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were organized crime figures. And there was no Asian or Asian American woman victimized. A lot of times the scenario back in the day was that the Asian woman was somehow sexually or physically violated and then you have the white hero who comes in and saves the day, and she goes to bed with him. I can't buy that scenario and it's offensive to me. Why do you think Netflix decided to take a chance on the martial arts/sci-fi genre at this time, with Wu Assassins? TM: Action/adventure is very easy to sell because there is no explanation necessary; a fight is a fight and a car chase is a car chase. It's easy for the audience. The martial arts of late have experienced some recent changes, stylistically. I think that the fights are a lot more realistic given all the popularity with MMA and with UFC. All those things have re- sparked an interest in the martial arts genre. BM: I had a conversation with Chris Regina, an executive at Netflix, who was instrumental in getting our series made, and he said that prior to Wu Assassins, there hadn't been any shows on Netflix that predominantly featured martial arts. And it's true that action is the easiest genre to sell around the world. John Wirth, our showrunner, wanted to create more than just a martial arts show. He wanted to create a show that represents Asian Americans, in general, and a show about family. It's these three things all mixed into one. There's a spiritual aspect to the show because you have the five elements of earth represented, and Byron, your character's superpower is fire. Can you speak to the spiritual and moral aspects of the show and how these five elements come into play? BM: It was a good entry point into this world that the show brings you into. The five elements are prominently featured in Chinese mythology. And in terms of morality and spirituality, my character, Uncle Six, his morality started and ended with his adopted son, Kai Jin, who is played by Iko Uwais. His son was what caused him to go from the dark to the light, and he didn't quite want to. I think his love for his son caught him by surprise. TM: John Wirth is really a special individual and Byron and I know that because we also experienced it with him in Hell on Wheels. Here is an individual who really pays attention to what your point of view is, because he doesn't look at us from his point of view. He is trying to look at the world through our point of view; through our eyes. The five elements are really important in Chinese culture... John hired Asian American writers… Not only do you have the sci-fi supernatural aspect, but you also have the balance of this kind of reality about the people who make their living in San Francisco's Chinatown. Eventually, or subconsciously, the audience is going to be able to absorb some of these things without being hit over the head with a representation of Asian Americans within a television series. Let's talk about the fight scenes. How much of it is you doing the actual fighting, how is it all choreographed and what type of martial arts are you using? BM: The form of martial arts that was predominantly featured in Wu Assasins is called Silat; an Indonesian martial art. It has a lot of grappling and the moves are fast, less flowery, and more straight-forward. Iko Uwais brought his team of choreographers from Indonesia to choreograph the fights. They worked in conjunction with two very good fight choreographers and stunt coordinators, Dan Rizzuto and Kimani Ray Smith. We had rehearsal times, and they varied depending on the schedule. Sometimes, we had a week to rehearse the scene, sometimes, we had two days, and sometimes, we did it on the day that we rehearsed it. Both of you are originally from Hong Kong. What are your thoughts on how we live in the west, in terms of things like health and wellness, and the way we live our lives in general? BM: The place with the greatest longevity in the world is Hong Kong. People there have a general tradition where every Sunday you get together with your family for lunch, or dim sum, or for dinner. I've lived in China, in Canada, and in the United States. You see less of that happening in other places. In Hong Kong, as people get older, they are surrounded by their family, their children, their grandchildren and their friends any day of the week. It keeps them going emotionally. No one buys or eats processed food. Everybody goes down to the marketplace and buys fresh fish, chicken, beef, fruits, and vegetables. That leads to longevity. You see a lot less of that in the west. TM: I did not grow up in Hong Kong. I was born in Hong Kong, but I was brought up in New York City. So, my experience is similar to yours, but I'm learning from Byron. Maybe I should move back to Hong Kong since it has such benefits! What do you hope audiences gain from watching Wu Assassins? BM: There is a scene in episode seven where Uncle Six and Kai Jin are eating...and there's a big interaction with a waitress who has racist views. In that scene, I give her a long speech about the history of Chinese people in America, and how they were discriminated against systematically. When I read the scene, I just thought, "People are going to be so bored with this because it's like a history lesson. Who wants to see that in an entertainment show?" I just did the scene to the best of my ability and left it at that. Since the show has come out, people have gravitated towards that scene, and not just Asian people; all types of people have mentioned that scene to me over and over again. That totally caught me by surprise. In that respect, I hope the show can galvanize good, positive conversations that will help this country, or help the world today. We need more of these positive energies to unite people, not to divide people. TM: Byron really hit the nail on the head. Any show that allows the world audience to at least have an opportunity to correct the perception of who we really are is important. I think Wu Assassins offers that without giving you a lecture about it. Martial arts and supernatural are very popular genres in entertainment, so, for me, it is like a delivery system to introduce who we are to the world. What we try to deliver is something for the audience to understand who we are as Asians and as Asian Americans, as a community and as a people. ML Wu Assassins is now streaming on Netflix. Follow Byron on Twitter: @ByronMann | Instagram: @ByronMann1 Follow Tzi on Facebook: @Official.TziMa | Instagram: @TziMa8