When Fala Chen first read the script for Ballad of a Small Player, it felt both familiar and intriguing. The Chengdu-born actor is lauded for her performances in films from Hong Kong (2009’s Turning Point) to Hollywood (The Undoing, 2020), and she previously lived in Macao, where Ballad of a Small Player, which is based on the 2014 novel by Lawrence Osborne, is set. It was the narrative, however, that truly captivated her. “I was so interested in how these two people, coming from completely opposite backgrounds, would form this really complex yet intense relationship in such a short span of time,” she says. “After reading the script I was like, yes, sign me up.”

During Chen’s audition, director Edward Berger was immediately convinced that she was the actor to play Dao Ming, a local woman working in one of Macao’s glittering casinos who develops a bond with Lord Doyle (played by Colin Farrell), a high-stakes gambler grappling with significant debts. “I think the chemistry between Fala and Colin really came to light in the audition,” says Berger. “Dao Ming is just as lost as Doyle, but she still has an inner determination and an inner peace that Doyle lacks.”

Chen, a distinguished Juilliard alum who garnered global recognition following her pivotal role in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), offers insights into her character, her collaboration with Farrell, and the experience of filming in Macao. 

Director Ed Berger with actor Fala Chen

Can you speak about being directed by Edward Berger?

Fala Chen: Edward believed in me from the get-go. Initially, we had a lot of conversations about my feelings on the script. He really respected me and wanted to learn about what I think, as a Chinese woman, of Dao Ming’s character. We discussed creating Dao Ming’s backstory, as well as her accent. He trusted me as an actor. I remember shortly after I had given birth, Edward flew to New York to meet me. We had a director session to work on some scenes. I thought he was going to give me directions and give me different things to try, and that was why he flew all that way across the ocean to meet me in person. But he just sat there quietly, and every take I did, I looked at him and he said, “That was perfect, that was good, I have no notes.” That sense of confidence that he gave me really made me feel that I could embody this character. I knew that when filming started in Macao it would be all hands on deck. We encountered weather, there were things happening all the time, but I knew from day one that he had a very clear vision of what he wanted for the character and the story.

What elements of Dao Ming’s personality most interested you?

Chen: I am a naturally very optimistic person, while Dao Ming is very different. She is torn constantly by this internal conflict and her sense of guilt. It’s very interesting for me to dive into her perspective, where she has this toughness that life has drawn out of her. She’s had a really tough life, yet she has this innate kindness and vulnerability. I loved playing both, sometimes at the same time, sometimes jumping from one to the other. 

Lord Doyle (Colin Farrell) and Dao Ming (Chen)

What was it like to work with Colin Farrell?

Chen: Colin is the most professional, giving, charming acting partner I’ve ever worked with. He’s so down-to-earth, but at the same time, he’s so dead serious about his craft. I remember one day I was going over our scripts, and I went to his room and found stacks of poetry books. In preparation for my character, I brought a lot of poetry books as well. It’s just coincidental that how we think of our characters and how we prepared was so similar. There is one line in the script where Doyle asks Dao Ming, “Why are you helping me?” Dao Ming answers, “Because you and I are the same.” I think it’s very true for us as actors, too. We are so similar in so many ways in which we work — we want to help each other, and we love what we do, and we share this passion for our work. It’s just a dream to work with him.

What has your experience been like shooting in Macao?

Chen: I used to work as an actor in Hong Kong and Macao. It’s been over 10 years since I’ve worked in China, so for me, it felt like coming home in a way. Even just on set, I would bump into old colleagues that I had not seen in so long. It’s awesome to work with such an international team. We speak so many different languages, we had to translate between each other. When they called “action” on set, there were two different languages going on at the same time. It just felt like a really bustling and creative team. Chinese, German, British, Saudi Arabian — people from all over the world came to Macao to work. I loved the experience.

What do you hope audiences will enjoy when watching Ballad of a Small Player? 

Chen: I hope the audience will visually enjoy the culture and history of Macao and Hong Kong. By experiencing Doyle and Dao Ming’s journey together through the story, the audience will emotionally understand and appreciate the beauty of life and humanity that outweighs our negativity as humans, our greed, and our inability to forgive ourselves. And to find hope that people can move on in life.

This feature originally appeared in Issue 21 of Tudum Magazine.