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Callina Liang Says Her Intense Chun-Li Training Didn’t Stop After ‘Street Fighter’

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Bringing Chun-Li to life was never going to be easy. The character is known for her lightning-fast kicks, and translating those signature moves from video game to live action demanded months of physical preparation from Callina Liang. The Canadian-Chinese actress, who first broke out in Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Presence’, joined a long line of performers who have taken on the role, including Ming-Na Wen and Kristin Kreuk.

Her version arrived in theaters with Paramount and Legendary’s ‘Street Fighter’ on October 16. Directed by Kitao Sakurai and set in 1993, the film follows Chun-Li as she recruits estranged fighters Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) for the World Warrior Tournament.

Now Liang has revealed that the grueling regimen didn’t end when cameras stopped rolling. In a recent interview shared by DiscussingFilm, she explained that she trained for 4 hours of kicking every day for 6 weeks before filming began, and that she still keeps up with the routine because she found it therapeutic and it has become part of her life.

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She described wearing resistance bands on her legs and learning to balance on the single leg that was constantly kicking in and out. Her preparation included spinning kicks, jumping kicks, and a variety of other techniques.

The build-up started well before production. Liang began training in Toronto as soon as she landed the role, working with a trainer for 2 hours a day on kicks, strength training and weightlifting. Once production moved to Sydney, she trained for 2 hours in the morning and another 2 in the afternoon.

Liang has been candid about how demanding the process was. “It was literally like, if I wasn’t working out, I was eating. If I wasn’t eating, I was in the sauna and doing the ice plunge and getting a massage and dry needling, trying to keep my body in tip-top shape so I could do it all over again the next day,” she told Exclaim!

She also faced a last-minute curveball. After months of training, she was asked to add a crash course in nunchucks to her skill set. Co-star Noah Centineo has said that he, Liang, and Andrew Koji trained together 6 days a week for 6 weeks. The payoff is real. Liang has said she can now pull off Chun-Li’s Lightning Kick pretty well on her own, and she credits the role with giving her a new level of confidence as an actor.

For Liang, the part carries deep personal meaning. Chun-Li represented an image of strength she admired as a child, and she has described the opportunity to play someone who looked like her in a video game as a huge honor.

Much of the film was shot on physically built sets at Disney Studios in Sydney, Australia, adding to the hands-on nature of the production. The film topped the North American box office in its opening weekend with $31 million, adding $20.1 million internationally for a $51.1 million global debut. Against a reported $82 million production budget, that start has been described as so-so.

Reviews have been mixed, with some critics noting how quickly the story moves away from the tournament to accommodate its enormous cast. Others have praised its colorful characters, faithful designs and intentionally ridiculous humor.

Whatever the film’s long-term fate, Liang’s dedication has become one of the most talked-about parts of its press cycle. For her, Chun-Li’s training clearly left a mark that goes well beyond the screen.

What impresses you most about Callina Liang’s transformation into Chun-Li in Street Fighter?

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