{"id":12521,"date":"2021-08-12T21:58:47","date_gmt":"2021-08-12T19:58:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=12521"},"modified":"2021-08-12T22:29:09","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T20:29:09","slug":"qa-with-mayling-ng-mongal-the-suicide-squad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2021\/08\/12\/qa-with-mayling-ng-mongal-the-suicide-squad\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&A With Mayling Ng (Mongal) The Suicide Squad"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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MAYLING NG (Mongal) is a name to know in Hollywood, with several noteworthy acting projects on the horizon. You may already recognize Ng from the character of Orana in the DC Comics film \u201cWonder Woman,\u201d as the Amazon charging into action and off the cliff in the movie trailers. Ng also has an impressive fitness background as both a black belt Martial Artist and Figure Competitor representing Singapore in the USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daughter to a Singaporean Chinese father and British mother, Ng\u2019s appeal goes beyond her exotic looks and strong Amazonian physique. Born in the UK, she spent her early years in the Canary Islands, Tenerife before moving to Singapore and now calls California home. Growing up in different continents has led Ng to hone her understanding of various cultures, which she couples with her passion and single-minded pursuit to advance her acting career. Her previous film work includes \u201cThe Scorpion King\u201d and the Hong Kong\/Hollywood co-production \u201cLady Bloodfight.\u201d She also has a lead role in \u201cLegend of the White Dragon,\u201d which is set for 2022 release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ng brings a unique global perspective to the film industry that is fast getting the attention of film studios. Playing strong warrior characters in nearly a dozen features films so far while doing her own action scenes, she is certified in nine Kung Fu weapons, halfway through the virtuosity of the Shaolin 18 Weapons arsenal.
A true world citizen, Ng now resides in Los Angeles, traveling back to Europe and Asia whenever and wherever work dictates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3rd from left, Mayling Ng as Mongal

Copyright: \u00a9 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Credit: Jessica Miglio\/™ & \u00a9 DC Comics<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Did you read comic books as a kid? Was that something that you grew up with?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAYLING NG: Because I have brothers, I read a lot of their comic books of course, but I was always drawn to the more female-driven ones like Wonder Woman. Actually, those really influenced me. I had abs when I was around 10-11 years old. I used to see superhero females and it actually made me think, “Oh, maybe I’m a superhero.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love that!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silly, but yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what drew you to this project? What made you want to be a part of The Suicide Squad?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working with James Gunn and an incredible ensemble cast on a major Hollywood franchise\u2026 What’s not to like?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You hinted a little bit about what your character, Mongal, looks like. Tell me a little bit about who she is and why she happens to be joining the Squad.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, she’s an Alien Warlord. In the comics she’s really nasty and aggressive I suppose. I’ve always been told I look intimidating. But I’m actually just a goofball. I’ve got so many brothers, I had to compete with them all my life. So, that kind of brought out my toughness, Mongal is very similar in that she has a very strong father, like myself. And a strong brother. She competes with him and her father all the time. I think she tries to not only be their equal, but also to be better. On the strengths of her family she shows who she is and stands alone. She’s not scared of anything. Not even joining the Squad or Amanda Waller lol, she\u2019s very headstrong, and doesn\u2019t listen to anyone. She is also not interested in making friends. So, she\u2019s a fantastic character!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And she’s incredibly vibrant looking.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s amazing. Actually, when I was asked to do the audition it just said \u201ccreature,\u201d and then a week later, my agent said, “They’re offering you the part, and the part is Mongal.” I was so scared to see the actual name because I was still thinking of it as a secret. But I looked her up and I just saw these red eyes. She had yellow skin in the original comics, but James went with orange and updated her look. Originally she had all this long flowing hair, yellow skin and almond eyes. I actually saw a picture of myself that day on Instagram that had been posted. I was in a bathing suit, but it was kind of a costume, and it was the exact same cut as Mongal’s. I was holding a massive Kwan dao like I do for Kung Fu because It was for a martial arts magazine. Then, I saw who the character was, and I sent it to my agent like, \u201cI am Mongal. I can see why they’ve cast me. That’s my twin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A part you were born to play.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exactly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems strange to ask you this question because of your career history, but did you do any different kind of training to prepare for the stunts in this film in particular?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On this particular movie, my preparation was no different.  It was the usual heavy training and Kung Fu. I was also very fortunate that they paired me with a great stunt double, Courtney Chen who’s half Asian like myself.  Essentially, I’m not trained for things like falls, fire, or stunt driving.  So, I do all the fun stuff (e.g., the fights, weapons, wires, jumping onto a helicopter, running up cliffs, etc.). But my double did the more dangerous stuff (e.g., a 50-foot fall into water).  She was amazing and I have to give credit where credit is due. The stunt teams are the real unsung heroes on movies like these. They make us look good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You mentioned that you’re half-Asian. This is a really international cast. Why do you think it was so important to James and the producers to assemble such a wonderfully representative cast from around the globe?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I saw straight away from James, and even the producers Chuck [Roven] and Peter [Safran], that it didn’t matter where you were from. It was about who was better for the role, who fit this character. James had a vision and if he saw a certain person in that vision he just made it happen. And it’s great. There\u2019s no such thing as \u201ctoo ethnic\u201d anymore. I tried to do this 15 years ago and I gave up and went into personal training because I was always told, \u201cYou\u2019re not Asian enough\u201d or \u201cYou’re not white enough,\u201d or, \u201cIf I put you in the Hong Kong movie, you\u2019ll be taller than the guys and bigger than the guys, so you’ll be dead in the first scene,” or \u201cyou’ll never be the girlfriend.\u201d So, I just kind of gave up because I was never going to be the love interest, and those were the only parts that females could get back then. Because I wasn’t full Chinese, I couldn’t just do the Asian market. And because I wasn’t white, it was hard to break into anything this side 15 years ago. But now it’s like they realize the world is a mix of people and characters. Everyone fits. There’s not one color or race anymore. It’s a rainbow. It’s vibrant. It’s everyone. Finally Hollywood’s waking up to it. I’ve never actually played an Asian. I\u2019ve played everything else. I\u2019ve played Russian, white, a witch, a warrior, an amazon, now a super villain. Everything. And so it’s great that it’s not just about having the leading lady and then dressing her up in different makeup and culture and accessories to make her look like a different ethnicity. Now we\u2019re giving that part to the right person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James has said that this cast and crew was among his favorite ever, but really more like family than co-workers. Is that an environment that he fosters? And do you feel that when you’re on the set?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On big productions like these, there’s usually a lot of stress and tension. But, on this one, everyone got along and the atmosphere was always very relaxed. I really respect James and the rest of the crew for being able to create such a pleasant working environment.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you hope that audiences are going to experience when they see this movie, which comes at a time when I think so many people are so eager to get back to the movies?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think this film is going to get people back to the cinemas because that\u2019s where it should be seen. You should go to the biggest screen possible, get the biggest bag of popcorn and watch this movie. I sat there in a secret screening theater and watched it for the first time, and at one point I realized I wasn’t breathing. It had been like 30 seconds or a minute. I couldn’t believe what was before my eyes. It’s pure entertainment. It’s one way to celebrate life and everyone getting back together and hopefully being a bit more social spending time with friends and family again. This is one way to break it in. It’s going to be the biggest movie of the year. Even though I’m in it, I’m a big fan. My only regret is not seeing it my 1st time on IMAX to completely blow my socks off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you so much for your time.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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