THE PERMANENT RAIN PRESS INTERVIEW WITH KAILEEN CHANG
Kaileen Chang wants to be a role model – to be creative in her work, compassionate to herself and others, and representative of her mixed (Latinx and Taiwanese) heritage. The young artist from Los Angeles, California is certainly on her way, currently starring as the half-human, half-vampire lead Carmie Henley in the aptly titled, I Woke Up a Vampire. The series, airing now on Family Channel, is expected to be released on Netflix later this year.
What can you share about your background in the arts, and what inspired you to pursue film as a career?
I started off performing when I was young, specifically in dance and ice skating. Then I explored theater and later started acting. What inspired me the most was the ability to be creative and show the media and young kids a role model who is relatable and responsible.
Who and/or what were some early inspirations for you - such as actors you admired, favourite TV shows or films, and instructors or teachers in your own classes? What impact did they have on you?
I get inspired by a variety of women actors such as Florence Pugh, Angelina Jolie, Anne Hathaway, and many others. Their ability to be so creative and embody characters really is incredible. I also love 80's/90's films or inspired films because they are the right combination of serious drama and comedy.
How has your family supported you in your career?
My family has been more than just supportive, I would say they are my number one fans and the building blocks to this all. Without their encouragement and dedication, I would have not been where I am today.
Congratulations on I Woke Up a Vampire! As your first series lead, what can you tell us about your audition and casting process?
I did an audition like normal, but I never got called back until like almost a month later. Then I got told I was on hold, but I never did a callback. I waited for a solid two weeks before getting the call that I booked it, which I was surprised because I hadn't had any callbacks or contact. Next thing I know I was on a plane to Toronto.
Carmie Henley is a dynamic character with a unique life! What drew you to her, and how are you similar and different from Carmie (aside from the supernatural and superhuman powers)?
I think that the little aspects of Carmie are so similar to many teenage girls, and there are some little parts to her that are a part of me. Carmie is such a relatable character and she is inspiring for young girls. I am really drawn to the fact that she wasn't planned out or written specifically as a character but her story was, and they let Carmie grow and be built by her experiences and some of mine too.
Who are your favourite superheroes from the comics or screen, and why?
I really like Scarlet Witch, because she is just so misunderstood and I loved the WandaVision series lol.
Creator and showrunner Thomas (Tommy) Lynch has a great resume, including producer credits on recent teen, coming-of-age series Make It Pop and The Other Kingdom. What was it like working with Tommy and did you have conversations about your character and the story?
Working With Tommy was amazing, he and Ryan Lynch (his son) are just amazing collaborators. It's tough starting off on a big show and being really fresh and new to the business but they helped me along the way and were so incredibly supportive and protective. They also valued my opinions and creative decisions. We had a lot of fun shaping Carmie and making her a character with a lot of depth. Tommy is actually amazing and so great to work with. He really made it a lot of fun and we became close with the whole cast too, just one big family.
How did you prepare for this role? Is there anything special you did to get into character before your scenes?
I wanted Carmie to be as authentic as possible. I didn't want her personality to seem cheesy or unrealistic. I made sure that I had a lot of fun when doing scenes and just went with the flow. Music helped a lot and not thinking about the scene too much made it natural.
Carmie and Kev share a close and supportive friendship. Did you and Niko Ceci have a lot of fun together, and how was he as a scene partner?
Carmie and Kev are like Kaileen and Niko. It's really funny because me and Niko joke that we don't even have to act most of the time because we are just so close. I love doing scenes with him because they just come so naturally and flow well. We definitely have a very close relationship off-screen, we are best friends. We love Tommy because he basically united two halves into one, I and Niko are like the same person and we love that.
The show has a talented young cast, also including Aaliyah Cinello (Madison), Zebastin Borjeau (Dylan) and Ana Araujo (Leanna). Did it feel like summer camp, and was it nice to share this experience with cast members similar in age to yourself?
I had so much fun being able to share the experience with young actors like me. It definitely felt like work but in the best way possible. We made sure to keep it professional and not goof around too much but had our fair share of giggles and fun off-screen. I loved working with each and every one of them and also developing close relationships as friends off set as well.
Actor and comedian Kris Siddiqi stars as The Collector. How was Kris to work with, and was it hard to stay in character without laughing? What did he teach you about performing?
Kris was THE FUNNIEST person ever. We all loved working with him because he was just so warm and welcoming every time we did a scene. It was definitely very funny when he started to improv at the end of a scene but we managed to keep it together. He was an amazing mentor and I loved being able to work with him.
Take us behind the scenes! What is your favourite memory from Season 1?
I had a blast filming this show. It's hard to pick just one memory. Also most of the things me and the cast find funny might not make sense to you guys. But I do remember filming episode five - we had to jump off the rooftop set onto a mat, me and Niko would fall onto the mat into a splat position on purpose so that whoever had to jump next would just start laughing and we would just fall onto the mat because we were laughing so much we lost our balance.
Why would you encourage viewers to tune in to I Woke Up a Vampire? What can they expect to see and take away from the show?
I would love for young kids to watch this show because as the episodes go on we explore real topics, but it's still fun to watch because of the supernatural side to it. Carmie faces the hard reality of school and feels like she needs to fit in which is very relatable to many kids and it is comforting to know that other people are going through the same thing.
We know it’s early on, as the show hasn’t even premiered on Netflix yet, but are you aware of plans for future seasons? Would you like to explore Carmie’s story further?
I am actually not sure what the plans are for further seasons, Tommy loves to keep his ideas very very secret. I remember filming the early episodes and as we got closer to the later ones we would bombard him with questions and he would never tell us anything until the script came out. But I would love to explore Carmie's adventure and exploration towards more serious topics and her journey with self-love and acceptance.
You are an advocate for those with down syndrome, which is personal and meaningful to you and your family. Tell us about the importance of this work for you, and how you stay involved and informed.
My little sister has Down Syndrome, and I think it is very important for people to stay aware and understand that she may be different but she is just as capable. I am an advocate because she deserves equality and to be treated just how everyone else is. I love to bring awareness to the kids with Down Syndrome and their amazing talents.
You have multiple cultures, with both Latinx and Taiwanese heritage. Have you always been in touch with your identity and where you came from? Why are you proud to be Latinx and Taiwanese?
I am very proud of my mix, I think it makes me very unique and who I am. I have always embraced the different features I hold and love to spread my culture to those around me.
Has your ethnicity impacted your career so far? Are you hopeful for more diversity in film (ethnic and minority creatives) in the near future, and being a part of that positive change?
I think one thing that really had me drawn to acting was the little diversity and awareness. I wanted to be able to be a role model for young girls because I remember watching TV when I was younger and the main character was always a pretty white girl who was a cheerleader, always looked perfect, and was a popular girl.
With Carmie, I wanted to show the viewers that they can have some comfort in this show knowing that some people can relate to Carmie in the sense that she isn't perfect, popular, and she's mixed. I was also really attracted to the fact that I could be a responsible and inspiring person to young people so that when they grow up, they can see someone who they can follow and look up to.
What inspired you to learn and become fluent in American Sign Language (ASL)?
I love inclusivity, and I think that it was important for me to learn ASL so that I could practice my beliefs of inclusivity. I grew up in a school that prioritized being inclusive and I want to carry that on with me as I go in the real world so learning ASL was a big accomplishment and milestone for me becoming a step further into the person I want to be.
Who are you listening to on your playlist?
I love music, I personally get really shy when it comes to asking about my music taste. It's hard to narrow down my favorites when I have such a range of music tastes.
Our signature question: If you could be any ice cream flavour, which would you be and why?
I would be cotton candy because it's like two different colors and I have two very different sides to me that are completely opposite.
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Thank you to Kaileen Chang for answering our questions!
Follow her on Instagram to stay updated with what’s next for the rising star. New episodes of I Woke Up a Vampire air Fridays at 6:30 pm ET/PT on Family Channel.
“There’s another thing to be thankful for. I could be thankful even for this awful illness—cunning, baffling and powerful—that has taught me to weep and laugh out loud and better and for real. And thankful that, of all the fatal diseases my son might have gotten, he got one for which there is this little sliver of a hope that if he surrenders, he’ll survive. Whatever happens, God will take care of him.”
-Thomas Lynch, “The Way We Are,” Bodies in Motion and at Rest
The bodies of the newly dead are not debris or remnant, nor are they entirely icon or essence. They are, rather, changelings, incubates, hatchings of a new reality that bear our names and dates, our image and likenesses, as surely in the eyes and ears of our children and grandchildren as did word of our birth in the ears of our parents and their parents. It is wise to treat such new things tenderly, carefully, with honor.
Thomas Lynch, from The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade (W. W. Norton & Co., 1997)
Refusing at Fifty-Two to Write Sonnets
--Thomas Lynch
It came to him that he could nearly count
How many Octobers he had left to him
In increments of ten or, say, eleven
Thus: sixty-three, seventy-four, eighty-five.
He couldn’t see himself at ninety-six—
Humanity’s advances notwithstanding
In health-care, self-help, or new-age regimens—
What with his habits and family history,
The end he thought is nearer than you think.
The future, thus confined to its contingencies,
The present moment opens like a gift:
The balding month, the grey week, the blue morning,
The hour’s routine, the minute’s passing glance—
All seem like godsends now. And what to make of this?
At the end the word that comes to him is Thanks.
