Kelly Marie Tran, welcome to The Daily Social Distancing Show.
(laughs) Oh, my gosh! I'm so excited to be here.
Thank you so much.
Um, the last time we spoke, we were talking about, like,
the journey that you had had, you know,
being part of Star Wars, being the face
of what many felt like was, like, bullying online.
You know where people were like, "This is part
of the biggest problem that we have on social media."
Since then, your life seems to have been, like, really peachy.
Before we talk about making a new Disney movie,
I want to know, as one of the few who's doing it,
what-what is the world when there is no social media?
It's amazing.
I mean, okay, I will say this.
I do have, like, a lurker account,
because I want to know what's going on in the news
and be, like, an active citizen of the world, right?
But not having to, uh,
constantly be sort of publicly on it is
the best thing I've ever done for my mental health.
I will say that, yeah.
Huh. So you're saying that you don't wake up every day
with people just telling you that they hate you?
This is not a thing that you do?
(laughs) No, no, that's not a thing that I-I do, no.
Wow. I don't... I don't know what that's like.
I wake up every morning, and I check,
and I'm like, "Yup, they're still there."
And then I start my day. (laughs)
Well, now I feel like I'm going to use my lurker account
just to be like, "we love you! We love you!"
No, don't do that. Don't even do that. Don't do that.
I-I like the haters, 'cause then I go like,
"At least they see me. They see me."
Um, you've-you've had an amazing journey.
I mean, not being in... You know, it's not just one,
not two, not three, but it's going to be, like,
what, four Disney movies?
You're just like the Disney darling
right now, it feels like.
The movie is Raya and the Last Dragon.
Tell me a little bit about the story.
I mean, I've watched it all,
but I don't want to spoil anything for people.
So it is about a young girl named Raya,
who is technically a princess,
but I think what's really cool about this movie is
that we're really sort of flipping the narrative
on what a princess is.
She's actually really a warrior.
And she comes into the world and sort of has this really
idealistic way of viewing the world,
and then, the world breaks apart.
And then she starts really distrusting everyone.
The whole movie sort of is her journey on, uh, figuring out
how to find the good in the world again
and figuring out how to trust people again.
The whole story is about how the world was working,
and then, everybody started believing
that in order for them to succeed,
other people have to fail,
and that's when the world starts falling apart.
And it feels like that's the world we live in today.
What's also cool is that, you know, we live in a world
where everybody who is generally not white
gets put into, like, one category.
Like, with Asian, it's just like,
"You're Asian. We're done."
But what's cool about the movie is it's like, "No."
It sort of tells the story of real life, where it's like,
"Hey, this is not a monolith.
This is not homogenous. There are Asian peoples."
You know, obviously, this story takes place
with a South Asian perspective, but it is still a story
about, like, all different people
coming from the Asian sphere.
You know, there was so much research done to make sure
that this specific part of the world was honored
in a really authentic way.
So, to be able to be part of that and to be able,
like you said, to sort of shine a spotlight
on all these really specific things.
Like, not only are we talking about the specific fabrics
that people are wearing from the different tribes,
but also, the type of martial arts
that you're seeing depicted is specifically from this region
of the world, and the food, and it goes on and on and on.
So, to be able to be a part of that
and recognize how, I guess how important it was
to Disney, it just made me really happy,
as someone who was really starved to see herself as a kid.
Right. You know, when I was watching the movie,
I was thinking, it's so amazing how, like,
in this film especially,
Disney just hit on, like, all the perfect notes.
So, like you said, the costumes are phenomenal,
the acting is amazing,
like, the landscapes that we get to see
of all the different places and the cultures.
And then you have dragons on top of that.
-We love dragons! -Right?
I mean, it feels like the perfect combination
of everything.
But you made the movie in less than perfect circumstances.
I mean, everybody was... in, like, remote locations.
Everybody... Where were you recording your parts?
'Cause I don't think everybody was together, right?
No. I actually, yeah, I really didn't get to interact
with Awkwafina at all until we started doing crossover Zoom.
-Wow. -So a lot of... Yeah, we were all completely isolated.
Um, I was working out of my boyfriend's apartment,
and we basically taped sound blankets to the wall
-Wow! -and, like, put chairs, in, like...
It was... it was not glamorous. (laughs)
Like, it was totally just a makeshift fort,
uh, in his bedroom,
and that's where the majority of this movie was recorded.
Did you ever have those moments-- 'cause I know I have,
doing some stuff at home-- where you're, like,
trying to be really serious, you're in the zone,
and then all of a sudden there's, like, a Postmates
or Uber Eats or something delivery,
and you have to, like, stop-- have you had any of those
-while filming, like, Raya? -Oh, fully, yeah.
Deliveries, and then also just, like,
the sounds of construction outside
or the Internet cutting out.
Yeah. Yeah. And also, like, voice-over is so weird,
because you have to do all these, like, grunting noises
-and screaming noises. -Yes. Yes.
And I still live in an apartment,
so, like, my neighbors probably think I'm getting murdered,
or I'm doing some crazy stuff, just, like,
doing all these crazy grunting fight sounds
and screaming "No!" at the top of my lungs,
-like, ten times in a row. -So, when you're doing this,
do you just stand there stoically, are you like,
'Hyah! Hyah! Hyah!"
Or do you try and do the moves as well
in-in-in the room?
Okay, so, I fully, originally, like,
always try to do the moves.
Like, there's that scene at the end of the movie--
I don't want to spoil too much, but, you know,
it's, like, a very big environment,
and she's got a sword,
and she's, like... and I'm fully, like,
behind the microphone, like, stabbing around me like...
(grunting)
And then I would get in trouble, 'cause I would move too far
from the mike.
So then I'd have to, like, make sure I was here,
and then be, like, doing this...
-Hyah! Hyah! Hyah! -Hilarious.
Um, the movie, I feel, comes at a perfect time for...
I mean, a number of reasons.
One, we're all stuck at home.
It's amazing to see, like, blockbuster movies
and get to enjoy them at home.
Um, two, it's a beautiful film,
you know, and people love Disney movies,
but it's also, like, the timing of who the movie's about.
You know, right now the Asian community in America
is facing one of its toughest times,
where hate crimes are just skyrocketing.
Many, you know, prominent Asians in Hollywood saying, "Hey,
we need to fight against this, everybody needs to step up."
And I've seen people on social media saying,
"Let's work together to do this."
What do you think the significance
of a movie like this is for kids
and for people who just watch movies
and might have a subconscious understanding
-of what they're seeing? -Exactly what you said.
You know, when you make a movie like this,
you cannot control the environment
in which it's going to be released in.
You have absolutely no idea what kind of world
you're releasing into.
So to be able to be a part of this movie right now,
when the news is a... a con...
You know, 'cause I'm lurking... lurking on the Internet,
(laughs): I know it's a...
it's a constant barrage of attack after attack,
and I know, for me, like, I just really hope
that this is a moment where we can come together
as a community and really recognize the pride and the joy
that comes with celebrating where we're from.
You know, we live in a world that's telling us
we need to be afraid and we need to hide
and we have to be ashamed, and to be part of this movie
that is so clearly celebrating instead of hiding
feels like such a proud moment for me, and, um,
I hope that it's one that the community can celebrate.
There's also another community that's gonna celebrate it
on top of that, and that is gonna be
women and little girls everywhere.
'Cause, I mean, you know, one thing people have always said
about Disney movies is, they go like--
and Disney themselves have made fun of it,
in movies like Wreck-It Ralph-- is where, like, the princess
is always helpless and always waiting to get rescued.
And you watch this movie, and it's just, like, no.
People are just kicking ass.
All different types of women.
All these princesses, as we know them,
but it's, like, no, these are warriors
who just happen to be the daughter of the ruler.
Yeah, which I am so stoked about.
I mean, I think something that was really important to me
coming into this, and also really important
to Disney as well, is we really are really trying
to change that narrative-- like, what do people think
when they think of the world "princess"?
What do people think when they think of the word "hero."
And you're seeing Raya and Namaari,
all these other characters, and I really do think
they're sort of broadening the idea
of what instinctually people think
when they think of those words,
-Right. -and it's so cool to be part of that change.
You're gonna carry on your life now.
You're gonna be lurking online. Um, you're living your life.
It looks like it's treating you well.
What advice would you give to young people out there
who feel like they have to be on social media
to stay connected with their world,
but also suffer with the enduring abuse
that might come their way?
Yeah, I mean, I think it is, you know, a decision
that everyone needs to make on their own, individually,
but I will also say that there are boundaries
that you can set for yourself, whether that's making sure
that certain words, if comments are being left on, you know,
your public page, that those don't get through.
Or time limits. You know, we've had all these documentaries
talking about the addictive nature of social media
and what it's actually doing to change our brains.
We can talk about what is...
what is a healthy time limit for us,
so we can make sure that we are engaging with our community
and being active members of society,
but also not having to do that
at the expense of our own mental health.
-Right. -I just think... I think it's a good conversation
for us to be having at all, because it feels like...
for a lot people it's almost an expectation
without a discussion.
So to be able to have the discussion with yourself
and with your friends and the people around you,
like, how can I do this productively,
but also make sure that I am mentally in a place
where I'm happy.
Um, these are good conversations to have.
Most definitely. Good conversations to have
and a good mental space to be in.
Kelly Marie Tran, thank you so much for joining me on the show.
-And congratulations again. -Thank you.