Wushu Gold medalist Alfred Hsing has spent his career defining action with technical precision, having worked alongside Jackie Chan on Dragon Blade and been part of a Best Picture-winning Hollywood stunt team. Now, Hsing is earning acclaim for his powerful acting performance as Fu Sheng in the Oscar-buzzing film Train Dreams (premiering on Netflix November 21st).
In this exclusive interview, Hsing discusses how his unique background—from his parents’ Taiwanese immigrant experience and his demanding training at the Beijing Film Academy, to his rigorous stunt work in China—informed his portrayal of the Chinese railroad laborer whose tragic, resilient story directly confronts the historical erasure of Asian contributions to the American West.
We also explore his methodology for blending Wushu strength with acting vulnerability, and look ahead to his exciting slate of upcoming projects, including action design and movement reference for the new Avatar: The Last Airbender animated projects and an original action project set in Taipei.
Interview with Actor and Wushu Martial Artist Alfred Hsing
Alfred Hsing delivers a memorable performance as Fu Sheng in the film Train Dreams, portraying a Chinese laborer who is falsely accused and tragically murdered by a mob. The character’s spirit quite literally haunts Joel Edgerton’s Robert Grainier, a resonance Hsing achieved by connecting Fu Sheng’s experience to the profound real-world parallels in his own life: the camaraderie from his martial arts stunt work in China, his parents’ journey as immigrants from Taiwan, and the forgotten history of Chinese railroad laborers.
Train Dreams had its theatrical release on November 7th and is set to premiere on Netflix November 21st. We launched our interview with Hsing by exploring the methodology and powerful influences that shaped this performance.
Alfred Hsing on his acting career journey and role as Fu Sheng [福生] in the upcoming film with Oscar buzz, Train Dreams:
Q: The early buzz for Train Dreams is immense, with some critics calling it a Best Picture contender. Can you describe your audition process for the character Fu Sheng and what specifically drew you to this historical and emotionally impactful role?
A: “My character is brutally grabbed by racists and thrown over a bridge. It’s immediately intense. For my audition I leaned into my decades of martial arts and stunt experience – I was very comfortable with getting into the physicality of the performance.
For that scene, I led with my body. Once I felt it in my body, the emotions, and intensity crept into me. I felt myself in this character’s shoes – imagining how terrifying it would be to have a group of strangers grab you and drag you towards this bridge and with every step closer they dragged you, you felt one step closer to death.
The other scene I had to perform was when my character comes back in visions, and Robert Grainier sees Fu Sheng as a manifestation of his guilt.
With that, I decided to really play with a quiet sadness. I didn’t come back to haunt him. I sought to connect. There were complex emotions, but ultimately I didn’t feel Fu Sheng was angry. I feel when you pass on you see a bigger picture. I felt that in some ways, Fu Sheng knew what was to come in Grainier’s life, and felt some sort of understanding. I felt that I was partially myself, but also partially a reflection of whatever Grainier was feeling at the time.
Alfred Hsing on his portrayal of Chinese laborer of Fu Sheng: “I reflected on my own experience moving to China as someone born in America. I worked in stunts in China – essentially doing manual labor alongside other local Chinese, many of which were born in the countryside”
At the end of the audition session, I remember casting said ‘I think we found our guy’ and I told my agent, and we were both very excited. A few days later, the director approved and I was cast as Fu Sheng.
Ultimately, what drew me to the project was the story as a whole.
The screenplay was well written. I liked the universal themes – that I could relate to the protagonist purely in that we as humans all share ups and downs, beauty and sorrow, in the mundane and extraordinary events in life. And for my role specifically, I was glad to see some representation of the Chinese contribution during this period in American history and was proud I would be able to put my performance into such a role.”
Fu Sheng and Acknowledging Chinese Railroad Laborer History
Q: Your character, Fu Sheng, is noted as someone who changes everything for Joel Edgerton’s Robert Grainier. Without giving away key plot details, how would you describe the relationship between these two men—a Chinese laborer and a logger in the early 20th-century Pacific Northwest—and the dramatic tension of their shared, yet different, lives?
A: “Most likely they were men of few words, partially because of a language barrier, but also partially because not much was needed to be said. A lot could be understood with a look or a gesture. If anything, out of the two, I feel Fu Sheng was probably more talkative and occasionally tried to find a few words in English to say to Grainier.
I imagined that Fu Sheng was a charismatic guy within the Chinese community, worked a hard life of labor, but cracked jokes and found joy in moments despite harsh working conditions.
Beyond words, the two men bonded just by being in each other’s presence and doing manual labor side by side, sweating under the sun together, and probably knowing the same aches and pains. I imagine they may have shared a meal together on their breaks or at least just a knowing glance of how good it feels to get some shade and sit down after laboring all morning.
We filmed a scene where I offer food to Grainier and he offers me a smoke of his pipe. I don’t think Grainier or Fu Sheng knew the depths of each other’s histories, but the common experiences they shared were enough for Grainier to see Fu Sheng as a human being.
That is why when these unknown men come up accusing Fu Sheng of a crime he did not commit and Grainier gets swept up alongside them briefly joining in with the mob mentality, what unfolds, and his partial involvement and inaction, carries such a weight on him.
The story follows the life of Robert Grainier, but when Grainer stares at Fu Sheng, and Fu Sheng stares back – two seemingly very different people see this imagery that reflects one of the film’s messages – that everyone is connected in universal experiences, that if we were to follow any of these other character’s lives, we would find something extraordinary in a person who has seemingly not done anything remarkable.”
Challenging Asian Male Stereotypes in Western Media
Q: Fu Sheng is a Chinese laborer in an era of American history that often overlooked their contributions and struggles. How did you research the character’s background and emotional state to ensure an authentic portrayal, especially considering the film’s “intimate emotional delicacy” around tough themes?
A: “I started by looking at some photos of Chinese railroad workers and laborers during this general time period. I started to envision what it must have been like for these people coming to such a foreign place and starting a new life.
How strong of a person would you have to be? Or, how strong of a love for your family would you have had to first travel on land to a port, then travel 3-5 months by sea across the Pacific Ocean, then more travel by land to get to your destination in the American West for the possibility of making money for you and your family?
I reflected on my own parents’ immigrant experience. They moved to California as an early wave of immigrants from Taiwan. English was not their first language, and they did not have a large community when they first arrived.
I reflected on my own experience moving to China as someone born in America. I worked in stunts in China – essentially doing manual labor alongside other local Chinese, many of which were born in the countryside.
We worked grueling hours on some intense shoots, but even though I was born somewhere very far away from them, on these shoots in the middle of nowhere, we shared late night meals squatting in the dirt, only lit by a single car headlight – and through every fall, every explosion, every grueling scene crawling through the mud, we were stunt brothers. I felt Grainier and Fu Sheng must have shared some similar moments.
I’m also glad I had my martial arts background because even though I didn’t portray Fu Sheng as a martial artist, I wanted to portray him as a capable man that works in a manual labor field so he has some strength, and in the face of what is happening to him, is not going to go without a fight.
In the past, in Western media, Asian men have been portrayed as weak and emasculated so I wanted to avoid falling into a stereotype. I was truthful with [the] character and wanted him to be three-dimensional. If someone had the gall to travel halfway around the world to a foreign land and works with his hands every day, he is going to have some fire or resiliency. He was not going to go out without a fight. And you see that when he kicks one of the guys in the face and really resists them as they pull him up to the bridge.”
Growing up, I’m sure we’ve all heard stories that “Chinese laborers” built the railroads that snake across our great, vast, and sprawling country. However, not many historical pictures from the early 19th century accurately depict this reality.
Hsing brings up Andrew J. Russell’s “East and West Shaking Hands at Laying of Last Rail”, taken to commemorate the completion of the first transcontinental railroad on May 10th, 1869.
However, the “East” was notably missing from the photograph, and at least a handful of the tens of thousands of Chinese laborers who completed the backbreaking and grueling work are not present nor reflected in the commemorative photo celebrating the now-connected Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads.
“The other thing I noticed when I was looking through the photos of that era, was the infamous Gold Spike photo, which marked the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. There was not a Chinese in sight in that photo even though Chinese immigrants made up approximately 90% of the workforce for the Central Pacific Railroad, the western portion of the Transcontinental Railroad, and were crucial to its completion.
Chinese workers faced some of the most dangerous conditions and discrimination to build a significant portion of the railroad and their contributions to America were deliberately erased.
That’s why I think this role in this film is very significant. It’s a beautiful film that’s getting awards buzz and is going to be widely available on Netflix. This hopefully means that the film will get seen and the fact that we get to witness a glimpse into the Asian experience at this point in time of American history and the discrimination Chinese faced is significant. It’s an acknowledgement of the times and opens up conversation.”
From Wushu Precision to Vulnerable Acting: Hsing’s Methodology
Q: Can you share a key takeaway or the most memorable moment from working with director Clint Bentley or acting opposite a seasoned performer like Joel Edgerton? Were there specific scenes that challenged you as a dramatic actor?
A: “ I loved working with director Clint Bentley. From the very beginning he scheduled a Zoom call with me and wanted to explore who Fu Sheng was together. We discovered a lot on that call and it also let me know that Clint cares about every single one of these characters. He made me feel like I was not going to be a two-dimensional character merely to serve a plot point.
Even though we don’t get to fully explore Fu Sheng’s life on screen, we did develop a sense of who he was. This informed subtle actions and filled out the character so he was a real person.
Clint is very collaborative and open to discovering moments on set. I remember on our call one of the comments I had was that if my character weighs on Grainier so heavily through key moments of the film, I think we should have a few more moments showing the rapport between the two characters.
When I showed up on set on one of the days I was just scheduled to do a fitting, I was thrown into a few scenes working alongside Grainier and sharing moments taking a break from work with Grainier – and a lot of those scenes made it into the film. We also both agreed that this character shouldn’t be “Chinese immigrant 1” and that he should be acknowledged as a person and so we agreed on a fitting name.
Fu Sheng – which would be a likely name of someone from Fujian, but also the meaning of Fu “blessed” and Sheng “life” carries a bittersweet meaning because this character probably entered the world with his parents hoping for their child to have a blessed life and though I’m sure there were truly beautiful and blessed moments in his life, he also faces discrimination and the harsh realities of the time.
With Joel, my most memorable moment had to be, my day one. It was my first day on set and we had to film a very emotional scene. It was after Joel’s character hits a climactic low point in terms of some terrible things that happened in his life.
I’m sitting across this fire staring at Joel. He’s staring at me. I don’t say a word, but just stare at him – conveying a breadth of emotions with just the eyes. It’s a mix of sorrow, forgiveness, a recognition of the past, and also a knowing look that we both shared ups and downs and pains in life. I felt it was a challenge to express so much complex emotion amidst stillness, but I enjoyed the experience very much.”
Blending Artful Acting with Next-Level Stunts
Q: Having built a reputation in the stunt and action world, how does preparing for a character-driven drama like Train Dreams compare to prepping for a physically demanding role? Do you feel your discipline as a martial artist informs your dramatic acting?
A: “I think creativity is a muscle. I think everything I’ve done leading up to this point has contributed and helped me prepare for this role. As a stunt coordinator when I design action sequences, the first thing I like to do is understand the characters and their motivations. It informs me of the choices they would make. And when I am working on sets and designing action scenes, I constantly get feedback to see if hits land the way they were designed to – from audience reactions of ‘that looks like it hurts’ to good comedic timing, to grounded and believable action. All of this builds on my confidence as I make choices in acting.
I don’t know if my discipline as a martial artist informs my dramatic acting, but rather my comfortability to adapt and flow – to be able to catch and respond.
I am thankful for my physical experience because I think some of that made its way into Fu Sheng. When a friend who is also of Chinese descent watched a screening of Train Dreams at a SAG event, she commented to me that she felt really proud that my character didn’t go without a fight and that I didn’t play the character as weak and feeble as some prior stereotypes of Asian men.
Ultimately Fu Sheng is overwhelmed by the sheer numbers, but even in his general body language she could feel that he wasn’t a push-over. That made me feel proud that she could see all that I wanted to convey and it didn’t have to be explicitly stated.”
Q: You are the first American male to win a gold medal at the World Wushu Championships. What is the single biggest lesson you learned about perseverance, focus, or pressure from competing at that elite level, and how have you applied it to your acting career, especially when navigating the competitive awards season conversation?
A: “One of my wushu coaches would say ‘sometimes just the act of persevering makes you a winner’. When you keep at it while others around you give up and you keep putting in time to your craft that’s already going to separate you from most.
What I learned about competing at the highest level is – at that level it’s a game of inches. Everyone is athletic, skilled, talented, etc. At that point it’s in the mind.
When a decade of work boils down to 1 moment. How well do you handle pressure? I’ve found that I handle it quite well. It forces me to focus on that one pinpoint thing and quiet out all the other noise. You need to balance that right amount of relaxed, focused, and confidence. I find that when you find that “flow state” whether it’s on set or in competition, that’s when you deliver your best work.”
How Training at Beijing Film Academy Informed the Role
Q: With training from both UCLA and the Beijing Film Academy, you have a unique bi-cultural perspective on filmmaking. How did the structured acting education in Beijing influence your approach to character development, particularly for a role like Fu Sheng in Train Dreams?
A: “Training at Beijing Film Academy helped me in an unexpected way. I’m a native English speaker that could speak some Chinese, but didn’t have mastery over the language. I was the only Asian-American in my class. Everyone else was local Chinese and when we would perform it would all be in Chinese. When I first started performing on stage, I was very self-conscious.
I was being vulnerable acting, but I was also speaking a language that I didn’t feel as confident in. Putting in the raw hours practicing helped me both improve my Chinese and develop my comfortability performing in front of people. I think my time working in stunts, for long hours, in harsh environments, in a transitory process from project to project – while developing bonds with those I worked with – helped me find some parallels with Fu Sheng’s life experience.”
Q: You’ve stunt-doubled for a legend like James Hong in the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once and worked with the Jackie Chan stunt team. How does the technical precision and storytelling of stunt work enrich your performance as a lead actor when the focus is purely on dialogue and emotion?
A: “First, let me say those two projects were milestones in my stunt career. It was always my dream to work with Jackie Chan. When I was a kid, I thought it would be a life dream if I could just be an extra on a Jackie Chan movie and say I was in a film with him, but to be able to work with him on the full run of Dragon Blade as part of the Jackie Chan stunt team, meant the world to me. And as far as my Hollywood dream – being part of the stunt team on a Hollywood film that swept the Oscars and won Best Picture was beyond what I could hope for.
I would say that the technical precision in stunts can be a double edged sword in terms of acting. On the base level, when you are too focused on the technical and the need to be able to recreate an action with precision and accuracy every time, you become methodical and predictable. This is generally a good thing when it comes to stunts because you want to limit variability and minimize risks. With acting you want to be able to listen, react, play, make bold choices. I think at the top level of stunt performers and coordinators you see the worlds converge.
Stunt doubles need to embody their actors and even if the camera is on your back you need to move like the character and sometimes make choices as the character. Stunt coordinators or choreographers start designing based on ways that embody the character or even enrich the story as opposed to just designing cool moves for the sake of cool moves.”
Q: From Silicon Valley to The Book of Boba Fett to Ready Player One, your credits span comedy, Star Wars sci-fi, and Spielberg blockbusters. What is the most important piece of acting advice you’ve received that allows you to confidently move between such disparate genres?
A: “This is going to sound cliche, but just have fun! If you are part of the majority of actors, you probably have worked long and hard to get that opportunity to be on set. You worked hard and if you love what you are doing, being on set is the reward – so have fun. Know your lines and everything (laughs), but when you’re having fun you’re more relaxed. It shows.
One of the first big acting projects I ever booked was a CBS pilot called Mission Control. The show was about three NASA astronauts and their connection with mission control. I was one of the three astronauts. When I first got to set I had a huge case of imposter syndrome. I completely felt like I did not fit in.
My first line was “Everything copacetic?” and I kept repeating it in my head. I was overthinking it to the point where everything started to feel unnatural. At the end of the day my colleague sat me down and said, “If you’re here, you’re here for a reason. You have the chops. You just have to believe in yourself.” So, I’d say get out of your head, be in the moment, and have fun. Also just live more – getting experiences out in the world is always a good thing and gives you something to draw on.”
Q: With the Netflix release on November 21st and the film in the 2026 Oscar Predictions, what is your hope for what audiences take away from your portrayal of Fu Sheng and his story in Train Dreams, and what kind of roles are you seeking next as you move further into your acting career?
A: “I hope that this role sheds a glimpse into the Asian experience as America built out the West, and that there is an acknowledgement of the Chinese immigrant contribution in that part of American history. From my performance, I hope people can see that a lot can be conveyed with a little – and that in the brief interaction one man had with another, he could leave a lasting and significant impact.
I love comedy, sci-fi, drama, adventure, so I am open to all these genres as I progress in my acting career. As for action, I feel like I still have more to give. I want to push the envelope on action filmmaking whether it’s from design, to storytelling, to blending artful acting with next level stunts.
All my years of action experience and acting experience are leading to something. I currently have a project in development that blends acting and action that takes place in Taipei. Taipei is where my parents were born, so I feel a strong connection there and hope to do more projects in both the US and Asia.”
Designing Action for Avatar and Directing, Action Project in Taipei
Alfred has a lot of interesting and exciting projects coming up. He is an anime fan, and played the role of Saitama in a One Punch Man live-action short that went viral with over 30M views online. He has a short coming out based in the Naruto universe with a focus on the ANBU which he acted in and also directed.
Alfred has also been involved in the Avatar: the Last Airbender world for the past couple of years and has designed action for the upcoming animated projects involving both feature film and the series. He was also the movement reference for the characters, stating “I’m excited for audiences to see what we’ve cooked up”.
More writing and directing is also in his future, as he has completed a feature script alongside Adrien Brody, saying ” I’m hoping the world will get to see one day”. You can follow a number of personal projects Alfred plans to share on his “WushuKicks” YouTube Channel, and @alfredrocks on Instagram. And of course, his website and IMDb are great to view his past work and any other updates concerning his career.
We are grateful to Alfred Hsing for his time and for the wealth of knowledge he shared regarding acting, martial arts, and the often-unspoken yet significant Chinese influence on American history.
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☆ In Asian Spaces ☆ Ephesians 6:12 ☆
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