Chuck fans will be thrilled to see Anna Wu aka Julia Ling back in the later half of Chuck Season 3. Until then, here’s an update straight from Julia herself, as she took some time out on her birthday, yesterday to chat with Hollywood the Write Way.
Big fan of Chuck, when can we see you appear on the show next?
I just shot an episode a few days ago actually. I believe it is episode 16. Stay tuned! I don’t know what else is in store for Anna but I know there are some exciting things coming for the show.
So hopefully that won’t be the last of you?
Hopefully not. (laughs) I don’t think so.
What is your favorite prop piece in Buy More?
I would say the guitar because I love Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Sometimes I swing buy the area where the games are set up and I am always lobbying to have my character have a guitar in her scene. I just love to put that prop over my shoulder.
What is your favorite tech gadget?
Oh gosh, there are so many but I guess my phone because it is my life.
What has been your favorite episode to shoot so far?
I would definitely say Chuck vs. The Break-up, with the Mighty Jocks and there’s a fight with the tripod. That was funny.
How much Subway did you eat during the campaign?
I have had so many sandwiches! I got all of my friends to buy subs…I think out of everyone I told and everyone they told, we bought a few hundred sandwiches for that one day campaign when everyone went out and bought Subway. So my friends weren’t happy when Anna didn’t come back…they were saying, “We bought all of these sandwiches.” (laughs)
You have also worked on some other amazing shows including House, Grey’s Anatomy, The Deep End, etc… and if you had the chance to appear in any of them again, which would you choose?
I would pick Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and The Deep End. Timothy Busfield actually directed me on Studio 60 and The Deep End. There were such good people that we worked with and that’s also a huge part of why I love my work on Chuck so much because I just love the people that I work with.
You have a producing credit in the film, Cinder but would you be interested in producing an episode of Chuck and can you tell us about working on Cinder?
Yes, if they let me! Though I don’t want to talk too much about Cinder because I just wanted to learn and am not ready to discuss that project just yet.
Are you interested in writing and directing aside from acting and producing?
Yes. I’m producing my own thing right now and I am definitely interested in writing and directing. Everywhere I go I see things at a circle angle that I like, you know, so someday if that is a route that life wants to go down, it will happen. Zach (Levi) directed an episode recently (Chuck vs. the Beard).
What have you learned from your experience on Chuck from behind the scenes?
When I wasn’t on camera, I would run on over to the video village just because I am a great admirer of one of the producers/directors, Robert McNeill. People who were actors and then turn into directors, they seem to have a deeper understanding of both sides of the camera so I am a great admirer of his work. I am definitely a fan of his and a few others who came in, it was a lot of fun.
What are your upcoming projects?
High School came out at Sundance recently and right now I am just reading scripts as there is so much out there to go after.
What was your experience like at the Sundance Film Festival?
It was so fun! Our movie was in the top 25 at Sundance, so there was a lot of press and excitement. It was my first time in Park City, Utah so I felt like a kid on Christmas Day, opening presents…I was so happy. There was so much snow and I loved it since I was born and raised in LA. It reminded me of a Christmas snow globe. Going through all of the gifting suites and watching the audience feedback, it was a lot of fun. Also, seeing the cast and crew again was great because we shot in Michigan and the last time I saw everyone was about 3 months ago. So it was big party. It was a lot of fun. A few people from Chuck came too so that was great.
Chuck airs Mondays at 8/7c on NBC.