Kung Fu Star Olivia Liang’s First Martial Arts Experience Was On CW Reboot

Olivia Liang, the star of The CW’s Kung Fu reboot, received her first-ever martial arts lessons during production of the highly-anticipated series. The program is an updated take on the classic series that starred David Carradine as crime-fighting Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine. The reinvention of the show premieres on Wednesday.

The CW’s Kung Fu follows Nicky Shen, played by Liang, as she makes a life-altering journey to a Chinese monastery after dropping out of college. After she returns to San Francisco, she discovers her hometown is plagued with corruption. She embraces her new role as guardian of the city and takes on the criminals, and local triad while forging new bonds with her family as a bigger mystery regarding the death of her Shaolin mentor Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai) unfolds. Rounding out the all-Asian cast are Tzi Ma as Nicky’s father Jin Chen; Kheng Hua Tan as Nicky’s mother Mei-Li Chen; Jon Prasida as Nicky’s brother Ryan Chen; and Shannon Dang as Nicky’s sister Althea Chen.

As packed with fight sequences as Kung Fu appears to be, Liang revealed to TVLine that she didn’t have real martial arts experience before stepping foot on the set. The whole experience of playing a character who transforms into a protector through fight training on-screen, while actually learning the skills behind-the-camera, was thoroughly empowering for the actress, who told the outlet, “I feel like a badass.”:

“This show is my first real experience with martial arts, and I feel so privileged that I get to learn it for my job. Doing these beautifully choreographed fight sequences, it just really makes me feel strong, and it’s really translating into my personal life of just feeling a lot more powerful and a lot taller and stronger and bigger and just ready to take on the world.”

There’s something to be said for Kung Fu‘s Liang, who is a self-proclaimed newcomer to self defense, committing herself to learning the craft. Looking at the program’s history, and discovering the show’s connection to icon Bruce Lee, the buzz and expectations can easily get pushed up higher. Adding real fight training to Liang’s list of skills doesn’t just elevate the series’ storytelling, but brings value and confidence to a person’s life. And that’s super commendable.

It’s also absolutely integral for shows like Kung Fu to embrace the authenticity of the culture it’s setting out to represent while also making sure the performers in front of the camera are well-versed on everything they’re bringing to the table. One of the major tools that is spotlighted are the cast’s fight skills. For all intents and purposes, this isn’t a fake-it-til-you-make-it scenario. As TV fight sequences have become more elaborate over the past decade, audiences have grown accustomed to the martial arts realness being portrayed on screen. For Kung Fu to land its punches, it will need to pack on that aesthetic, along with a hefty amount of heart. And from the looks of things, The CW reboot will be doing just that.

Kung Fu premieres on Wednesday, April 7 at 8 pm ET/PT on The CW.

Source: TV Line