The CW’s hit show Kung Fu returns today with the second half of its explosive third season. Star Yvonne Chapman, who was elevated to series regular prior to this season, plays Zhilan, the one-time villain, now potential ally, of the Kung Fu team.
I first spoke with Chapman back in 2021 about her role in the newly rebooted series. Since then, the show has performed extremely well on The CW, added new cast members and continues to tell an engaging Asian American family story under the guise of a martial arts epic.
Recently, I had the chance to reconnect with Chapman, whose character has undergone substantial growth and development over the last few seasons. Chapman talked about how much closer the cast and crew of the show have become over the last two years, especially filming together in Vancouver, Canada. She also praised the show’s creative team, saying that their creative process is very collaborative and that she appreciates the depth of her character Zhilan.
Credit: Richie Lubaton
We talked about how the martial arts action on the show has evolved over the last few seasons, and Chapman mentioned that shew as impressed with JB Tadena, who plays Sebastian.
A self-proclaimed “fantasy nerd,” Chapman is set to star as Avatar Kyoshi in Netflix’s Avatar the Last Airbender live-action series. While she understandably couldn’t share many details, Chapman did say that the studio spared no expense in making sure that the look of her character was perfect. She also expressed both excitement and anxiety in playing a character that is so beloved in the Avatar franchise.
Check out our interview below and watch Chapman in CW’s Kung Fu airing Wednesdays at 9 PM/8 PM central!
Ron is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of POC Culture. He is a big believer in the power and impact of pop culture and the importance of representation in media.
