Hu eventually wants
to hang up claws,
hang up curtains
It's hard to imagine Deathstrike yearning to be Martha Stewart. But then you've never met Honolulu-born and bred actress Kelly Hu. This kick-okole Kamehameha Schools grad has appeared in the last two years in three major action-film hits: "Cradle 2 the Grave," "The Scorpion King" and her latest mutant villain foray, "X-Men 2," in which this most feminine of fatales plays the aforementioned Deathstrike.
But Hu's secret ambition is a whole other story.
"I want to be a stay-home mom who makes cookies and goes to soccer games and dance recitals and then comes home and watches HGTV and does crafts," says Hu, who will also appear onstage in "The Vagina Monologues" May 21-25 at Hawaii Theatre.
In "The Vagina Monologues," Hu will be doing some raunchy talking. Playwright Eve Ensler's work gives voice to a chorus of lusty, outrageous, poignant and brave stories based on interviews with a diverse group of women about their vaginas. The stories range from pained to wise to playful and humorous.
Although the "Monologues" have been touring the country with various stars -- Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, Glenn Close, Calista Flockhart, Marisa Tomei, Queen Latifah -- playing roles, there are still many out there who don't think the subject matter is very nice.
Hu says she cherishes a variety of bad-girl roles.
"Gosh yes, everybody has that bad side to them, and all I do is get in touch with it and magnify it," she says.
Hu's "Vagina Monologues" performance will be her first in front of a live audience since high school.
"Of course I'm terrified, but this is exactly what I need to do at this time," she said. "I've come off of three huge tent-pole films all coming out at No. 1. So this diversion is wonderful."
HU PARLAYED early experience as a model and beauty pageant winner into an acting career in television and film. While attending Kamehameha, Hu began taking modeling jobs. She entered a local beauty pageant, which led to her being named Miss Teen U.S.A. in 1985, making her the first Asian American to hold the title and launched her acting career.
After her reign, Hu moved to Los Angeles, and in 1987 scored her first high-profile acting job when she was cast as Melia, Kirk Cameron's love interest, on several episodes of the TV sitcom "Growing Pains."
"Kirk Cameron fell for my character; everyone I knew loved Kirk then, and the show was a huge hit. It got me a SAG card and that extra bit of confidence I needed to run off to Hollywood."
Hu began receiving a steady stream of television work, making guest appearances on such shows as "Tour of Duty," "Night Court" and "21 Jump Street" before she earned her first film role, a small part in "Friday the 13th: Part VIII -- Jason Takes Manhattan."
More film and television work followed, including a brief run in 1992 on the daytime drama "The Bold and the Beautiful." She also appeared on "Melrose Place" and "Murder One" before she winning the role of Michelle Chan on the action-drama series "Nash Bridges."
Her next long-term TV role allowed her to make use of her martial arts skills -- a brown belt in karate -- when she was cast opposite Sammo Hung in the action-comedy series "Martial Law."
Hu says that when she arrived in L.A., every agency needed "a token Asian client."
"Being Asian has helped and hindered my career," she said. "There are fewer roles for Asians, but there's a lot less competition for those roles."
SHE SEEMS TO have hit her stride in action heroine mode. In case you don't know the "X-Men" story, Hu says her character is "sort of the more advanced, slicker, faster, sharper version of Hugh Jackman's character Wolverine." In the comic, Deathstrike is a muscular cyborg; in the film, a mutant.
Hu performed more stunts than any other female actor in this film.
"I love the fantasy fighting I have to do in these kinds of films," Hu said.
She rarely declines doing a stunt. "I get upset when I'm not allowed to do stuff," she said.
Wire work presents special challenges because actors aren't able to work on them as often as they should.
"The most important thing is, just stay limber and make sure you don't eat before you have to put on the harness, which is sooo tight," she said. "With the harnesses so tight, when you back-flipped upside down, sometimes the tuna sandwich ends up coming back up again."
Then Hu returns to her Martha Stewart fantasy.
"I really want to be Martha Stewart -- not the bitchy one, but the one you see on TV with the beautiful home and wispy curtains and making big cookies."
The Vagina Monologues
Where: Hawaii Theatre, 1130 Bethel St.When: 7:30 p.m. May 21 and 22; 6 and 9 p.m. May 23; 5 and 8 p.m. May 24; and 2 and 7 p.m. May 25
Tickets: $20 to $45; call 732-7733 for 10 percent discount (except Saturday) for groups of 12 or more
Call: 528-0506
Also: Opening night benefit for Parents And Children Together includes a pre-show dinner at Compadres Bar & Grill in Ward Centre, performance, trolley transportation to and from the show, and a cast party after the production back at Compadres. The cost is $100. Call PACT at 847-3285.
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