Cruising with Phuong Kubacki from ‘The Bikeriders’

Thuc Nguyen: How/when did you decide to become an actor? What’s it like generally for a Vietnamese American actress out there right now?
Phuong Kubacki: It's always been a dream of mine to be an actor. Growing up, it wasn't the most promoted path by my family, however. Just like most Asian parents, my parents strongly suggested I become a lawyer or doctor. They wanted something more stable, and to them, anything in the arts was not that. I started out doing some modeling and commercials. Over time, I felt more comfortable being on camera and then began pursuing acting in TV/film. Now that I've had some success, I will say my parents have come around and are very supportive. I think it was a different time back then and they didn't see many Asian faces in the media. I'm glad to see that we are starting to move in the right direction.

TN: How did you get cast as Gail?
PK: I received an audition through my agent and did a self tape that consisted of two different scenes. In the breakdown, I saw that Gail was Vietnamese and thought "Wow, that's pretty specific. I could have a chance with this one." After I sent in the audition, I received a callback. I was so excited until I realized it was a request for an in-person appointment, and I would not be available because I was attending the Emmys that day. I was heartbroken because I assumed that because I was not available, they would just move on to the next person. After a few days, I was elated when my agent let me know that casting would reschedule it for another day and that we could do it via Zoom. The day of the callback, I got on to see the director Jeff Nichols. It was such a pleasant surprise. He was so kind and offered me the part immediately. It's a day I will never forget.

TN: How long did it take to get Gail’s bee-hive hair in effect for shoot days?
PK: The beehive is an icon in itself. It took at least an hour to get it up to its height and Marie Bialon (the stylist) became masterful in creating it. We had so much fun seeing it come together, and I got so many compliments on it. When I had to shoot for several days in a row, we just kept it, and I would try and smoosh it into a baseball cap so I would be able to sneak into the lobby of my hotel without getting too many weird looks. Tom Hardy actually suggested I wear a top hat instead to maintain its height, however I felt it wouldn't help me blend in when going out in public.

TN: What was it like being in scenes with Austin Butler /Jodie Comer/Tom Hardy? How many takes did you do for that scene in the movie trailer?
PK: We did several takes for the scene in the trailer. I forget how many exactly, but I know Jeff had a vision, and I absolutely wanted him to get what he needed.

Austin, Jodie, and Tom are all amazingly talented actors. I felt so honored to be able to watch them work. To me, it felt like a masterclass in acting. I loved that we were able to see the story from Kathy's (played by Comer) eyes. The set was so testosterone-heavy, it was nice to get a female's POV. Austin is so polite and kind. He was an extremely supportive and encouraging scene partner. I also witnessed him always taking time with his fans. Many times, people would hang out around basecamp or set to get a glimpse, and he would take the time to take photos and say, “Hi.” It was really nice to see. Tom is extremely charming and intense at the same time. At first, I was a little intimidated, but after chatting with him, I realized how funny and nice he is. It was truly a pleasure to be able to be on set with these three.

TN: What’s it like working with Jeff Nichols?
PK: Jeff is so kind. You can tell right away that he's brilliant and just sees things differently than the normal person. He also knows how to work with actors. He makes people feel valued while also staying committed to his vision. I would absolutely love to work with him again. Just a great human overall.

TN: You’re from the Midwest, right? Did you have to put on an accent to play Gail? How did you prep to play her?
PK: Yes, I am. I was born in Beloit, Wisconsin, and grew up around the state line of Illinois/Wisconsin. It was so cool to see a story focusing on the Midwest and even more cool that there was a Vietnamese character! For Gail, they definitely wanted a Midwest accent to be authentic to the character. They provided us with audio of the real "Kathy" and we also worked with a dialect coach. All of the main characters were inspired by real people so we were able to look at real photos of them. The book The Bikeriders by Danny Lyon has all of these amazing photos of them. You can see the tone and vibe and really just endless information from a photo. There's also a photo of Brucie and Gail that we recreated for the movie.

TN: Who are some of your favorite filmmakers?
PK: Oh wow, there are so many great ones to choose from. I do love Steven Spielberg. Martin Scorsese would be amazing to work with. He's also hilarious to watch on Tik Tok.  I'd also love to work with Greta Gerwig and Lulu Wang.

TN: What’s been your favorite role that you’ve played so far?
PK: I just wrapped on a film called Eenie Meanie directed by Shawn Simmons, and I play a hilarious character named Gloria. She is my favorite as of now because it was more comedic, and I haven't had a chance to do much comedy. I worked with Marshawn Lynch and we had a blast improvising our scenes. It will be coming out on Hulu in the future. (Randall Park is also in it.)

TN: What kind of roles do you hope to play in the future?
PK: I truly love playing strong female characters. As I mentioned before, I love comedy, but I also want to kick butt, so anything involving action or superheroes would be awesome! In addition, I'd love to be included in Asian American stories. I think there are so many meaningful and entertaining stories that have yet to be told.

The Bikeriders is out in theaters now and is also available via VOD.