Meet Yoson An, Mulan actor who plays Liu Yifei’s love interest in Disney’s live-action movie remake
- Chinese-New Zealander actor Yoson An, 28, says Mulan star Liu Yifei is one of the most humble and focused actors he knows
- He believes the film, with its all-Asian cast which also features Donnie Yen, Jet Li and Gong Li, is important for its authentic storytelling
With a black belt in karate and skilled in kick boxing, ninjutsu, power lifting and Olympic weightlifting, Yoson An’s martial arts background stands him in good stead playing the romantic interest of Hua Mulan in Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of Mulan.
An, who also does kayaking and rock climbing, says his sports background helps with his grasp of the fight choreography in the movie. “I actually did most of my stunts in this film, except for the really dangerous stuff which I leave to the professionals,” he tells the South China Morning Post.
With most of the shooting done on New Zealand’s South Island, where he lives, the 28-year-old says he was one of the first actors on the film to start training for it.
“The production was based 30 minutes away from my house. There was a lot of vigorous training involved. For [around five months], I had to train three to four hours a day with stuntmen and martial artists. For five days a week, I needed to do [extra] high-intensity interval training to maintain my physique throughout the shoot. I also did a lot of horse-riding and archery. I had never ridden a horse before this production.”
Born in the city of Zhuhai, in southern China, An studied at an international school in Macau before moving to Auckland when he was seven years old. His movie career grew from pursuing musical theatre as a hobby when he was in high school.