Taiwanese icon Brigitte Lin on her favourite roles, the power of writing and if she’ll return to acting

With Outside the Window (1973) and Gone with the Cloud (1974), you cemented your position as one of the pillars of Taiwanese cinema. But you were quite young at the time: how did these stories help you build yourself and your vision of the world?  
Mo Yan once said that writers must have their own reflections in their novels. In Outside the Window, I played an emotional and stubborn high school student. In Gone with the Cloud, I played a naughty and mischievous girl. While these characters had completely different personalities, they represented me quite well. At 17 and 18, there was this duality in me. I was very naive, but I also had a very emotional vision of the world. 

You appeared in 55 movies between 1972 and 1979. How did you manage to strike a balance between work and personal life at that time?
I’m the kind of person who devotes herself wholeheartedly to what she loves, and movies were my priority at that time. So I didn’t mind shooting day and night—just like I can write and paint all the time these days. I remember not getting much sleep when I was in Taiwan, I would actually shoot until I collapsed.

What did a typical day look like at that time?
I spent most of my time on the set, going from one scene to another. I was so busy I didn’t get enough sleep. So even though I looked vibrant on screen, I spent my days going from home to set or vice versa. I had no time for anything else.

You moved to California in 1979. How did your time in the US help you re-engage with acting? 
[Before 1979], my days were so busy that I had no time to think. Spending time in the US helped me reflect on myself and the movies I signed. I think it motivated me to change my attitude towards life and turn over a new leaf. I decided that my priority was making myself happy.

Following this break in your 30s, you started playing very different characters. Is there a genre or role that you particularly liked? 
I often think about it and I’m grateful for my evolution. It seems that the kind of movies I played in changed with me. In the 1970s, when I was a young woman, I felt very attracted to poetic, literary and romantic films, which is exactly what I played. 

The general interest in these movies declined at around the same time that I was looking to play new characters. I started to act in comedies, movies with social commentaries and martial arts films. And right before the martial arts movies trend ended, I decided to get married. 

Red Dust, for which you won the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress in 1990, was a milestone. Tell us about this role which was inspired by writer Eileen Chang.
I felt that I was living in this movie. I liked every scene of it. It was [Taiwanese writer and translator] Sanmao’s first and last time as a screenwriter, and she poured her heart and emotions into this film. She showed me how to bring the character to life. Even today, you can see how devoted she’s been to this movie.

What made you take up writing? 
Initially, I wanted to share my thoughts with everyone. I had a lot to say, and I wanted to bring hope to my readers and myself. But then, writing turned into something more fun. I took it as a growth exercise. It helped me reinvent myself. 

How did it help you do that? 
As I mentioned before, there was such a duality within me as a younger actor. I was really shy, but I was also in the limelight. I didn’t have the courage to express myself and be happy. 

In the past ten years, I’ve been focusing on getting out of this duality and having my inner and outer selves on the same page. That’s why I’ve dedicated more time to writing, painting, singing, travelling, interacting with fans and participating in charity events. 

Talking about fans, tell us about your relationship with them.
I know that they love me sincerely and I try my best to repay them with my sincerity. When I meet them, I love giving them advice on how to be authentic and stop comparing with others. I also try to make them laugh. But I feel that I’m learning more from them than what I give them. They are a driving force for me to move forward.

What has been your higher goal as an actor? 
I’ve always hoped to play [any character] impeccably and to produce legendary work. 

You once said in an interview that you would consider doing a film again if you came across a good script. Does this still hold? 
I could write a novel and adapt it into a screenplay. Film is such a comprehensive art… I could come back into the movie world in different ways. But if a masterpiece comes my way, I don’t think I would be able to refuse it. I can still dream, right? Dreams come true sometimes.

Where does your peace and confidence come from? 
I think my confidence comes from my heart—and my peace from my hometown. 

Finally, can you share with us a good movie you’ve seen recently?
Recently, a friend of mine introduced me to the Japanese film Perfect Days, which I loved. The plot is so simple that it attracted me right away. The visuals are amazing, the actors are great and the plot is thought-provoking.

This story was originally published in Chinese by Wang Huohuo and Chandler (Qiandele).

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