Today we’d like to introduce you to Yixin Wang
Hi Yixin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
In 2017, when I first stepped onto American soil to pursue acting, I could never have imagined that six years later, I would see my face on the screens at Paramount Pictures Studio. The film “Kodama”, in which I starred, not only won accolades at the New York International Film Awards and the 2023 Korea International Short Film Festival but also received invitations for screenings.
Reflecting on my decision to pursue this “unconventional” path, I realize my reasons has never changed: I love acting—pure and simple. It’s not about fame or luxury; it’s about the profound meaning I find in bringing characters to life, especially when that power resonates with others. To be an actor is to have an impact. Both theater and film serve as vital mediums for reflecting contemporary issues, allowing me to express my thoughts and ideas.
Unlike many who have pursued acting since childhood, my journey into the world of performance began unexpectedly during high school. In 2016, I was cast as Mrs. Martin in “The Bald Soprano” during my high school’s sophomore year. I deeply resonated with this play’s exploration of complex themes like communication breakdowns and deceit. Then, I started to seriously consider acting. The following summer, I attended a summer acting program at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television. Immersed in an unfamiliar environment, I found the barriers between languages sometimes prevented me from connecting with my peers, but I discovered that my performances can eliminate it. And the validation from my professors, who cast me as the lead in a reinterpretation of “The Bridesmaids”, solidified my decision to pursue acting in college. Making me believe that Asian girl is capable of being outstanding.
Physically and mentally, I am fearless. In 2017, I flew solo on a 26-hour journey from China to Boston and Los Angeles to take the auditions at Emerson College and the University of Southern California. Ultimately, I was accepted into Emerson College’s Theater and Performance program, becoming the only Chinese student in the cohort. Being the only non-native English speaker with an Asian background was initially daunting, as language and cultural barriers sometimes made the program challenging. Fortunately, my peers and professors were supportive and helped me grow. Throughout my four years at Emerson, I have never encountered another Chinese student in my field, which heightened my awareness of my unique position. The sense of being different was a recurring theme in my life.
My in between identity has confused me for a while. Before I studied in the U.S, I had already built values in my first 18 years in China. Standing among those foreigners with blue eyes and blonde hair who speak a different language, despite them being friendly to me, I still felt lost and lonely all the time. At that time, I never thought of choosing a Mandarin speaking monologue. I never think of teaching my classmates anything in Chinese. I was afraid that speaking Chinese would be underestimated. I was afraid of being taken into the stereotype of Chinese people.
During my first two years at Emerson, I threw myself into both theater and film projects. I was cast as Hall in “Men On Boats”, where I and other girls portrayed male characters. It was a bold yet fresh attempt that females can be the protagonist in adventure stories. Later, when I was back in China, I acted in several short films. One of them, “Sexual Enlightenment”, has won several awards including the Remi Award at the 55th Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival(2022) and a finalist spot at the 21st Miami Short Film Festival.
I found it was impossible to choose my career between theater and film because both of them are equally irresistible. The time spent in the theater’s rehearsal rooms is unforgettable. I can simply be myself, laughing or crying with my peers. Yet, I can’t deny the allure of the camera and its ability to capture the subtlest emotions.
In my sophomore year, the COVID-19 pandemic drastically altered my perspective on myself and the world. I was stuck in China for a year and a half. I cannot take my on-site acting class which delayed my graduation. Later, I was not allowed to participate in Emerson’s off-campus internships due to international student visa policies. While this setback was disheartening, I viewed it as an opportunity to dedicate myself fully to acting opportunities. I took several student film auditions and network with industry professionals, eventually landing the role in “Kodama”. I began to see each crisis as an opportunity—a chance to steer my course.
A pivotal moment in my journey as a performing artist was during my final semester at Emerson, when I enrolled in a course called Live Arts in Real Space. I created an immersive multimedia solo performance titled “Whale in the Bathtub”, which depicted a young woman’s journey of self-liberation from oppression. The title served as a sharp metaphor, symbolizing the absurdity of containing immense power within a confined space and the ability to break free through collective action.
This project was completed in five days, from concept to the creation of all videos, installations, and choreography, which seems impossible. My overwhelming desire to create made this possible. The piece was inspired by Voices of Shanghai Lockdown, a collection of recordings documenting the suffering of people during the covid lockdown. These narratives have recorded the ordinary Shanghainese people who struggled in dire circumstances during the Chinese Covid lockdown policy. It deeply moved me. As an international artist bridging the gap between East and West, I felt a strong sense of responsibility to bring ideas of freedom, human rights, and mental health to China while also offering American audiences a glimpse into the realities of China. The work was later invited to be performed at New York’s LA MAMA Theater for the “Asian Voices: Peace & Solidarity” showcase. I continue refining this piece with hopes of staging it in Los Angeles.
I have always been drawn to social issues such as human rights, feminism, and environmental crises. One of the reasons I want to be an actor is to use my voice to bring attention to these causes, to have enough influence to inspire movements, and to effect change.
After being accepted into New York University’s Performing Arts Administration master’s program, I spent two years in New York, gaining most of my experience and memories outside the classroom. I never gave up acting, continuing performing both on stage and on screen. In April 2023, I performed an original piece, “All About Love”, at Lincoln Center, which explored the love stories of four different couples in New York through dialogue and movement. Later, I took on the role of “Antigone” in “Anti-Gone 俺抬杠?!”, a bilingual adaptation of Sophocles’ Antigone. The story revolves around a woman in rural northern China, mourning her not-so-close brother’s death, reflecting unresolved family legends. Performing such a heavy, emotional role in three weeks was a challenge, but I saw it as an opportunity to breakthrough my limits, making it an incredibly fulfilling experience.
In addition to stage performances, I also starred in several Tisch films, including “Secret Ceremonials”, “Red Veil”, and “Those Eyes”. Whether it was a narrative or experimental film, I never set limits on myself.
In New York, I ventured into new territory by building my community. I surprisingly found out there’s no Chinese theater club in New York University. Given the large Chinese population at NYU and in New York, I saw this as an opportunity to create a community for people to share their love for art and theater. Along with my peers, I founded “Mou,” the only official Chinese theater club at NYU, and organized various events, including movement workshops, staged readings, a 36-hour theater festival, Theater of the Oppressed workshops, and our original play, Metamorphosis. In this club, I wore many hats: teaching artist, event manager, and creative director. People came to these events because they craved a community to share their passion for art and theater, and I’m glad my team provided that platform. It wasn’t until the closing night of Metamorphosis, seeing the packed audience and loved ones by my side and on stage, that I realized: I had created a community. I succeeded.
In December 2023, I was selected as a teaching artist for Ping Chong and Company and was assigned to teach drama at P.S. 173 Fresh Meadows Elementary School. Once again, I was the only Chinese person on the team. Our goal was to help students create and perform a play. I discovered that one of the classes was a bilingual class(English & Chinese), and I was sometimes asked to translate. I didn’t take it seriously at first. Most of the kids, even those from Chinese families, had grown up in an English-speaking environment and had no language barriers, so I don’t think my translation would be helpful to the class. However, from the moment I introduced myself and spoke fluent Mandarin to the class, the students’ eyes lit up with excitement. They clapped enthusiastically. Later in class, they would raise their hands without hesitation, saying, “Ms. Wang, I didn’t understand what you just said; can you repeat it?” I could imagine how many moments of hesitation they had experienced in their previous learning environments. I had never felt Chinese language to be so important. It is inclusive.
After graduating from NYU, I moved to West Los Angeles to pursue my career as an actor and performance artist. Looking back, I’m grateful I was never afraid to try new things and step out of my comfort zone. Instead, I’ve continuously climbed mountains, breaking through more and more impossibilities. The questions I once had about who I am and where I belong now have answers: I am the one who dares to bridge Eastern and Western cultures. I’d never imitate anyone or mold myself as an “ideal” one, I love myself.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s never been a smooth road for me, since I came to the United States for my acting career. But that’s why I stick to what I am doing, only hardship makes me grow. One of the struggles is my identity struggle, which doesn’t bother me anymore. The other struggle is the barrier of my language and culture here since it’s not where I grew up. However, I overcame these barriers as well, surprisingly.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As an actor and performance artist, I believe that my struggles are what set me apart. The ability to navigate between different communities, coupled with the constant feeling of instability and discomfort, has shaped my vulnerability—a quality I consider invaluable in my craft. This vulnerability allows me to connect deeply with my characters, bringing an authenticity to my performances that I hold dear.
In both acting and performance art, empathy is at the heart of everything I do. My ability to resonate with a character or a piece of work, and to convey that connection to the audience, is what drives me. I value cultural differences and diverse perspectives, offering audiences the space to interpret and engage with the story in their own way.
As an actor, I specialize in multiple forms including film, theatre, voice-over, and user-generated content. I took Chekhov’s acting technique as my acting method where I seek to ground emotion through physical gestures. This helps me to catch the essence of a character and apply my understanding based on the structure. Besides acting methods, I strongly believe in the moment of the circumstances of what my body gave me and my peer actors.
One project that truly left an impression on me was a Tisch Intermediate Film, “Red Veil”, I participated in this year. The story centered around a young rural Chinese girl with mental health challenges, forced into an abusive and loveless marriage by her parents in exchange for a large bride price. As she struggled with the oppressive societal norms and sought her own freedom, the film highlighted the heartbreaking conflict between traditional sexism and self-worth in modern rural life. This role was a significant departure from anything I had experienced before, aside from our shared identity as women. Yet, I was deeply moved by the story’s exploration of oppression, liberation, gender inequality, and sexism, and I felt honored to be a part of it, bringing this reality to life for the audience.
As a performance artist, I do multidisciplinary work with a combination of movement, media, and installation. I applied to the Laban Movement in my work. My work merges Asian conservative culture with Western openness by combining multimedia and installations. My fascination with the relationship between form and content carries over to my theatre practice, where I approach working with movement from the perspective of an investigator, looking to open up the seams of both the story and the theatrical form in which it lives. The piece I have done is what I mentioned before, “Whales in the Bathtub”, was a very special piece for me both process and content-wise. It was my first time to have such an emergency case and a strong desire to make a piece.
Typically, my artistic endeavors are sparked by personal experiences or impactful events, igniting a creative impulse within me to experiment with various mediums to express myself more effectively. Central to my artistic practice is the active involvement of the audience. Rather than catering to their preferences, I strive to integrate them directly into my work, assigning them roles such as condemner, witness, or even myself within the narrative.
While I may not have a quantified goal in mind when creating art, I define the success of my work by its ability to evoke memories, stir emotions, or provoke thought on topics often overlooked in everyday life. Ultimately, I aim to create works that possess depth, integrity, and lasting influence, leaving a lasting impact on both myself and those who engage with my art.
I wish to become an artist who breaks through the boundaries of nations. The experience of studying Western art and retaining my traditional Eastern culture gives me a distinctive perspective in perceiving and making art, one that sees beyond language and cultural barriers.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The COVID-19 pandemic made me acutely aware of the privilege I hold. While living in the United States, I witnessed the devastating impact of the crisis unfold in China, where a strict three-year lockdown brought countless heartbreaking incidents. During this time, I was overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness, knowing that I could do nothing to change the circumstances or influence the thoughts of my compatriots back home.
However, amidst this powerlessness, I also found a sobering clarity. I realized that being in the United States afforded me a unique perspective—one that allowed me to view the situation objectively, with a level of detachment that many in China could not afford. This awareness came with a profound sense of responsibility. I understood that my position, both geographically and culturally, placed me in a unique role where I could use my voice and platform to advocate for change.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yixinnova.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yixinnova_14/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14283893/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
