Actress Kim Hidalgo stars in 'Ball Don't Lie'

March 9, 11:37 AMLA Asian American Movie ExaminerEd Moy

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  Actress Kim Hidalgo

Bay Area actress Kim Hidalgo stars opposite real-life street basketball player Grayson Boucher aka "The Professor" in a highly-anticipated inner-city sports drama, Ball Don't Lie, set to hit theatres in June 2009.

Although most leading roles come after years of grueling supporting work and countless auditions, Hidalgo walked out of her first feature film lead audition having not only landed her first major film, but getting cast as the female lead, alongside an Oscar and SAG Award-nominee for “Best Actress in a Leading Role,” Melissa Leo (Frozen River) and established Hollywood stars like Nick Cannon (Bobby, Drumline), Rosanna Arquette  (Pulp Fiction, Lipstick Jungle), Emilie De Ravin (Lost), Ricardo Chavira (Desperate Housewives) and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges (Crash, Hustle & Flow).

Hidalgo also appears in an ensemble cast for the upcoming heartfelt drama, To Save a Life, co-starring Randy Wayne (Dukes of Hazzard, The Haunting of Molly Hartley)

What inspired you to become an actress?

My parents are great and put me in a variety of activities growing up in Walnut Creek: sports, instruments, dance, acting. They let me find my way and I guess I just caught the bug. Acting is something that I love doing, something I am passionate about. It felt right and I just went with it.

When did you get your start in show business?

Well I started performing in elementary school doing competition dance. That moved me into musical theater, which I enjoyed and did a lot of up in the Bay Area. Yet, my real passion, though I loved singing and dancing, was acting. I did several plays while in the drama department at Northgate High School and then one summer I attended the California State Summer School for the Arts and got really serious about the craft. I moved down to Los Angeles after high school to attend USC. I spent my first two years concentrating on school and then during my junior year I started pursuing acting professionally.

How did you land the role of Anh-Thu in Ball Don't lie?

Wow, I got very lucky with the role of Anh-Thu in Ball Don't Lie. People definitely took a chance on me and I am eternally grateful to them. I did what thousands of actors in Los Angeles do everyday and I auditioned. After the pre-read, they brought me in to a callback with the producers and director. Then two weeks later they brought me and another girl back to chemistry test with Grayson, who plays the lead in the film. I worked really, really hard on that script and it paid off.

This was your first major movie role. Tell us about your favorite experiences on the set. 

Being on set was amazing. It was such a learning experience. I loved coming to work everyday; I even came on days that I wasn't shooting just to observe the other actors. We had an tremendous cast that I learned so much from. I had the opportunity to see Rosanna Arquette work; she just has this spark that lights up the screen every time she enters. Each actor had a different method; you just learn what works for you personally. Harold Perrineau is another actor who I just loved to watch do his thing. It was fascinating!

Were there any challenges you faced in playing the role of Anh-Thu?

There is a scene in the film where I give birth and that's something that I have never experienced in my lifetime. I was really nervous going into it. My mom said, "Kim, they always make it look easy on film. It's not easy!" So I went on YouTube and actually watched real birth videos that people had posted. I wanted it to be authentic. This film is raw, it's real; I knew they wouldn't want me to sugarcoat it.

Are there benefits to being a mixed-race actress in Hollywood ?

Being mixed-race in Hollywood is a blessing and a curse. When you walk into an audition, no one looks quite like you; you stand out. Commercially, they love mixes because we appeal to a broader audience. Where I run into trouble is when they are trying to match me. I still play high school, so a lot of the roles that I am up for have parents or siblings. It's difficult to put me into a family where I don't stick out like a sore thumb. In the long run though I think I will have more opportunities, being able to transcend different ethnicities.

Do you find Asian typecasting to be an issue?

I do feel like a lot of the "Asian" roles I go out for are the band geek, the book nerd or the exchange student. But I think Hollywood is moving away from that. Shows like Grey's Anatomy and Lost are pushing boundaries on racial stereotyping. Anh-Thu in Ball Don't Lie is a great role for a half-Asian actress. She's smart, hardworking and a really positive force in this young man's life. The film that I have coming out in the fall, How to Save a Life, is another great example of a character that's outside the Asian stereotype. I've been really lucky thus far with the roles I've been offered.

What kind of roles would you like to play in the future?

I would love to play every type of role that I possibly can. I'm just excited to find interesting scripts with intricate characters that I can really sink my teeth into. Comedic, dramatic, crazy, quirky... I'd love a chance to do it all.

As an Asian American actress, what do you see as your primary challenges to a successful career?

There is so much competition and so much luck involved in this industry. I couldn't tell you how many incredibly talented actresses there are in Los Angeles, but the number is daunting. As far as opportunities go for Asian American actresses, I think it is only getting better. I just have to convince them that they want a half-Asian actress and that the actress they want is me.

Is there advice you'd like to offer aspiring young actors?

I would give this advice to any actor looking to start a career: study, study, study. Take classes with the best acting teachers you can find; work your butt off on every single audition. There are going to be so many auditions where you aren't quite right, but there is going to be one that you are perfect for. You want to make sure that when that opportunity arrives, you can wow the producers. The way to do that is by honing your craft and working hard.