- 2 days ago
We go deep in this episode with the badass queen we all know and love Eli Jane. She takes us through the highs and lows of her journey sharing how every experience even the tough ones helped shape who she is today. No regrets just realness. Grab some tissues and get ready because she s also answering fan questions you ve all been dying to know __LISTEN TO REELTALK__YouTube_ https___bit.ly_ReelTalkYouTube_Spotify_ https___spoti.fi_40aLVFg_Apple Podcasts_ https___apple.co_3VVqoOs__JOIN OUR COMMUNITY__Discord_ https___discord.com_invite_JJM5ShkEy5
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Hey Ru fans, this is Laze.
00:02Today we're chatting with Eli Zhang, our powerhouse leading lady on screen.
00:05You might have seen her in his shows like The Alpha Queen Returns, The Lost Prima Ballerina,
00:10and The Return of the Lost Heiress.
00:12And most recently, in Song of My Mother's Tears, and The Seal Queen.
00:30Welcome Ru fans, we're going to get into the session now.
00:33Eli Zhang, welcome to RuTalk.
00:36Thanks for having me.
00:37We would really love to get to know you.
00:39I know you have a wonderful life before this moment.
00:42Could you walk us to what has happened and how you get to where you are today?
00:45It's definitely been a life's journey.
00:48I moved around a lot as a kid. I'm the youngest of four kids.
00:51Wow.
00:51I lived all throughout the states, Michigan, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, San Diego, Florida.
00:56I had learning disabilities and some trauma, which couldn't help me focus in school.
01:01And so I had a very bad taste in my mouth about school because I wasn't good at it.
01:06And I was homeschooled, so I missed a lot of the basics.
01:08I love my mom, she tried her best.
01:10And also moving around, I have a lot of gaps in my education.
01:13Yeah, what was that mostly for, the moving around? What's the cause of it?
01:16My dad, my dad's work, he would get a job and then we would move.
01:20Gotcha.
01:20Yeah.
01:21You just dropped nine places, eight places?
01:24Yeah, it was a lot.
01:24So like the longest I ever lived in a house, I think was three years or something.
01:28Wow.
01:28So.
01:29And all four kids, the whole family got uprooted and moved.
01:32Yeah.
01:33Wow.
01:33I have fond memories of every summer we would go back to Michigan because both my mom and
01:38my dad's family are from Michigan.
01:41So we would get in this camper and we would travel from whatever state we were living in.
01:46Yeah, because it's cheaper with four kids and then it's like a bonding experience.
01:49So I'm really grateful that I had siblings because I feel like it really helped me get
01:54used to males and females because they were always, and I was the youngest, so I was trying
01:59to keep up with them.
02:00And my mom, one of the reasons she held me back is she was like, you're too mature.
02:04Oh.
02:04So I would hang out with all the older siblings.
02:07So I lived in San Diego.
02:09My parents had divorced and my mother wanted to go back to where she would go every summer,
02:16which was Sarasota, Florida.
02:18So she moved me to Sarasota, Florida, and I was very bitter about that because I really
02:23didn't want to go.
02:23I see.
02:24And I was leaving my dad as well.
02:26So that was another thing that was very hard on me as a young teen to leave my dad and to
02:33leave where I wanted to.
02:34So by the time I was 18, I moved back to be with my father in California.
02:40But I also knew that that's where entertainment was.
02:43Gotcha.
02:44Back in those days, there was like YM, Seventeen Magazine, Oprah Winfrey.
02:50I did a cover contest.
02:51And so I got runner up for Seventeen Magazine.
02:53And then Seventeen Magazine found me.
02:56I was doing covers for like Italy and they found me on Seventeen and they were like,
03:01you're an up and coming star.
03:02And so I was on her show with Usher and Serena Williams.
03:06But I was also a very good cheerleader at the time.
03:09Because of my gymnastics, I like excelled basically.
03:12By the time I was 18, I was pregnant.
03:15We started a clothing company called Vondage.
03:17I started it with gangsters.
03:20They had another gangster line called Bronze Age.
03:22And if you watch the documentary on Hulu, it'll go into it more.
03:25But they had no credit.
03:28His partner had just gotten out of San Quentin.
03:30He'd done some jail time.
03:32And so the company was very fruitful Bronze Age.
03:35But because of him going to prison, he lost that company.
03:39So then they started Vondage.
03:41And they had no credit line.
03:43So they used my credit line and my mom's credit line.
03:45And like everything was in my name.
03:47So it was like the phone bills, the FedEx, me flying to them, to their initial investor into Japan.
03:54Right.
03:55And then once he got that money, it was like we split apart.
03:58And so I never saw any of that money from Vondage.
04:00Vondage ended up taking off and becoming a really big thing, which is why they did the documentary a few years back.
04:08And so it was kind of nostalgic to after that company had already become so big and you know that you helped out.
04:16It was kind of like, you know, that movie Hidden Figures where like the women actually help a lot.
04:20But then you didn't even really get credit during the documentary of like how much you actually helped this company.
04:25Right.
04:25And without my money or my credit actually.
04:28Putting yourself on the line like that.
04:30Yeah.
04:30The company would be no more.
04:32You know what I mean?
04:33So that's what I'm so grateful for.
04:36It's verticals.
04:38Oh, okay.
04:38Because women are actually having a voice.
04:40How does that transition into acting then?
04:42When does acting come into your life?
04:44So it was a struggle, you know, being a single mom with no child support, raising a son.
04:51But I just, I couldn't imagine doing anything else.
04:54I wanted it so bad.
04:55And so I would do whatever I could.
04:57And there was basically music videos, commercials.
04:59And that's what I did a lot of.
05:01Then I got into stunts or somewhere in between.
05:05And I started really making a living doing stunts.
05:08And that was amazing.
05:09That makes sense.
05:10Okay.
05:10It was really cool.
05:11Yeah.
05:12And the stunt community was really great.
05:14I mean, they're very, they're crazy.
05:17They probably come from also a lot of different lives as well.
05:21Yes.
05:22They're crazy.
05:25And I can say that both of my kids are first responders.
05:28So they're crazy as well.
05:30There's a rush when it comes to stunts comes to anything like that.
05:35I feel like if you're a first responder, that's a rush.
05:38Yeah.
05:38Yeah.
05:39When I was doing stunts, I stopped drinking.
05:42And for me, what happened was it like switched my addictions to food.
05:47And so even my second child, I was like 200 pounds.
05:51So I've always had a struggle about with like food of overeating, under eating.
05:55I've had a bad relationship that I've had to really restructure.
05:58I wouldn't have guessed.
06:00And changed my thinking around.
06:00Oh, my God.
06:01Yeah.
06:02Yeah.
06:02Yeah.
06:03I mean, I think it's very common for addicts to switch.
06:08I mean, if you're an addict, and there are different addicts, so it's not safe for me to say that.
06:12But for my type of addict, I just switched.
06:17So it became food and it sort of took over my life to where I couldn't make a living and I couldn't focus.
06:25And you would think, oh, you're sober.
06:28You can do things.
06:29But that's not what happened for me.
06:31What happened for me was I had a very bad bottom on food.
06:35And for me, I take it as like my HP, my higher power, my higher universe was like telling me, like, you have to figure this out or you're not going to be able to go on.
06:48And, you know, it's like all of these little things that you think are so terrible, like the drinking, the using, the food, they end up becoming one of your superpowers.
06:59So just like losing custody of my son and a lot of these real shorts, I do the mom who loses their kid.
07:09And I have that experience.
07:10I've had years and years of trauma and sadness and what comes with losing a child.
07:19You know, you're changing that person's growing up and how they're going to become as a human.
07:26And knowing that it's my fault, you know, knowing that it's because of what I consumed and the selfishness of that.
07:36There's a lot of weight that comes with that.
07:38Um, but like, how cool is that, that I've been able to make a living?
07:43That's one of the things that I do, you know?
07:46I mean, I can share that with the world.
07:48I can help people understand.
07:50I can help them feel.
07:51I can entertain them.
07:52But in the moment you think, oh my God, this is a terrible thing.
07:57And am I ever going to make it out of that?
07:59Right.
08:00And you do, you know, and you just become stronger.
08:04Unless, you know, there's this saying, you're either growing or you're going.
08:08And for me, I've grown.
08:11Um, I don't want to go yet.
08:12So I just keep fighting.
08:14No, you won't.
08:15Oh, that's really inspiring.
08:16And I can, no, I think, I don't know if the audiences know about this backstory, but if
08:23they have known all those moments that they see would have come more powerful, especially
08:27the moms out there or whoever's struggling.
08:29Yeah.
08:29Yeah, I know.
08:30You know, sometimes I feel like my acting is connected with something higher than me.
08:34I don't know where it comes from, but I really try to utilize that because I feel like in
08:40some instances, it's not really me.
08:42It's, it's something greater than me that's trying to get portrayed on screen.
08:46And I remember having a moment, I was talking to the other actress, but I was really just
08:52talking to the next generation.
08:54Um, and, and I was literally like wanting the young, the next up and coming generation
09:00to know, like similar story that I was just talking about.
09:03I was like, you're going to get through it.
09:05You're going to overcome it.
09:07Um, and the, the universe needs you, the universe needs to hear you.
09:12Um, and you know, that was such a beautiful moment.
09:15I really hope more people go and watch song of my mother's tears.
09:18It came out not too long ago, but that was in the show, in the script, your, your conversation
09:23with the next generation.
09:24Um, yeah.
09:25I mean, I was utilizing, I was talking to the other character, but I was utilizing, knowing
09:31that a lot of younger people watch this and I wanted them to know that because I know
09:38where I've been at my, in my life.
09:39And sometimes you just need to hear it.
09:41You know, sometimes I hear things that I need to hear, like maybe from a higher universe
09:47or whatever, by just watching TV or through talking to someone else or somebody to ring
09:53the bell.
09:54Yes.
09:54Was there something about acting that you connected with that you chose to be your
10:00sort of current career or what was the connection?
10:02I think the connection is just wanting to share my story and my life's work.
10:08I mean, you know, oftentimes, sometimes I'll play characters and I know that I can be fun.
10:14I can have a lot of fun on set, which is so fun, you know, because it's like a soap opera
10:17thing.
10:17Right.
10:18Sometimes you can be really fun.
10:19And also I've experienced a lot of stuff and, um, I want to, not only is it sort of therapy
10:27for me, but I'm actually really shy.
10:30You are.
10:31So growing up, yeah, homeschooled, you have to remember, I didn't have, the only communication
10:38I had was with my body.
10:40So as a gymnast, I'd be in the gym for four hours and that's how I would communicate.
10:45There wasn't a lot of like verbal communication outside of my mom.
10:50Okay.
10:51So, um, people scare me.
10:53Also from moving around a lot, I never really had to grow serious bonds and it really never
10:58mattered what I did because I would just move again.
11:00Right.
11:01So even if I was, you know, acting out, no one would ever know.
11:06Right.
11:06Um, and I was full of energy.
11:09I was very rambunctious.
11:10Yeah.
11:10That's what I was going to say.
11:11That's the opposite of being shy.
11:13Because I was in such good shape.
11:14Uh huh.
11:14So if I wasn't, I didn't know how to be stimulated mentally.
11:18I only knew how to be stimulated physically.
11:20For sure.
11:21So it's been a transition.
11:23I mean, even my boyfriend today, he is mentally stimulating for me.
11:28And now that I'm sober and the older I get, I find out how much I actually really like the
11:33mental stimulation.
11:34But it's hard because I don't know how to communicate that well.
11:40And I mean, I'm learning, I'm getting better.
11:42I've, I've progressed a whole lot.
11:45Um, I think that's why interview interviews terrify me.
11:48Boy, you're killing it.
11:49Don't worry about it.
11:50Because I have to use my own words, you know, it's so funny because I'll be on set and I'll
11:55not like a word and I'll try to change it.
11:57And then I've discovered that usually if I don't like something, it's because I don't
12:01understand it.
12:02And I'll usually say, oh, it's written by AI or, oh, the writer didn't understand.
12:07But it really has nothing to do with either one of those two things because usually, especially
12:10real short, is very well thought out.
12:12And it's usually me that doesn't know.
12:14So like, that's another thing that I have to reprogram is the blame.
12:17It's nobody's fault, but Eli's and how Eli handles the situation.
12:22Taking accountability.
12:23I have to take accountability for me.
12:26Now, whatever somebody else says is none of my business.
12:29It's all in how I give you your best efforts.
12:32Right.
12:33Exactly.
12:34I mean, with even the Oprah and the 17 and, you know, even coming out here and then starting
12:41Von Dutch and then going as an assistant producer at 21 on a major motion picture.
12:48I mean, I was given so many opportunities and I flushed them down the toilet.
12:53I should probably be a lot further along in my career had I not.
12:57But then I can't live in regret because I wouldn't be right here with you guys now.
13:02And maybe this is what the universe needs to hear.
13:04Maybe somebody needed to be here to tell you what it was like before.
13:08So I know that if I wouldn't have done those harmful things to myself, I feel like I would
13:15probably be further.
13:17But who knows?
13:18You, yeah, I don't know.
13:19You can't say that.
13:20You've given as many opportunities.
13:21Yeah.
13:22I just, you know, I don't want to, I want to make sure that I'm honest with myself and
13:27the universe and say, like, I was given a lot of opportunities that I, I messed up and
13:32not everyone has to do that.
13:34Yeah, no.
13:35But I always just played it.
13:37That was also played.
13:38That was advocates saying that most people are given opportunities.
13:41And I don't think anyone was able to capture all of them.
13:45People always have to grow from zero.
13:47So they always have to learn.
13:49There's always a learning curve.
13:50So in hindsight, we all missed out on some opportunities.
13:53And you thought, oh, what a, what a different life I would have had.
13:57Yeah.
13:57But no, it's just part of the process of life.
14:00You have to learn and you have to fail at something.
14:02You have to miss out on some.
14:03Yeah.
14:04I mean, I think it's too, also a testament to like, if you are thinking negatively,
14:11you really need to do some restructuring, rebranding, rethinking.
14:17I actually ended up getting sober and helped by helping my son.
14:21I wanted what was best for him.
14:22I didn't want him to go through what I went through.
14:24And I ended up sort of hearing what the therapist said.
14:27You're doing so great right now.
14:28You look like a total positive person, a good member of the society.
14:32I was not always like that.
14:33I know.
14:33That's why when you say how far down you were, that just shows how far you have become,
14:39you know, how far you have gone.
14:40So yeah.
14:41Applause to that.
14:42I think that, especially as a woman, I had some really close calls.
14:46I've had some situations that I'm not proud of.
14:49Yeah.
14:49I've been in contact with some of old Hollywood that is now part of the Me Too movement.
14:55I mean, these are all, but I can't say that I didn't necessarily put myself in those situations.
15:00You know, I wanted the easy way out.
15:03And that's not the easy way out.
15:05That's actually the hard way out.
15:07Yeah.
15:07You know, and that's, again, another thing where like this next generation now knows
15:12that they can work their butts off.
15:14A hundred percent.
15:14And they can become something.
15:16They don't have to be a housewife of a director.
15:19They don't have to sleep with, they can do it themselves.
15:23All they have to do is do the work now.
15:24Yeah.
15:25You know, because we're showing up in numbers, you know?
15:28This might be a good moment to quote Kim Kardashian.
15:30Uh, nevermind.
15:31I love it.
15:32Give the quote.
15:32You have to do the quote.
15:33You can't say that.
15:34Get your ass up and work.
15:36Get your ass up and work.
15:38Yes.
15:39I don't know if that's the right quote, but anyways.
15:41Yes.
15:41I mean, it's true though.
15:43It was, it was a meme, but no, I definitely, there's way more channels and platforms being,
15:47you know, so that the people who are willing to, the women who wanted to put in the work,
15:51they have the ability to move up.
15:54So I think that's, um, definitely, this is a better time.
15:58So this is very inspirational.
16:01Let me, um, segue real quick to talk about real short and all the mother roles you're playing.
16:07Yeah.
16:09As you said, it's a superpower that you have living through so much of those moments
16:13and now playing these motherly roles.
16:15Any sort of like jumping off points that you feel like, oh, this is, um,
16:19role that is exactly me, or this is a different type of mother that I'm not quite them yet.
16:25How, how, how's that relationship with the roles you've been given so far?
16:29First of all, I think that in any of my acting, I will put other faces there or other situations.
16:38For instance, there was that scene with the other character where she was in the hospital
16:41song of my mother's tears.
16:43And I, I was speaking to a greater population, but I was still wanting this next generation to know,
16:52or even whoever was watching at that time that like, this is, and I was also talking to myself,
16:59you know,
16:59there's so much going on channel.
17:01Yeah.
17:01You have the desire of expression from you.
17:04Yeah.
17:04You have to channel it.
17:05And, and I try to do that all the time.
17:08So sometimes I'll put something totally different in, in my, who I'm talking to,
17:13because then the audience is like, what is she really thinking?
17:17Who is she really talking to?
17:20And that keeps it interesting.
17:22I don't want people to be like, oh my God, that's so boring.
17:24Like, I want to be interesting.
17:26I see.
17:27You know, I mean, I, that's how I like to view film and TV.
17:31I like to watch and be interested.
17:34Like, what is she thinking?
17:36And why would she do that?
17:37I see.
17:38You know, like.
17:40What's the most fun role you have played so far?
17:42I was just thinking, um, well, I loved the alpha queen returns.
17:47Uh-huh.
17:47That was amazing.
17:49I had no idea going to set that I was going to be having like an English character,
17:54like have that accent.
17:55Oh, okay.
17:56I did do, um, sorry guys, but I did do like a scene in an American accent because I was like,
18:04oh, well, what if I can't like use that, like for any of my reels?
18:07But I know it might've taken you out of the character.
18:10Shh, don't tell anyone, but that's not why I did it.
18:12Do you know if they kept it?
18:13They did, they kept it.
18:15I thought about it and I was like, I'm not going to use that because I actually need the,
18:18the English.
18:18Yeah, it's good.
18:19Yeah.
18:19But when I showed up to set, I had no idea.
18:22Oh, wow.
18:22So we just worked it out.
18:24Um, Longwood was like, uh, yeah, no, I need you to say like, and I was like, holy crap.
18:30So, I mean, I try to be like moldable and flexible and have no ideas of what I perceive
18:36the character because the director could spin me a totally different direction.
18:39So it was literally the first day on set of like, this is how I want the character.
18:43And holy, I have to study a European accent.
18:47And what does that look like?
18:48Damn.
18:48What a challenge.
18:49So, yeah, but it was also written really well.
18:53Um, it was a challenge.
18:54There's a lot of dialogue, but I also feel like the writer had a very clear idea of what they
18:59were looking for, for the alpha queen returns.
19:01And, um, I tried to my darndest, you know, you're shooting a lot of pages.
19:07So many, so many pages.
19:08Like usually I just did a film where we did six pages a day.
19:12Oh, wow.
19:12It was nothing, you know?
19:14So like, talk about a training ground for amazing talent that you're going to see up and
19:19coming.
19:19Yep.
19:20We're doing like 16 pages.
19:23Okay.
19:24A day, at least, you know, and film, you're doing half of that.
19:29Yeah.
19:29Okay.
19:30Less than half of that.
19:31So totally different world.
19:33It's like soap operas.
19:34It's literally, which would terror terrorize me.
19:38But for whatever reason, these are like shorter.
19:41So I've been able to gain my confidence in my learning disability or whatever it is to be
19:48like, I can still do a minute.
19:49I can, and usually like I'll get mad sometimes like the client or, or what, again, I'm projecting
19:58everything onto them.
19:59That's really me.
20:00And I've started to learn to say, it really has nothing to do with you.
20:03I'm just frustrated.
20:04I can't get the lines.
20:06I want to do my best work.
20:08And sometimes I'll have to say, I know you want me to say that, but like, I would never
20:13say that.
20:13And it's really throwing me out of the character.
20:15I need to say it like this.
20:17Is this okay?
20:18And sometimes they'll say yes.
20:19And sometimes they'll be like, no, we want you to say exactly as it is.
20:23So then it's about how do you take something that you totally don't believe in and make
20:28it sound real?
20:29So there's two ways to do that.
20:30Yeah.
20:30Part of the job.
20:31Yeah.
20:31You can either make it, try to sell it, or you can also make it a comedy.
20:36And sometimes I think the audience sees that I sometimes put comedy in there, even though
20:42it's very dramatic because I'm having fun.
20:45Like, ha, ha, ha, you want me to say this?
20:47Oh my God.
20:48Yeah.
20:48I'll say it.
20:49But really, this is funny.
20:51So verticals for you overall, if you have to cap it off, it sounded like it's a great
20:55training ground.
20:56Totally.
20:56It was very different, but you are accustomed to it now.
20:59Your muscles are strong for it.
21:02I'm getting stronger.
21:03Getting stronger.
21:04Am I, I think the moment I say that I'm on top of it is the moment that I have a humbling
21:09experience, which has happened.
21:11And it's like, no, let me humble you really quick.
21:17Well, that's how the universe works.
21:19It's totally how the universe works.
21:22What would be the roles that you would want to play next?
21:26I think I would love to play more.
21:29And I've gotten this feedback is like, why is she not playing more of like the love interest?
21:33It's almost like the audience doesn't feel like someone my age can have, be in a love
21:38interest without having like gray hair.
21:40And like, I mean, I have done some of those on other platforms.
21:43Yeah.
21:43I was going to say, yeah.
21:44But it's like, do we not fall in love?
21:46Do we not get divorced?
21:48Do we not?
21:49Because, I mean, I think at any age of life, you know, you can constantly outgrow your partner.
21:55You can constantly be looking for love.
21:57A hundred percent.
21:58Um, and so why, why haven't we done more, not children?
22:03I mean, I understand, I think analytically.
22:05Yeah.
22:06It's market oriented.
22:07We need that younger audience to be brought in, but then is there an audience and maybe
22:12there isn't.
22:13So then that would be my question to the real short people that are watching is like,
22:18would you even want to watch somebody my age fall in love?
22:20Or would that be like weird?
22:22Like, yeah, I think I know that's definitely an age old question.
22:26It applies to the traditional world as well.
22:28Like, you know, the, the younger, the, the 18 to 24 are the, are the people who have more time
22:34and money to go to the movie theaters, which is why a lot of the content are catered to them.
22:38And the more like niche indie films are more, um, that cater to like older audiences.
22:45They, they, they have to work with a little smaller budget just because of the appetites
22:49of the market.
22:50I, but I do agree.
22:51Like time is changing and you know, the relationship status for this generation is changing.
22:56So, you know, they're definitely watching the numbers 24 seven.
22:59I can guarantee that.
23:00So maybe they will start changing and doing more.
23:03I think, um, we might have met before, right?
23:08Yeah.
23:08Well, he casted me on, yeah, a few projects actually.
23:13Just for CEO Queen.
23:14Just the CEO Queen.
23:15Yeah.
23:15So I think, I mean, my version is, uh, on CEO Queen, I was casting it.
23:19And then, um, the producer came straight out of bed.
23:22We want Eli Jane for this role.
23:25I was like, all right, on it.
23:27No problem.
23:28I think I must have done it in another life then.
23:30Yeah, but no, I, I visited the set.
23:32I saw you in passing.
23:33You're having great fun.
23:34I don't want to drag down your process.
23:36So I just, uh, you know, say hi.
23:37In that case, let's watch some of your, uh, beautiful performances.
23:41Shall we?
23:45Mary Miller.
23:47I don't do anything here, but just play dead.
23:49I gotta say you have perfect hair laying on the outside of bed.
23:52She did such a good job on my hair.
23:54What are you thinking when you were laying there?
23:56When the camera saw you?
23:57Nothing, I was just chilling.
23:58You're chilling?
23:59You don't have to, like, try to control yourself.
24:01This whole day, I hardly did anything.
24:03Oh, damn.
24:03You deserve someone better.
24:05See, I'm trying to help her out.
24:07Wait, were you able to stand in the story?
24:09I stand, that's the miracle.
24:12They're all great.
24:12Still won't give up.
24:13You did a really good job at this.
24:15Thanks.
24:16You think you're good enough to touch my sister?
24:17Oh, wow.
24:18You're so desperate to find out who my daughter is.
24:22You, you'll find out soon enough.
24:23And you, you will see exactly what you threw away.
24:29Oh, hey.
24:31She stood.
24:36Then I stand up and they shock everyone.
24:38What color are my eyes?
24:41Thank you all for coming this evening.
24:44During my absence, I worked the hardest, most low-paying jobs.
24:50I wanted to understand.
24:52She seems more CEO.
24:56This is all your fault.
24:57Oh.
24:59You started working with Real Short since 2014, uh, 2024, right?
25:03Yes.
25:03How has life been different since then?
25:05Wow.
25:06Uh, I have a whole new life.
25:09For the first time in my life, I've been able to make a career, uh, theatrically.
25:12Okay.
25:13Which is what I've always wanted.
25:14So you're talking about a dream that's completely come true for me.
25:17Wow.
25:17That, I mean, I've been able to put my kid through college.
25:21Um, but yeah, I just, I quit my day job.
25:24And, um, I'm working as an actress, full-time actress, theatrically.
25:29I mean.
25:30How awesome.
25:31How has it changed my life?
25:32I mean, pretty dramatically.
25:34So thanks Real Short for showing up for me.
25:37Do you have fans now?
25:38I do.
25:39I do.
25:39Do you get messages and DMs?
25:41I do, yes.
25:42What are the current themes?
25:43Well, now that I've done, um, a few Real Shorts.
25:46Right.
25:47They are starting to chime in about the type of work that I'm doing.
25:50Oh, wow.
25:50Which is really funny.
25:51It's like, you know, can't you just play something where you're not crying all the time?
25:56Do you cry in the Alpha Queen?
25:58Well, I cry for my daughter.
25:59Oh, okay.
26:00Um, but I do do a lot of the tearjerkers.
26:03Yeah.
26:03So you would only see the tearjerkers.
26:06Mm-hmm.
26:06Um, it's, which is really funny that I have such a wide range of audiences.
26:11So I go from the tearjerkers to the ones that are heavy, heavily stunt oriented.
26:16And I'm like beating people up, um, that are also very male driven.
26:20A lot of my audience is also males.
26:22Mm-hmm.
26:22Um, I'm a bit of a tomboy.
26:24So, um, I love my men.
26:26So that's awesome.
26:27Yeah.
26:27I mean, I've had a lot of great men in my life.
26:30So, wow.
26:31You do have a very wide range.
26:32I have to say, after looking at your stuff, like you can walk so many genres.
26:37So leading women.
26:40Well, I thought I could never cry.
26:42Wow.
26:42Speaking of song of mother's tear, the, the first episode, when you were talking about
26:49the violin, that felt very genuine.
26:51Yeah.
26:51That was very authentic.
26:52Can you please just take another look at this violin?
26:55Yeah.
26:55I don't know if you remember that song.
26:57Yeah, of course.
26:58Next question I have is, as actors, we kind of go through phases of our careers, um,
27:05because we also grown and, you know, what do you think about your current phase?
27:12And I guess we have already talked a little bit about your wish and what do you want to,
27:16what you want to do next.
27:17But if there's any more thoughts about your current phase, feel free to share.
27:22One of the things that I love about real short is that I get to play a lot of different characters
27:26because there's so much content being created.
27:28And so I just don't want to get stuck.
27:31Okay.
27:31Like, I don't want to get stuck in being just the mom or just the crying mom that loses her
27:37kid or I want to play all different types of things.
27:42And I feel like real short is actually really good at that.
27:45Honestly, it just a, it's an inherent advantage that the volume of content they're putting out,
27:51the diversification is just built in or there, there's a higher need for it.
27:55So.
27:57Okay.
27:58Now it's game time.
27:59Let's play a game called fan or there.
28:02This is just like truth or there, but instead of truth questionses,
28:05we'll use questionses from you guys, the fans.
28:08Let me fish out my buckets.
28:13All right, you pick.
28:15Okay.
28:16Let's see.
28:19Let me read it out.
28:20Okay.
28:20So fan question.
28:22You've got your dream role.
28:24Who would you pick as your cast?
28:25Angelina Jolie.
28:26Oh, damn.
28:28You know what?
28:29I see you guys being sisters.
28:32Oh, she's such a badass.
28:33You guys are both badasses.
28:35She doesn't, you know, she does her own thing.
28:38She's a badass.
28:40Next.
28:40All right, this is it there.
28:44Draw a quick self-portrait with your eyes closed.
28:49Oh my god.
28:50Let's do 20 seconds so we can get at least some features on your face.
28:56Close your eyes, please.
28:58Kindly.
28:5820, 19, 18, 17, 15, 14, you're doing great.
29:0812, 10, yeah, at the wrong place.
29:13Come on.
29:14Five, four, two, one.
29:19I did it.
29:20It's a phase.
29:22Pretty good.
29:22It's pretty good.
29:24Okay, if you have to caption this, what would you say?
29:27As your Instagram post.
29:28Cabbage patch, dog.
29:31There.
29:31Reenact a line from one of your shows, but as if you are in a telenovela.
29:37Give us the context of the scene in that line.
29:40Just know that whatever happens, you are meant to be on this planet.
29:47I swear.
29:53Oscar.
29:54That was good.
29:56I love you telenovela.
29:58Another there.
29:59Now you're the host for one question.
30:01Okay.
30:02One only.
30:03Ask me anything.
30:06Be gentle.
30:07What are you insecure of?
30:09Second episode, all right?
30:10Next time.
30:13Great.
30:15Thank you so much.
30:16Wait, you didn't answer the question.
30:17What question?
30:19What is some of your insecurities?
30:20I just told you mine.
30:21Oh, I mean like guys all worry about their penis sizes.
30:25Oh my god.
30:26And that's something that I have to come to terms with.
30:28Under the, that's under.
30:31Well, you don't see it, but there's also, you sort of can gauge it from other physical
30:36traits from a man.
30:38Wow.
30:38I, I don't know if you're playing dumb or, but for me, I'm, I can sort of eyeball it a little
30:46bit.
30:46No, I can't.
30:47Huh?
30:47I would never know.
30:48You never know?
30:49No, I never know.
30:49Come on.
30:50Okay.
30:51I mean, I think like the personality, maybe it could be like, oh, well maybe.
30:53Personality tied to sizes?
30:55Okay, maybe.
30:56Yeah, because it's a guy's guy, but I would never know that till I like.
30:59Okay.
31:00Anyways, back to guys.
31:01He's serious.
31:02I can't tell if he's serious.
31:03Right.
31:04Hey, he's joking.
31:05You guys, you have to help me.
31:07What is he joking?
31:08Is this for real?
31:10I love you.
31:12No, I'm, I'm for real.
31:13Like, come on.
31:14We have, of course, it's the same thing.
31:15So we worry about that too.
31:17And then for me, I also have to come to my sense, come to terms and grow as a person.
31:22So now I'm just, you know, come to terms with it.
31:24I just have a small penis.
31:27That was a joke.
31:28He's joking.
31:29I didn't know it first.
31:31I'm gullible.
31:32I'm so gullible.
31:35Okay, wait.
31:35Anyways, but regardless.
31:36Okay, so what are some of the things that you've overcome?
31:39Okay, I mean, accent.
31:40That's a big thing.
31:40I'm Chinese.
31:41I was born in China.
31:43Mandarin was my first language.
31:45We learned English since primary school.
31:48All the Chinese kids in my generation, but we don't really speak it.
31:50We know a little bit, but not really.
31:52So once I came here when I was 18 for college, I wanted to start acting,
31:56but I realized my accent was really getting in the way for me, getting anything.
32:01So I have to just work really hard to overcome it.
32:04And to this day, I have, that is still my biggest insecurities.
32:08My accents, my Chinese accents coming out and that inhibiting me getting some jobs that I,
32:13I will always go back to, maybe it was that, that I didn't, or it was at least a contributing
32:18factor for me not getting a role.
32:21So it's just something that I have to continuously work on and get better at.
32:24Another dare.
32:27Act out a scene together with me.
32:29You are a dramatic movie star.
32:31Laze is your overworked assistant.
32:34Okay.
32:36Boss, we have an emergency.
32:38One of your followers has broken through the house and they have picked one of your dolls away.
32:42Okay.
32:42Well, take care of it.
32:43I'm busy.
32:45What would you like me to do?
32:46There are a couple of measures we can do.
32:47We can fire a rocket at their houses or we can call the president.
32:50I think that neither one of those options are viable.
32:53Why don't you think about something more realistic, honey?
32:56Sure.
32:56That's totally my mistake.
32:58I'm very sorry.
32:59I will not disappoint you again.
33:01I'll get to it and I'm going to talk to you later.
33:03And let's talk about how creative your brain is,
33:06because I'm a little concerned if you should still be here.
33:08Sure.
33:08I can definitely be less creative.
33:10Okay, great.
33:12I don't know where I went with that.
33:14Yeah, we don't know.
33:15I'm sorry.
33:16Fan question.
33:17Okay.
33:17What was your favorite real short show to be in?
33:22I think Alpha Queen Returns because it was such a challenge.
33:26That was like my first leading lady of real shorts.
33:29And it popped off like a .
33:32Yeah.
33:35Thank you so much for coming to Eli.
33:37It's a great pleasure talking to you.
33:40As a tradition, we have to take a Polaroid selfie.
33:42Okay.
33:42So.
33:43Let's do it.
33:59We'll see you next time.
34:00Bye.
34:01Bye.
34:01Bye.
34:02Bye.
34:02Bye.
34:03Bye.
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