Jessie Mei Li on ‘Havoc’ and How ‘Shadow and Bone’ Set Up Her Career

Jessie Mei Li is, admittedly, a little shy. So when Netflix‘s hit fantasy adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling Shadow and Bone series presented her to the world in the show’s lead role, the star was quickly overwhelmed.

“I’d gone from being just Jessie Mei from Redhill to suddenly being recognized,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I was like, ‘I don’t know if this is for me.’”

But, thanks to the close bonds cultivated with her fellow cast members as they filmed on the streets of Budapest, Li managed to adapt. She’s staying put in showbiz, and now finds herself as Hardy’s right-hand man in the streaming giant’s newest action thriller Havoc.

Released on Netflix on Apr. 25, Gareth Evans‘ Havoc stars Hardy as jaded detective Walker Mackey working in Hong Kong. After a drug deal goes awry, he must fight his way through a criminal underworld — with the help of rookie cop Ellie (Li) — to rescue a politician’s estranged son while untangling the city’s dark web of conspiracy and corruption. Timothy Olyphant, Forest Whitaker and Justin Cornwell also feature in the John Woo-inspired flick.

“My dad was a detective in Hong Kong,” Li says about the wealth of inspiration she had to draw from. The Chinese-English actress grew up watching police thrillers set against the backdrop of one of the world’s most electric cities. She says Havoc will make viewers reminiscent of the likes of Hard Boiled and Internal Affairs.

“There are some action films, like John Wick, where it’s very real life,” Li adds. “The amount of ammo they have in the gun is realistic. Whereas this film, and a lot of these ’80s, ’90s Hong Kong films, the action is just so over the top. But it’s meant to be!”

Below, Li catches up with THR about life after Shadow and Bone, pulling off elaborate stunts alongside seasoned pro Hardy and creating more opportunities for biracial actors in Hollywood: “There is a certain thing that if you’re mixed, you feel like you haven’t really fit in in either place or you haven’t really belonged anywhere. … I do feel like I bring that quality to a lot of the work that I do. I think it’s an important part of it. You want this character to be mixed race? Let’s show that.”

Why don’t we start with how far back your involvement in Havoc goes?

Okay, so cast your mind back. It’s 2021. Just after [COVID-19] lockdown. There’s still restrictions in place. And I remember the email came through from Gareth Evans. First off, I was just a huge fan of his work already, so I didn’t even feel like I needed to read. [I was like], “Yes, yes, I’ll tape for that.” I don’t think I properly read the email. It wasn’t until after the tape that I was like, “Oh, Tom Hardy‘s the lead.” But I did the tape, and I was really excited, because my dad was a detective in Hong Kong and the role was to play a rookie detective [there]. I was like, this is great. There’s lots of inspiration to draw from. And I’d grown up watching all these Hong Kong police drama films.

So because of lockdown, it was so difficult to get in the room. I remember getting my recall, it was a stunt audition. I lived in Bristol at the time so I just got the train over to Cardiff, where we were filming at Seren Studios. And I had to do a stunt audition, which was absolutely bonkers. Bear in mind, I’d hardly seen people and hardly interacted with anyone for ages. And especially the way that Gareth works, all of the action scenes are already mapped out. All of the stunties wear our names on their t-shirts. So they already knew what stunts I needed to — a couple of rolls with the gun and everything. I had to jump through a cardboard card and shoot a fake shotgun. So I guess they were trying to ascertain my level of stunts. I’d grown up doing martial arts and things so this was like play time for me. It was really fun. I remember I felt really good about it, and people kept saying, “Oh, you’re gonna love so and so.” I was like, “Sorry, I got the job?” Everyone was just talking to me like I already had the job. But I think sometimes you just know in your gut, don’t you, what’s for you. I really felt that with Havoc. It was honestly one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on.

So filming with Gareth lived up to your expectations?

Oh, it exceeded them. I was a fan of his work but obviously never met him. He’s just one of the kindest, loveliest people on this planet. It almost seems like a such a juxtaposition with his work, which is so violent! We got on really, really well. I felt really supported. It’s just brilliant seeing someone who really knows what they’re doing. And I think the thing with Gareth as well is because he’s such a lovely person, it’s a trickle down effect for all of the crew and everyone who’s there. All of the people he’s kept on board — everyone was just lush, to be Welsh about it.

Tell me about Havoc and where Ellie fits into it.

So the plot is Tom’s character, Walker, is a jaded detective who’s got a bit of a dark past, and he ends up having to essentially protect these two kids from various different people who are out to get them. And my character, Ellie, is Walker’s new rookie partner. So the film takes place over 24 hours and it’s Ellie’s first day on the job. We see how Ellie and Walker start off in one place and how, even though it’s a short amount of time, their relationship changes over the course of the film.

Had you worked with Tom before?

No, no, never. The first day I met him was when I came in for firearms training, and I didn’t know he was there. And then it was, “Oh, Tom’s here. You should bring him over.” I was learning how to shoot all the guns, which I was terrified about, because I don’t like loud noises. I’m really sensitive. I’m so not like the character [of Ellie]. And I had a really bad habit of saying, “Bang!” They were like, “Jessie, stop, please.” But I really had to get used to the noise. Obviously you get ear protection and stuff, but I would flinch. That’s the first time I met Tom. He was straight in it, giving advice, making sure that everything I did looked really like I’d done it before. He was lovely to work with.

Did he offer you any more general advice about the industry or roles in action films?

We talked about a lot of stuff. But what’s interesting is a lot of my stunt stuff was actually not with Tom. But I basically came onto the shoot a few weeks after they started, because they were doing this big action set piece that I wasn’t in to start. And another thing that was really important to me with the character was they needed to feel like there was some kind of kindred energy between Walker and Ellie. Because even if it’s not in the text, we needed to feel that these two characters would trust each other.

And because of the way Gareth works, he’d already cut together the scenes. So I was able to watch what Tom does, and that really informed how I played Ellie. So things like the way Tom walks as Walker, I tried to mirror it a little bit. I wanted them to feel like kin, like they could see eye to eye. But then also, on the flip side of that, I think there was sometimes when you’re learning stunts, there’s this thing [where you think] you’ve got to get it really spot on. Look cool, look slick. But it was important for me that because it’s Ellie’s first day, while she’s obviously trained and she’s good at her job, she’s also out of her depth. She’s really having to push for this. So I was quite adamant sometimes when there were moments where what I did looked a bit sloppy, and I was like, “No, I think it’s good that she’s reactive. I think it’s good that she looks frightened. I think it’s good that she kind of fucks up a bit.” Because you’ve got that completely with Walker — he’s done this before. I essentially wanted Ellie to feel like she could have been a younger version of him. But Tom was great. I also had a lot of my scenes with Sunny Pang, who plays one of the bosses. He’s a stunt man. He was my big brother and really looked out for me.

So you were also looking at your dad’s career and pulling inspiration from that? Do you remember his work as a detective in Hong Kong?

Oh, that was pre-me. That was long before my time. A lot of my inspiration, honestly, came from other film characters I felt would be an appropriate reference. I thought a lot about one of my favorite actors, Tony Leung. He did these Hong Kong Police [films], like Infernal Affairs (2002). He’s obviously in Hard Boiled (1992), which is a massive inspiration for Havoc. Obviously, Ellie is a woman, but I like the idea of, if Tony Leung was to play this character, how would he play it? Then also a little bit of inspiration from [Jodie Foster’s] Clarice Starling [in The Silence of the Lambs]. I wanted her to have that feel of if Jodie Foster and Tony Leung had a baby.

That’s a film I want to see: Tony Leung and Jodie Foster.

It’s happened! It’s Havoc.

What other films came to you while you were shooting that made you think Havoc would be really reminiscent for some people?

The film is very much heavily inspired by all these [Hong Kong genre] heroic bloodshed movies. So any John Woo film is a really good reference. There are some action films, like John Wick, where it’s very real life. The amount of ammo they have in the gun is realistic. Whereas this film, and a lot of these ’80s, ’90s Hong Kong films, the action is just so over the top. But it’s meant to be! That’s part of the draw.

So I watched a lot of John Woo. I watched a lot of Hong Kong movies just before we started shooting. But part of my homework, actually, I remember from the stunt audition, the head of stunts, Jude Poyer, who’s absolutely amazing. He was like, “Watch Hard Boiled. Have you seen Hard Boiled?” I went home and watched it that day, and it’s just the most amazing, ridiculous action movie I’d ever seen. So, yeah, that was a huge inspiration.

Would you want to do more action thrillers? You’re at a place in your career now, maybe thanks to Shadow and Bone, where you can be a little picky about your roles.

I absolutely love stunts. I love all of that stuff because I grew up watching a lot of action, a lot of martial arts films, and I’m very active and very sporty. So when I get the opportunity to do that through work, I love it. But to be honest, in terms of where my career would go, I’ve really loved the times when I’ve worked on smaller projects with lower budgets, maybe someone’s debut feature. I love those things because there’s so much more freedom; we’re working under more constraints so there’s more problem-solving. And normally, it’s quite an original idea. I just get very excited by people’s new work. I’m not really pursuing the glitz and the glamour in a way. Even if something doesn’t turn out to be good, I’m there for the experience. I’m there to help the director make their vision, and that’s what makes me feel fulfilled as an actor. I just want to be able to play lots of different characters as well. I think I wouldn’t ever want to be pigeonholed. And I feel like I’ve got a lot of characters in me that need to come out.

What would be your dream role? Who would you want to work with?

Oh, wow. There’s so many. I’d love to work with, only because I’ve just been watching Adolescence, Philip Barantini. And I actually met him recently at a Netflix event. With Boiling Point, those one takes, it’s a completely different thing. You’re essentially rehearsing a play. I want to know what that’s like, having to stay in something for an extended period of time, because I really love theater, but I haven’t done an awful lot of it. I don’t really know; I’m just so open. If I think you’re interesting and funky and got your own thing about you, then I’m interested.

And I have to ask about Shadow and Bone because I was so sad that it was canceled before we could get a season three.

It was just the most amazing time. It’s obviously devastating that it was canceled, but also it felt like we ended it on a high. Sometimes these shows go on and on and on. We had two of the best years of my life. It was so good. And we’re all just super close still.

It definitely didn’t outstay its welcome.

Which is a better ending than people being like, “How is this show still going?” But it’s frustrating because it felt like there was so much more to tell.

Professionally, do you look back fondly on that time?

Oh, 100 percent. I never really foresaw this is as my life. I kind of stumbled my way into acting by being in the right place at the right time. And obviously Shadow and Bone came along. And I won’t lie, I did find it a bit overwhelming, because I’d gone from being just Jessie Mei from Redhill [Surrey, England] to suddenly being recognized. I think I initially found it quite — I wasn’t really sure. I was like, I don’t know if this is for me. But then more opportunities presented themselves to me off the back of that. And I learned on the job. I really hadn’t trained that much. I’d done a couple of acting classes and courses and things but I didn’t have an awful lot of experience. So Shadow and Bone was out of the frying pan and into the fire. I learned a lot because I was always on set being in everyone’s business. I wanted to know stuff. “How does that work?” Talking to the DP about lighting, understanding everyone’s job. Now, when I go on to set, I know what’s going on. I’m much more literate which I think is making me a much better actor. So I’m thankful for Shadow and Bone. It couldn’t have been a better first job.

I presume if Netflix turned around and said, “We’re gonna do a season three,” you’d be up for it?

Oh God, of course. To go back with all my mates to Budapest and just have a lovely time? Absolutely. It would be a dream. And we do talk about it. Sometimes a bunch of us say, “Well, should we go back to Budapest on holiday? Just pretend we’re back there?”

I know you’ve been outspoken about creating more opportunities for east Asian and biracial actors. Is that something that’s still motivating you?

Definitely. I’ve been lucky, I’ve had a couple of roles that haven’t been specifically mixed race. But to be honest, most of the things I’ve booked in the last few years have been written specifically for biracial actor. And I do feel like if you’re not mixed race, sometimes people don’t really understand what it’s like. I’m about to go into a new project where I’m playing a character who’s mixed race and there is lots of people behind the camera who have that experience as well. And it’s embodied into this character which is so important to me. Because there is a certain thing that if you’re mixed, you feel like you haven’t really fit in in either place or you haven’t really belonged anywhere. Or people question your identity. That does something to a person. I do feel like I bring that quality to a lot of the work that I do, whether or not it’s in the text. I think it’s an important part of it. You want this character to be mixed race? Let’s show that.

Ellie in Havoc was written to be mixed race, which was really lovely. I had, almost, an identity crisis on Havoc because I had a line to say in Cantonese, and I would I say I probably speak Chi-nglish. (Laughs.) It’s more when people speak Cantonese to me, I can understand, but my speech isn’t great. It’s better now than it was a few years ago when we shot it. And I remember having to shout this line in the big finale. I kept pronouncing it wrong. And there’s all the Hong Kong stunt team and everyone spoke Cantonese. I felt so embarrassed and so ashamed, “I’m an imposter!” But then I worked through that. Bcause that experience of feeling that way, so many of my friends who are mixed have the same thing. They don’t speak their mother tongue, or that they do but they speak it heavily accented. So I had to make peace with the fact that Ellie is mixed race and she probably isn’t fluent in Cantonese either. So it doesn’t matter that my pronunciation is a bit off because that is a real, lived experience for people like myself. That was a really freeing moment for me, because … I spent ages just being like, “Oh my God. People are gonna watch it and they’re gonna hear my Cantonese and say how bad it is.” Fuck it, that’s just real life.

Do you think that the industry’s moving in the right direction in terms of representation?

In the past, when it came to representation, it would be like, “Okay, we’re gonna put in x, y, z into this for the sake of diversity.” Whereas what I found is that when the people creating it are the diverse people, that’s where the good stuff comes from. That’s where the real representation comes from. As a half white, half Chinese person, if I decide to make a film about a culture that’s nothing to do with me, it’s not going to feel authentic. Not that people shouldn’t try, but what is good is that hopefully, as time goes on, more opportunities will come to people who are from different backgrounds. And you’re seeing more of it. Nowadays, especially up and coming filmmakers in the U.K., there’s lots of different kinds of people telling personal stories.

I’m sure you’re very excited to have Havoc out in the world.

I am excited. I’m also a bit apprehensive, because I do think it will be a hit. I’ve watched most of it with my hands over my face because it’s so violent. (Laughs.) But, yeah, you know, I’m a bit shy. I like my privacy, so part of me is a little bit scared about it coming out.