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Susan Hornik

Yvonne Chapman is having too much fun playing the mysterious assassin, Zhilan, on The CW’s breakout hit series, Kung Fu – which has just been renewed for a second season. Whether she is showcasing her martial arts skills or her shrewdness, the Canadian actress has viewers riveted.
Now that the show is finished with its first season, Chapman had the time to talk exclusively with STYLE about her enthusiasm for the bad girl role. 
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“I am having a blast playing Zhilan,” says the Chinese-Canadian actress. “She’s fascinating to me – a dangerously good fighter, intelligent, determined and poised. But beyond that, she’s also complex. I must thank our incredible showrunners Christina Kim and Bob Berens, along with all the writers on this show for giving me the opportunity to play such a multifaceted woman, with an enthralling backstory.”
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Loving stunts … and Bruce Lee
Featuring in some impressive fight scenes, Chapman has undergone extensive martial arts training for Kung Fu.
“The stunt team on Kung Fu is world class. They are amazing martial artists, wonderful teachers and choreographers, and have done an incredible job in the creation and detail of each fight, and in the portrayal of fight styles for each character,” she notes.

Depending on the intricacy of the fight, and time constraints, Chapman could be rehearsing with the stunt team anywhere from two weeks ahead of shooting to a few days, she says.
“I’ve never done stunts to this level of choreography before, so at first it was definitely a learning curve and took some getting used to,” she says. “But I’ve enjoyed every minute of the training, and love that I’ve learned some fighting moves in the process of it all.”
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Chapman is grateful for her stunt double, Aliya Iskakova-Chiang. “What an incredible athlete she is. She makes me look so good and so badass,” she laughs.
Bruce Lee is “of course” an inspiration to Chapman. “He is part of a long history of people who have made it possible for us to be here today doing this show. Not only does he inspire in the way of martial arts, but also in his beautiful philosophy and approach to life.”
Lee’s words have stayed with her. “In particular, his advice to embrace a growth mindset – ‘Life itself is your teacher, and you are in a state of constant learning.’”
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Beyond kung fu
Chapman is thrilled for viewers to become more familiar with each character on the show. “I’m so excited for the audience to discover and get to know all of them,” she add.
Fans may remember Chapman’s face from another The CW series, The 100, or in ABC’s The Crossing. Most recently, she had a regular role on CBC’s Street Legal, a reboot of the hit television series from the 80s.




















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A post shared by Yvonne Chapman (@ypchapman)



Currently, Chapman also has a recurring role on Global TV’s Family Law, where she plays Danielle Lim, girlfriend to Daniel Svensson (Zach Smadu). 
“The show is a Canadian production, one that I’m very proud to be a part of, created by showrunner Susin Nielsen, who is just fantastic. It’s about a recovering alcoholic lawyer who hits rock bottom, and is forced to take a job working for her estranged father while also getting to know the half-siblings she had never met – Daniel being one of them.”
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As Daniel’s girlfriend, Chapman’s character gets swept up in some of the family drama. 
“It’s a lot of fun, and we had a great time shooting it in Vancouver. The series has all the elements of comedy, drama, love and family,” she said. 
 She hearts the arts




















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A post shared by Yvonne Chapman (@ypchapman)



In between working on the two television series, Chapman is also a passionate advocate of the arts. 
For several years, she served as an executive board member and treasurer for the Calgary International Film Festival. She has also acted in, produced and directed short films in support of young and emerging artists, many of which have been featured in prominent film festivals such as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival and the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, held annually in Seattle.
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“When I can, I love creating and spending time with inspiring artists who just have a hunger to create great work”, she adds. “I’m currently working on a short film with some local filmmakers in Vancouver and engaging in a few projects with the local film community for Asian Heritage Month.”




















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A post shared by Yvonne Chapman (@ypchapman)



Standing against racism
With the horrific anti-Asian violence that has taken place in the US and in Canada, Chapman is naturally very concerned, and as an actress of Chinese descent, is proud to use her platform to inspire and engage.
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“We all need to be the agencies of change right now – as a collective and as individuals,” she says. “We need to engage our communities, our family, our friends and leadership of all backgrounds in conversation and in action to mitigate the hate we are experiencing.” 




















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A post shared by Yvonne Chapman (@ypchapman)



She continued: “I’m a strong believer that major proponents of real change are sustained efforts in communication and education. Now more than ever, we need to invest in, and amplify the voices of the organisations and people who have been doing the work for years in combating anti-Asian hate and racism – to provide them the tools and resources they need and to create a significant and lasting solution together.”
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Chapman also appeared in The 100, ABC’s The Crossing and CBC’s Street Legal and is currently on Global TV’s Family Law
She has acted in, produced and directed short films shown at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival and Seattle’s National Film Festival for Talented Youth



The star of The CW’s breakout martial arts series talks about the influence of Lee’s philosophy, and the need to fight anti-Asian prejudice


.css-l23q6k{color:#727272;color:#222222;font-family:Playfair Display,serif;text-transform:uppercase;}.css-l23q6k span{font-style:italic;}.css-l23q6k .e1q1c9am1{font-style:normal;}Exclusive / Bruce Lee fan Yvonne Chapman, star of The CW’s Kung Fu, on standing up to anti-Asian hate – interview

Exclusive / Bruce Lee fan Yvonne Chapman, star of The CW’s Kung Fu, on standing up to anti-Asian hate – interview