Throughout the first season of The CW’s family drama Kung Fu, its leading warrior Nicky has found herself a formidable opponent in Zhilan Zhang. She’s a villain who will stop at nothing to get what she wants: all eight mystical weapons to unleash Biange and become unstoppable.
In an exclusive interview with PopWire, the bombshell actress who brings Zhilan to life, Yvonne Chapman, discusses what it’s like playing Nicky’s nemesis, her character’s killer wardrobe, and her thoughts on the Season 2 renewal.
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The Canadian-born actress says it’s been “so much fun” playing the hard-edged and cunning assassin on Kung Fu. “I get to be naughty!” Chapman says with a laugh. “She gets to do things that normal people every single day wouldn’t do. For me, what was really interesting about it is trying to figure her out as a human being, trying to understand her motivations.
“Luckily, the writers have done such a beautiful job of outlining that for me and telling that story for her,” she adds. “For me, it was really finessing how that manifests in her being in what you see and how she acts. It’s a great time.”
A big part of getting into the character of Zhilan is her stunning and fabulous wardrobe. Chapman shares that her wardrobe fittings on the show are one of her best highlights. “A lot of [Zhilan’s] clothes are custom, so the costume department on this show is unbelievable,” she says.
“What they create in the tone of her, it really helped me, for one, to get into her skin almost physically because I’m putting on these clothes and then I just feel like her. They really set up that vibe and that tone for her character for sure.”
The actress says that she’s fallen in love with all of Zhilan’s jackets, and adds that she’s sad that one of her favorite pieces had very little screen time. “I’m kind of sad we’ve only got to see it once,” she says, “but in the end of episode 2, there’s this beautiful faux leopard skin jacket that just, ugh, it was so perfectly fitted and so comfortable and just chic as hell. I really loved that. And all the shoes were so good. The shoes they don’t make, but they’re a lot of fun to wear, too.”
While the return of her character in Season 2 is still unknown at this time, the actress does say that she is “so thrilled” that the series will be back for another season. “I can’t say enough how incredible this cast and crew is,” she says. “Showing up to work every single day this season has been an absolute pleasure. I really mean that from the bottom of my heart.
“These guys are just gems of human beings,” she continues, “and to see all their hard work pay off, and for the show to continue, it means so much to everybody, especially because it’s really the only drama with almost a full Asian cast. I think more than that, everyone’s just responding to the story and the family and in seeing these relationships come alive onto screen and knowing that people are enjoying that with the validation of Season 2 is incredible. I’m just so happy that the show is going to continue.”
Kung Fu returns for Season 2 in 2022 on The CW.
