ANA THU NGUYEN TALKS THE SPY WHO NEVER DIES
"I had licence to explore all sorts of crazy"
Daniel John
'The Spy Who Never Dies' is a genre-bending tale of spies and assassins. As the romanticised veil of spy life drops, only to uncover something more comedical. What was it that attracted you to starring in 'The Spy Who Never Dies'?
I wrote in my Year Six graduation book, “When I grow up, I want to be a secret agent”, so of course I jumped at the opportunity to fulfil my childhood dream! I knew it would be incredibly fun to work on the project, I couldn’t stop chuckling at the cocktail of crazy characters that came up as I read the script. There were so many moments filled with action, new love, and laughs. It gave me the chance to work on something that I thought would bring some lightness and laughter to people during the pandemic.
This film made me smile throughout but your performance particularly stands out to me. Lollypop is a wild ride and it doesn’t feel like there was any room for you to at all hold her back?
Thank you! Lollypop for sure was a wild ride! It was a freeing experience portraying her as I had licence to explore all sorts of crazy actions to get a taste of who she was. She enjoys holding the power, she likes to play with her food so to speak. She is completely my opposite, which made it all the more fun to be able to bring out an uninhibited and unhinged side to me. I drew upon various characters from comics and the assassin world, ranging from Harley Quinn to Gogo Yubari in 'Kill Bill', to help shape my portrayal. She was a lot of fun!
How much fun was that scene with Amir Aizentros, when she finally meets her match. That back-and-forth must have been a lot of fun?
I loved doing that scene! Amir is such an amazing person and such a talented actor. He brought so much life and energy to it. We did a lot of improvising, and riffing together with him was incredibly easy, and not to mention hilarious! I was lucky because at least I could move but he was stuck taped to the chair while it was getting very warm and sweaty in the room so maybe the scene wasn’t as much fun for him as it was for me.
How did you keep a straight face, did you even?
It was very hard to keep a straight face, after each take I would burst out laughing and I just had to walk away for a bit to shake it off.
While a lot of acting is drawing from inner–life, can also just looking at a character from the outside ease your transformation, and make you more comfortable in a role?
Yes I think wardrobe can play a huge role in helping to inform a character. What we choose to wear often reflects our state of mind, status, values or the way we see the world, so costume can often help you ease into a character’s perspective and give you that permission to put on their mask. It might not be right for all characters or actors but it certainly was the case for Lollypop. As soon as I put on her bright dress and high ponytails, and of course, started sucking on that infamous lollypop, it automatically made me feel more playful, seductive and deadly.
Acting requires both trusting your instincts and going against them, channelling emotions and energies that may be closer to, or further from, your own. Do you see part of your job as exploring and pushing your own limits?
No character will ever be the same, and to portray each of these unique characters will always require me to push, mold, dial up or dial down different parts of myself. That is what I love about the whole process, the exploration and testing. Sometimes it works and other times I may fail miserably, but either way, I have learnt something that may service me be it for this role or another role. Challenge is the key to growth as an artist.
How did you get your start as an actress?
I actually had a prior career in law and consulting before resigning to pursue my passion for acting. I started off doing independent-theatre and a group of my friends decided to put on our own plays instead of sitting around waiting for things to happen. Eventually, when I began to book commercials, I got more familiar with filming on set and one thing led to another and I have been so blessed to be able to work on some fun and meaningful film projects ever since!
Do you feel most at home on a theatre stage or on film sets?
I feel most at home on film sets. While I love doing theatre, and watching plays is one of my favourite past times, I have found that I am inexplicably drawn to the intimacy and subtlety that a filmic performance often demands. I love the feeling of being on set and being surrounded by such talented people behind the scenes who all work seamlessly together. I love the machinery of filmmaking!
Wouldn't a Lollypop spin-off film be a fantastic idea, would you be up for more of her?
We did have people saying they would love a Lollypop and James spin-off, they even coined us as “Jollypop”. I would definitely be in for some more fun with her, to explore how she came to be or perhaps her future with James!
Do you have anything else coming up, before then?
I have two feature films coming out this year, which is very different to 'The Spy Who Never Dies'. They are both dramas, one where I play a detective for a series of missing persons cases and the other is an action love story. I am shooting a horror apocalypse-film early this year which I am excited for as it'll be my first horror project!
