'Wu Assassins' star Li Jun Li promises if the Netflix show 'ain't your cup of tea, we serving Chinese whiskey too'
‘Wu Assassins’ is a must-watch martial arts, supernatural drama premiering on Netflix on Thursday, August 8. With drug lords, a reluctant hero, badass women who are not afraid to throw a punch and guides from a timeless dimension, the show has something for everyone.
As one of the talented stars of the show, Li Jun Li, puts it, “If it ain't your cup of tea, we serving Chinese whiskey too, no free samples.” Boasting of one of the biggest Asian American cast ever, the show also truly showcases what representation means.
We see Asian people who are driven and ambitious, who just want to get by, who still have the fight in them, who embrace crime, who want to escape the life of crime, and so on.
Li’s Jenny Wah, for example, is a hustler. She was born into an unjust world but decides to rise above it. Li tells MEA WorldWide that right from the get-go she knew how she wanted to portray Jenny. “As you say, she is a hustler, but a caring, loyal, motivated, and genuinely good person who probably is the only one keeping things balanced out of her group of close friends,” she says, adding how important it is to her that “the audience will see her as a human being who prioritizes family and friendship and will stop at nothing to protect them, even if she has to break a few rules.”
She also talks about the brilliance of creator John Wirth in inventing the character. “It's been a gift and an honor to be a part of this, and I couldn't be happier with what we've created! I hope that Jenny will be someone who people can relate to, one who struggles with doing what's right versus what is necessary to protect their loved ones,” she elaborates.
The character of Jenny is also among the many women on the show who actually have a meaty role, who drive the story forward and are badasses in their own right in an action movie with a male lead. Jenny talks about how it did not seem like a topic that required discussion because of the way the script was written.
“It was a given,” she says, adding, “I think it's safe to say that we all wanted to be a part of this project because of the strong female leads, how equally we are treated regardless of our gender. Every person, in this case, serves a purpose; no one is a damsel in distress. I am very picky about the meatiness of my roles. Not only do I want a variety of roles under my belt, but also because I hope to motivate and inspire everyone who thinks of themselves otherwise.”
Jenny is portrayed as a complicated woman with complicated relationships, and one of those relationships is with her brother Lawrence, who unlike his sister, is unable to break free from the chains of his surroundings. Played by the brilliant Lawrence Kao, Jenny’s brother Tommy is a drug addict who is sucked too deep into the world of crime to come out of it unscathed.
Both Kao and Li confirm that playing siblings on-screen was easy because of their own chemistry. Li, in fact, goes on to say that Kao is his brother from another mother… And father. “I don't know how John Wirth did it, but it's as if he had reunited siblings that were separated at birth. That being said, it was easy working with Lawrence. He is so giving and communicative, fearlessly vulnerable, and brings so much heart and soul to his role of Tommy that anyone would sympathize with him,” she says.
“I've been extremely fortunate in the projects that I've been on. I've gotten along with everyone, and many of our casts have continued to stay in touch from the past as we've made friends and family for life,” says Li adding how it is good that they are all more or less accustomed to each others' culture.
“We don't have to ask each other to take off our shoes once we enter each other's homes! (ha!) We all understand the culture, enjoy Dim Sum, have endless amounts of hot pot dinners, call each other's parents ‘aunties’ and ‘uncles.’ It's nice to have that, brings me right back home.”