The U.K. and the U.S. are in different places. Don't get me wrong - I am there for the U.K. industry, and I am always searching for more roles to play there, but it's sparse.
— Jessica Henwick
I think I was just constantly seeking mental stimulation from anything I could get.
As a female actress - I've been doing this since I was a teenager - I often got approached with the ingenue roles: naive and wide-eyed and childlike.
I turned down a lot of work. I didn't want to ever feel defined by my ethnicity.
I turned down a lot of parts, and I ate a lot of canned tuna for dinner because I was just like, 'No, I don't want to do that; no, that's awful.' But sticking to my guns paid off, and I can look back now and be proud that I refused to take any stereotypical Asian parts.
It's very hard as an Asian actress to get seen for anything which isn't specifically Asian in England.
I have a T-shirt that says Game of Stones, which has the Flintstones dressed as 'Game of Thrones' characters on it.
I've been extremely lucky in that I've been able to play roles that are not defined by their ethnicity. But that's not a common thing for people of ethnic minorities.
I think, back in the day, the ultimate trifecta was considered 'Harry Potter,' 'Lord of the Rings,' and maybe 'Star Trek.'
Honestly, it was just tiring going straight from one show to the other. I filmed 'Iron Fist,' and then I had a two week break, and I went straight into 'The Defenders.'
I really struggle to fight and say lines at the same time. It's hard.
When I'm traveling, I like extremes. It's nice for me to go to Canada in the mountains where it's snowing or to Cambodia where it's stifling.
When I came on to 'Iron Fist,' it was really Colleen Wing that sold it for me. I thought it was a good opportunity to see a really strong female Asian American.
Asian food is amazing. I love a good Milo Dinosaur, bubble tea, and things like that.
I was always going back and forth between Singapore and the U.K.
In British TV, if there is an Asian character, there usually has to be a reason for them to be Asian, whereas in America, you have a lot more roles where the person just happens to be Asian.
I was a real overachiever.
For me, I really liked the idea of playing a non-superhero on a superhero show.
As soon as you start looking into roles which are specifically Asian, Black, or Latina, you start looking at stereotypes. That's the issue minority actors face - it's not that we don't want to play our ethnicities; it's that, often, the role that's written for our ethnicity is a stereotype.
Becoming an actress was just about being in the right place at the right time.
One stereotype I get a lot as an Asian actress is that you're playing the model minority - that Asians are the best, that they're perfect and positively moral all the time.
It's tough, because I come to Singapore, and people say I'm not Singaporean, and I go to England, and people say I'm not English. It's really hard to find your place, not just in the entertainment industry, but in life.
There's nowhere in London where you can use a whip without getting too much attention.
I had been in talks with Marvel prior to 'Iron Fist,' and I had researched all the prominent female roles that I was interested in. Colleen Wing came up really early in the process, and I had a strange feeling.
There's something about fantasy and sci-fi that seems more welcoming of different ethnicities.
I've shied away from playing Asian characters. if you look back, I'm playing characters that have no relevance to my ethnicity.
I was a real wild kid, spending much more time outdoors than I ever did indoors.
I would love to see an Asian American superhero.
The seafood in England is sad.
I'm not a good katana user, bo staff user.
'The Joy Luck Club' is not a perfect film. But, I distinctly remember watching it with my mom - and bursting into tears after the screening!
The state of the industry is much like the state of politics. It's too middle-aged, white, and male.
I want to continue to broaden expectations of what an Asian can be.
I learned more on 'Spirit Warriors' than I think I have on any other job.
What I'm known for - 'Game of Thrones,' 'Star Wars' - they film in England, but they're American productions. Because American productions are willing to see Asian actors.
I don't want to perpetuate a stereotype. I don't want to take Asian representation backwards two steps. I don't want to be part of the problem.
My agent and I are very clear on what kind of roles I'm interested in, and I don't want to perpetuate any stereotypes.
When you use the whip, it makes the loudest crack. It's a very, very difficult weapon to use.
I'm Asian, and I'm an actress, and I've been doing this since I was a teenager, so if anyone understands the conversation about misrepresentation and underrepresentation, it's me. I live and breathe it; this is my life.
It's always fun playing a villain, I do have to say.
I went snorkeling between tectonic plates in Iceland's Silfra fissure in the winter. You have to wear thermal layers and a wet suit and what's called a 'teddy-bear suit' so you don't die of hypothermia. My lips still went blue. That was an experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life - so beautiful and so quiet.
I grew up in the English countryside, raising ducks and chickens.
I've always made a point to play roles that aren't specified by their ethnicity.
In Singapore, I'd spend the majority of my time at hawker centres because the food there is incredible.
