … the one where I got to shoot!” said Bang, laughing as she relives Sook’s machine-gun-wielding moment of glory. Though her slow-motion battle cry was muted for cinematic effect, she cheerfully confirms that she was, indeed, screaming throughout the entire shot.
Her comedic instincts have been honed over the past decade through her involvement with local sketch comedy group Assaulted Fish. “It’s a creative outlet,” said Bang, thankful for the freedoms offered by the group.
Working in an aesthetically-driven industry, issues of ethnicity are impossible to ignore. An unfortunate reality of the North American entertainment industry is that the majority of films and television shows are often designed with homogeneity in mind, which means that roles for non-Caucasians can be scarce.
Over the past few years, Bang has detected a definite shift of this paradigm.
“It's getting better,” she said. “I feel very fortunate and excited to be in this time of change, where people are embracing [diversity] more.”
Being on the set of The Interview was especially heartening for Bang, who was overjoyed to be part of a film that showcased so many talented Asian-American and Asian-Canadian actors.
Randall Park, who plays Kim Jong-Un, is working on a new show called Fresh Off The Boat, an Asian-American family sitcom. Bang said it’s about time. “It’s the first one since All-American Girl, which was 20 years ago!”
Race is not the only barrier facing aspiring actors. Bang recalls a UBC theatre professor who told her not to bother pursuing acting.
“Don’t let things like that stop you from doing whatever it is that you love,” she said, emphasizing the importance of valuing one’s own unique perspective. With the internet granting independent artists direct access to potential audiences, Bang believes that it is more possible than ever for creative individuals to claim their piece of the entertainment market.
Her next role is in a web series called Paranormal Solutions, Inc., which is scheduled for release on February 24th.