Alfred Hsing gives a haunting performance in ‘Train Dreams’

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Daniel Anderson: How did this project find its way to you, and what was the audition process like?
Alfred Hsing: It kind of came to me as a culmination of things. First and foremost, it came through the proper audition process. My agent reached out. Very coincidentally, at the same time I was stunt coordinating another project, and one of the producers there said he wanted to refer me for this other project that was looking for a bilingual actor of Chinese descent. He threw my name to one of the producers on Train Dreams. Then I heard that Tim Eulich, who was the stunt coordinator on Everything Everywhere All at Once, where I doubled James Hong, also put my name out there. It felt like the universe was saying I really had to be on this project. The audition itself went really well. In the last session, which was virtual, right after I finished, the casting team looked at each other and said, “I think we don’t need to look for this role any further.”

DA: What kind of prep did you do for the role or what other details about your character did you keep in mind that we don’t explicitly see on camera?
AH: I looked at photos of laborers and railroad workers from that era. One photo stood out to me—a guy working, but with a certain swag. He had a hat, overalls or suspenders, gloves, and the way he was posed, it was like he had a story. I imagined him leaving his family, maybe a wife or children, in Fujian, traveling for months. Back then, you couldn’t just hop on a plane, you’d spend three months on a ship, and then once you landed on the West Coast, you’d still have to travel for weeks to reach your work location or your community in Washington. Just one person doing that journey today, documenting it on Instagram, would go viral. It was incredible to imagine the courage and risk involved. I thought about the qualities these people needed: boldness, ambition, a willingness to take risks, and some degree of adventure. That informed my portrayal of Fu.

DA: Walk me through your death scene in the film? It comes really early in the movie and it’s terrifying. What were your emotions in that moment, and what was the physicality like?
AH: When they rolled action and that mob of guys started coming toward me, I genuinely felt that impending doom. I could feel them. I really do think if you freeze frame my face, there’s genuine fear there. And that came from putting myself in the mindset of someone who doesn’t speak the language fluently, who is different, who is one against five or six people. You’re outnumbered, and even if you want to fight back, you’re facing a system that’s built against you. There’s a helplessness in that, and that’s what makes it terrifying. Even retelling it now, it’s scary. The laws, the racism, the mindset of the time, it’s all stacked against you. You realize how important it is to have people who will stand up for you.

One of the hardest parts emotionally was looking at Robert. In my mind, we’ve shared meals, we’ve labored together, we’re colleagues, maybe even friends. And my eyes are just saying, “Help me. Say something. Do something.” And I get nothing back. That’s the final blow. You already feel terrified, and then you feel completely alone. There’s a moment people sometimes misread where Robert looks like he’s helping me, but what’s actually happening is that for a brief moment, he’s just following orders. He’s mindlessly going along with the group, which makes it even worse. That’s why I kicked him away. It’s the last sliver of hope disappearing. 

Even though my character doesn’t have much dialogue, I was very conscious about showing defiance. I didn’t want Fu to be portrayed as meek or submissive.

DA: We don’t actually see the full fall over the bridge. Can you walk us through how that stunt was set up?
AH: Very early on there was talk of trying to actually throw me over the bridge for real, but because of that physical location, it was really difficult to get cranes, pads, or a catcher box in there safely. So ultimately we did what’s called a Texas switch. I get dragged up there and I’m struggling, and as the camera pans away and comes back, there’s a dummy dressed as me laid on the tracks, and that’s what they throw over. Later in post, one of my friends who also does stunts did an actual fall for it. I wasn’t there for that part, so I’m not sure exactly where or how it was shot, but they combined that with sound and some light VFX so it didn’t look like a lifeless dummy. They might have blended a few elements together so there was still movement to it. I would’ve been happy to do the fall myself because I always want to put as much of my own performance in as possible, but given the location and safety, that was the best way to do it. And in the end, it looks pretty authentic.

DA: Fu returns a few times almost like a ghost, a manifestation of guilt in Robert’s mind, and in those moments you’re staring at him. What emotions did you want to convey?
AH: Even in those performances with Joel, what people describe as haunting, there was a lot going on in my mind. What we talked about with the director was the direction of that stare, and one of the aspects I included in that cocktail of emotions was a bit of understanding. I wouldn’t say it’s full empathy because I myself was wronged. Yes, I’ve been thrown over and faced suffering and discrimination, but at the same time I can feel that he’s going to go through immense suffering and loss too. It’s not really hating on you, because I’m gone now. I’m in the ether, I’m the universe, and I see all and know all. It’s more a look of understanding that he still has a long way to go in his struggle. I see the connections between us.

DA: I love that Fu represented guilt and regret in Robert’s life. It’s really powerful.
AH: I really wanted to flesh out who he was. I told the director that if we only see him working and then immediately getting thrown over the bridge, the lasting guilt on Robert’s mind might not fully land for the audience. I understood he’s one of the people who passes through Robert’s life, but at the very least there should be a sense that these two men shared something. The director completely agreed, and that’s what led to the scene of me eating during the rest break, with Robert sitting on the pipe in that cave-like archway. We played with little interactions there. At one point he offers me his pipe while I’m eating, and I offer him some food back. Small gestures, but they show a connection. I feel like what made it into the film, that sense of us working and quietly building a relationship, came directly from those conversations and my input. 

DA: It made all the difference. It makes Fu’s death hit harder and your future appearances staring back at Robert.
AH: I think it’s important, especially for other actors coming up, to have your own perspective and point of view, and to respectfully and professionally speak up. You have to be proactive and look for those opportunities to add something meaningful. In my case, production asked if I wanted to do my fitting the same day as filming or come a day early. I chose to come a day early, just to get settled. That ended up being the day we shot the eating scene and some of those moments of us working together. Those scenes weren’t originally scheduled for a day I would’ve even been on set. But because I was there early, and because I had voiced that there should be some rapport and connection between these two men, the crew was flexible enough to say, “Alfred’s here, this makes sense, let’s shoot it.”

DA: The film really makes you think about time, regret, and what it means to live a fulfilled life. Did working on it make you reflect on your own life in that way?
AH: Since I was young I’ve always had this feeling that life is finite, which is why in a short amount of time I feel like I’ve lived many lives. I had my martial arts career, winning a world championship. Then a whole era in Beijing doing action films and working with Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Then my Hollywood stunt career and now acting. I’m always trying to do a lot because life feels short. Some people will see the film as sad, some as bittersweet and beautiful, but I hope it moves people to step back and get perspective. We all get caught up in responsibilities and stress, but if we can take a breath and see our past, present, and future together, those small moments become really beautiful. If people walk away feeling a little more loving, that’s the biggest thing. When you remember how short life is, the little things bother you less. You focus more on cherishing the people close to you instead of holding onto anger or stress. In the grand scheme of things, life is short, so enjoy it, don’t take away from other people’s joy, find connection, and show love. If the film gives even a hint of that, then it’s made a difference.