CELINA JADE: Shooting Star
Perhaps the best representative towards bringing the east and west together would be actress/model/singer Celina Jade, the starlet is already a sensation in Hong Kong, China and most of Asia. She is fast becoming a household name in the west too, since starring in
the hit TV series Arrow, based on the Green Arrow comic series, this Chinese-Caucasian beauty is a triple threat of acting, singing and martial artistry.
Celina was in attendance at the Asian Film Summit at TIFF 2013 where Asianwave was able to sit down for an exclusive interview with the actress.
Many that know Celina Jade know that she was born Celina Horan, daughter to martial arts star; Roy Horan, who shared the screen with Kung Fu legends Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. Fans also know that Celina is a trained martial artist herself and it’s no surprise that Celina’s father is one of her biggest inspirations. What many may not know is that her mother; Christina, was also a big influence on her life. Her mother enrolled Celina in Chinese school as a child and though the actress says the training there was “intense”, she
is thankful her mother encouraged her to attend. Through this experience she learned discipline which helped in her studies and later in her career path.
Celina is also a talented musician; she writes and performs her own original songs in English and Chinese. She believes that singing is powerful enough to “ignite people’s emotions”, for this reason she believes her singing complements her acting and helps in her performance. Some of the best advice she has received in song writing is not duplicating another performer, “…don’t try to be the next Lady Gaga or Britney Spears, no one is going to be a better Lady Gaga or Britney Spears than they are but not one is going to be a better Celina Jade than you are.”
For musical inspiration, interestingly, this pop star’s iTunes has been playing Krishna Das, a well-known performer of Hindu devotional chants, on repeat. She finds the music brings “calmness” and centers her after much travelling, press tours, events and performances. She is also a fan or various Cantonese musicians like Anita Mui, Sammi Cheng and Jacky
Cheung, artists she grew up listening to and also influence her own music. Other musical interests and influences include Country and Motown which she thanks her father for, proving that her tastes are “all over the place”.
As for acting role models, Celina admires Meryl Streep and Morgan Freeman most, she labels both as “incredible” and added “the power of empathy is so strong with those actors, they can really empathize with a character’s situation and bring it to reality.” When asked about the future of cinema, Celina insightfully remarks that we will see a rise in co- productions between east and west movie houses. She believes because of her half Chinese, half American background she can be the connecter to both worlds, as she was raised in both very different worlds, one could easily see why. She also pointed out that a cross cultural Chinese Bollywood movie could draw a lot of attention; a fighting musical, where characters brawl and then suddenly burst into song, the actress laughingly claimed,
she’d be interested in seeing that.
Celina’s extensive work in film and TV in Asia has given her knowledge of the best in film elite, among some of the actress’s favorites, are Hong Kong filmmakers Wong Kar-wai and Peter Chan, whom she describes as “amazing”. She believes these, as well as other Asian film visionaries, will contribute to more harmonious productions of east and west as perceptions and ideas on Asian film evolves. She points to her own show Arrow, an American program produced by The CW, an all-English speaking network, as example that things are changing as well on the small screen. Actors speak some lines in Mandarin, adding that it’s “nice to be a part of that movement and change.”
Among Celina’s most admired martial artists? Bruce Lee she says, “hands down” and added, “and my dad, of course.”
Celina proves she is more than just beauty; she has brains, holding a degree in Economics. She feels furthering one’s education teaches “confidence and an analytical mind”, she feels this integrates well with film and TV as a famous performer develops themselves into a brand and stresses that “we as artists need to be socially responsible”, especially for the younger generation that looks up to stars. She is encouraged by the positive responses she receives on this, she fondly recalled a young fan who posted on her China Twitter account that because of Celina, she realized it was “cool” to study.
Other bits of wisdom the actress wishes to give those looking for stardom; “Follow your dreams, life is too short to do something you don’t enjoy. Work hard, play hard. Part of playing is creativity.”
