Olivia Wang

Today I was looking back through some old stills from an early film I worked on. It reminded me how every acting journey begins somewhere. Several years ago, I appeared in a feature film directed by Lewis Attey and Daniel Wood. My role was very small, and at that stage I was still discovering what acting on screen meant to me. Looking back now, I remember less about my own scenes than about watching the directors work. Their calm focus, their conversations with actors, and the rhythm of the set left a lasting impression. At the time, I didn’t realise those quiet observations would become part of my own education. Over the past few years, my path has gradually unfolded — from theatre to screen, from short films to feature films, from independent productions to internationally recognised festival work. Every set has taught me something different. Every rehearsal, every camera setup, every conversation with directors, cinematographers, editors, costume designers, and crew has become part of my training. I have always tried to remain curious. I ask questions. I observe. I listen. For me, those moments are just as valuable as standing in front of the camera. Press enter or click to view image in full size Every film leaves something behind — not only on screen, but in the actor who made it. Today I work primarily as a Chinese–Australian screen actress, focusing on character-driven and cross-cultural cinema. My recent work has been recognised through multiple international Best Actress awards and selections across more than thirty international film festivals. Those recognitions have been deeply encouraging, but they have never felt like a destination. If anything, they have reminded me how much more there is to learn. From Wake Her Up, to Aviary of Her Solitude, and now an independent feature currently in production, I have become increasingly interested not only in acting itself, but in understanding how performance is generated. Get Olivia Wang’s stories in your inbox Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer. Subscribe Remember me for faster sign in Rather than beginning with emotion, I find myself beginning with the body. Over time, I realised that the projects I was most drawn to often shared similar themes: cross-cultural experience female subjectivity the body as cinematic language migration, memory, and emotional structure These recurring interests gradually led me to articulate an evolving performance framework that I now call Embodied Migration Acting. Rather than treating migration simply as a story, I explore it as something physically carried within the body — through breath, rhythm, posture, sensory awareness, and silence. It is not a finished theory. It is an ongoing artistic practice that continues to evolve with every project I make. Alongside this journey, I have also been fortunate to work on music videos and music-based screen projects. One particularly memorable experience was collaborating with Melbourne musician CMD, listening to an unreleased version of Feelings before filming began. Watching the song grow into a work that later reached hundreds of thousands of viewers reminded me how performance continues to find new audiences through different forms. Another memorable project was a music film connected with Jay Chou’s work, filmed on a beautiful estate that shifted between elegance by day and mystery by night. Being involved in the project gave me a deeper appreciation of the many invisible creative decisions that shape a performance before filming even begins. As an actor, creator, and author-producer, I have gradually come to believe that today’s performers can contribute more than interpretation alone. Actors can become collaborators in the creative process — bringing cultural understanding, embodied knowledge, and artistic inquiry into the room. Sometimes the greatest lessons arrive when you momentarily leave your usual role. For me, acting has never been only about representing a character. It is also about expanding the language through which stories can be told. I look forward to continuing that exploration — one film, one collaboration, and one conversation at a time. — Olivia Wang Chinese–Australian Screen Actress | Actor · Creator · Author-Producer