(Photo credit to Rebecca Roberts)
Written by Colleen Bement, Editor
Actor Donald Heng, known for his captivating performances across television and film, is in the spotlight with his recent role in the film “Sight” alongside Greg Kinnear and Terry Chen. Heng, whose versatile acting has graced popular shows such as “Tracker, “Family Law,” “Kung Fu, “The Good Doctor”, and “Virgin River” now takes on a role that is one of his most impactful yet. In “Sight” he brings to life the remarkable true story of Dr. Ming Wang, a poor Chinese American whose journey from the hardship of 1970s rural China to becoming a world-renowned eye surgeon in the United States is nothing short of inspirational. His career is on fire and it’s no surprise as to why. Get up close and personal with this talented actor. Learn about Heng’s approach to this challenging role and why it was so impactful.
Colleen Bement: Thank you for taking the time out for this interview. You’ve certainly been busy! Let’s start out with your role in the amazing new film “Sight.” What an inspiring story! You play Dr. Ming Wang’s father (side note: You seem so young to play a father 🙂
First, what was the filming experience like? It sounds like such a beautiful story.
Donald Heng: Yes! I played a father. I have fond memories of this experience. Within a couple of days of booking the role, I literally found out I was going to be an actual father in real life.
The movie was filmed in two parts, with all the present-day scenes filmed first and then followed by the storyline that occurred in the past. Due to this, I didn’t meet most of the actors whose stories took place in the present day. It was a unique experience because I only spoke Mandarin for this role, a first-time occurrence.
Second, I’m curious if there is some part of your character that you can identify with.
DH: For sure! But a lot of my mentality surrounding fatherhood has changed since then. When I worked on this role, I had to develop my character as a role model who guided his children through a tumultuous period in China. I had no experience being a father at that point, so a lot of it was examining my experience with my father and imagining how that might differ/influence my experience with my son.
CB: “Supernatural,” “Van Helsing,” “Arrow,” or “The Flash” are favorites of many of my readers. Can you please share a story or two from the sets?
“The Flash” was one of my most fun experiences on set. I was essentially a dame-in-distress, and the Flash had to save me three or four times in a single episode. For the scene where the Flash disassembles my car to stop it, they rigged me to a go-kart-looking thing, put sparks underneath my seat, and pulled me at a relatively high speed. That was rather fun and surprising.
“Supernatural” was one of those experiences where you just sit back and watch the banter on set. Jensen and Jared were nonstop with improvisations or making each other laugh in between takes. It definitely seemed like it was the kind of set that everyone loved being on, which is probably a big part of why they had such a successful run.
CB: You’ve guest starred on hugely popular shows like “Tracker,” “Family Law,” and “The Good Doctor.” Did you happen to have any challenges filming or prepping for either of these?
DH: Not really; they were all enjoyable for me to do, and they were all very different characters. But nothing too crazy that gave me trouble. “Tracker” is probably the most challenging because it was perhaps the character (out of the three) farthest from who I am in real life. So, there was more exploration of that character. We took quite a few takes to determine who the character is and his mental state as he resides in this cult. It’s always interesting when you do so many different takes because you never know which version the higher-ups decide to go with.
CB: Growing up, who inspired your creativity?
DH: I wouldn’t say I’m very naturally creative to be honest. I was athletic, and sports were my thing. I enjoyed drama but it had to be scripted, I didn’t do well with improv and would freeze. Creativity is something I’m constantly learning as I often struggle to find what the “right” answer is—learning that no right answer has opened up a lot about creativity. But my father is one of the most creative people I know. He was a real handyman, and I followed him on many projects. I have certain creative skillsets when it comes to using unconventional ways to solve practical issues.
CB: Was there a role that stands out to you that made you say to yourself, damn, I love being an actor?!
DH: A lot. I frequently look back and do realize how lucky I am to be making a living playing make-believe for a living. The release of Sight meant a lot to me as it was the first time I actually went down the rabbit hole of finding reviews from both critics and audience members. And, it is so fulfilling to read personal stories from people who have watched the movie and feel that it made a real impact on their lives. That’s what it’s all about and I can’t believe I experienced that for the first time only after the movie came out.
Speed Round:
- Favorite Gas Station Snack: Gummies or Chips
- Latest TV Show you’ve binge-watched: It’s hard to binge-watch anything when you have a kid. But the latest true binge-watch was probably The Night Agent. I’m currently going through House of the Dragon and Avatar: The Last Airbender, but those are an episode every two days.
- Movie you watch over and over: “Saving Private Ryan” is probably one of my all-time favorites that I can keep watching whenever I see it on TV
- Favorite book: The Catcher in the Rye
- Marvel or DC: 100% Marvel.
- Favorite country you’ve visited: Italy!
- Dawn or Dusk? Dusk
Pie or cake? Put ‘em together!
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