After an advance screening of Sinners, hosted by Gold House and the Armenian Film Society, Dorkaholics was invited to speak with Li Jun Li and Yao who play married couple Grace and Bo Chow in the film.
The pair highlighted their own discovery of Chinese people living in the South 100 years ago in doing research for their roles in the film.
“They were an integral part of the culture in the 1930s. They were the only people who were willing to open up grocery stores for specifically the black and white community,” Li Jun Li explained. “They were the bridge that gapped the two parties [and] provided sustenance in a time of need.”
When it came to the chemistry shown on screen between their two characters, Li praised director Ryan Coogler and his vision for their portrayals.
“That goes with casting. That’s a testament to Ryan’s eye and his idea of how he wanted to put in the script,” Li said. “Sometimes you just know.”
Li’s work ethic and kindness was highlighted by Yao as Sinners was a milestone for him as his debut in a feature film.
“Li Li’s an incredibly hard worker and a very generous person and I really gravitated towards that because this was my first time on set,” Yao recollected. “She was truly, truly a godsend in this entire process.”
In regards to their favorite days on set, Li highlighted the moments between takes on the long days shooting on film with reloads taking twice as long as for how much they would be able to capture in between each reload.
“My favorite days [are] when the cast gets to be together,” Li shared. In between takes, especially when you’re filming on film and we run out of film every four to five minutes [and] the reload takes about another 10 minutes. Those are the times we really bonded and we really kept each other’s spirits lifted, because those were very, very long and hard days.”
Yao shared a similar sentiment as he came to set even on the days he wasn’t shooting.
“I love the days when everybody’s on set, but even when I wasn’t shooting, I’d love to go and watch just because it’s such a circus,” Yao said.
Catch Sinners in theaters on April 18, 2025!
FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT, EDITED FOR CLARITY
Hey everyone. This is Neil from Dorkaholics, where we believe that there’s a dork in everyone, and it’s our job to bring that dork out into the world.
So my first question is, in what ways did your roles in Sinners both challenge you and give you an opportunity to challenge perceptions and stereotypes as well as advocate for better representation in storytelling and the media?
Yao: I like to joke that people are going to be more okay with vampires than Chinese people in the South.
Li Jun Li: We didn’t even know that [before we did] research for this [film].
Yao: I was like, what? Chinese American community in the Mississippi?
Li Jun Li: Yeah, in Mississippi, but they were an integral part of the culture in the 1930s. They were the only people who were willing to open up grocery stores for specifically the black and white community. Separately. They were the bridge that gapped the two parties [and] provided sustenance in a time of need.
Yao: [They were] this really thin margin between this intense segregation.
And how did the two of you approach achieving the chemistry that we see between your two characters in the film?
Li Jun Li: I think that goes with casting. That’s a testament to Ryan’s eye and his idea of how he wanted to put us in the script. Sometimes you just know.
Yao: Also Li Li’s an incredibly hard worker and a very generous person and I really gravitated towards that because this was my first time on set. She was truly, truly a godsend in this entire process.
Li Jun Li: She was a terrible person too. I was terrible. I’m just kidding.
For my last question, the film is so many different things, but my favorite part is during the crazy party, at the start of the club’s opening. So I wanted to ask, what are some of your favorite moments on or off screen during the production of Sinners?
Li Jun Li: My favorite days [are] when the cast gets to be together. So in between takes, especially when you’re filming on film and we run out of film every four to five minutes [and] the reload takes about another 10 minutes. And those are the times we really bonded and we really kept each other’s spirits lifted, because those were very, very long and hard days.
Yao: Yeah, I love the days when everybody’s on set, but even when I wasn’t shooting, I’d love to go and watch just because, it’s such a circus. And it’s so cool being a part of this mainly BIPOC driven storyline and cast and creative crew. It really felt like stepping into, I don’t know, a kind of a perfect world in a way.
