''Black Sash'' Shows Its Moves
By Kate O'Hare
Zap2It
March 31, 2003
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It's one thing to watch martial-arts moves on television or in
movies, and quite another to see them performed directly in front of
you. In a Hollywood hotel room, Russell Wong is demonstrating
the "circle walking" he does in his new martial-arts drama "Black
Sash," which premieres Sunday, March 30, on The WB Network.

"It angles toward the center," he says, arms out in front him,
walking at a measured pace. "When I walk around, I bring my hand up
over you and turn" -- which he does, smooth as glass -- "so the
turning movements are like that, then you strike. You become a
little tornado. I'm starting to like it."

Wong is tall, dark, muscular and ruggedly handsome, which is why
executive producer Carlton Cuse feels darn lucky to have him on his
TV show.

"I had been interested in him back when I did 'Martial Law' for CBS,
but he wasn't available," says Cuse. "All of a sudden, I was handed
an opportunity to do a show with Russell."

"When you're doing a television series, it's really hard to find
that guy who is the 30-to-50-year-old who can be the dangerous guy,
the romantic character, do drama, comedy."

"That's what's great about Russell. Here's a guy who's a viable
lead, and he's available. Most actors that good go off to do movies.
Maybe other people's prejudices are my advantage, because he was
available to do the show."

"Russell is a movie-star guy, and I'm glad to have him."

Wong has done plenty of movies, both here --
including "Taipan," "New Jack City," "Romeo Must Die" and the
upcoming "Blackout" -- and in China and Hong Kong.

Born to a Chinese-American restaurateur and a Dutch-American artist
in Albany, N.Y., Wong was encouraged by his mother to study ballet
and jazz dance. But as is the case with many Asian and Asian-
American performers, he took up martial arts to break into show
business, which he did with a movie deal in Hong Kong.

On the small screen, Wong played the title role in Hallmark
Entertainment's miniseries "The Monkey King" and starred in the
syndicated action-drama "Vanishing Son."

"I get to be the lead in this new show," Wong says, "and not only
that, the material is not only focused on martial arts, there are
other relationships that have some humanity to them, so that's a
relief."

In "Black Sash," Wong plays Tom Chang, a former undercover narcotics
cop who was framed and wrongly incarcerated in Hong Kong. Estranged
from his ex-wife (Ona Grauer) and his young daughter after five
years in prison, Chang has returned to San Francisco (the show
actually films in Vancouver) to rebuild his life.

He reunites with his mentor, Master Li (veteran Japanese actor
Mako), who gives Tom his martial-arts school to run and a home in
his building on the wharf. Tom becomes a mentor and friend to a
motley group of students, including the angry Tory (Missy Peregrym),
abused Trip (Corey Sevier), streetwise Bryan (Ray J), shy Allie
(Sarah Carter) and rebellious Nick (Drew Fuller).

An early version of the pilot had Tom working as a bounty hunter,
but Cuse wanted to move in a different direction. "It's the idea of
this guy as a mentor to this group of kids, like you had in 'The
White Shadow.' There hasn't been a show like that for a while on
television, and to me, that's what was cool about it."

"It also would really work for the WB audience," Cuse continues. "It
would be young kids who would be mentored by Russell's character,
and it would reflect the kids in the WB audience looking for adult
role models. Here's an adult role model who could help them, who's
not a parent."

"I like exploring the issues of how young people could relate to an
adult role model who wasn't their parent."

Wong understands that vibe, having had a mentor himself in the
person of a martial-arts instructor from Beijing. "I keep in touch
with him," Wong says, "and let him know where my career's at and
what I'm doing. For me, to have someone like that means a lot.
Martial arts, traditionally, when students go to a school or find a
teacher, they would leave their parents, and the teacher would then
be like their parent."

"He, in a way, adopted me. Still, at my age, it's always good to
have someone who's been through life and can tell you what's
important, put your focus where it needs to be. I'm lucky to have
someone like that. In this project, having Tom being a teacher, it's
like giving back."

On set, Wong has the benefit of Mako's decades of experience, with
roles ranging from the mad Wizard in "Conan the Barbarian" to an
admiral in "Pearl Harbor."

"He mentioned the other day that he was in 'McHale's Navy.' Wow."

As for what he has learned from Mako, Wong says, "You've got to be
in it to win it. Just staying the course, whatever comes. Just stay
with it."

And one day, if he's very good and very lucky, Wong might get to
emulate one of his favorite actors. "The ultimate would be Harrison
Ford. He's the whole package. Professionally, I want to be known as
an action actor, not just an action guy, but an actor who can do
action well and handle relationships and drama."

'Sash': A Karate Show With Inferior Chops
By Robert Bianco
USA Today
March 27, 2003

Some day, perhaps, an Asian-American man won't have to use martial
arts to get his own TV show.

Then again, it's not quite clear that Black Sash is, indeed, Russell
Wong's show. True, the Romeo Must Die star gets top billing. But in
true WB tradition, Wong seems to be merely the frontman for what is,
in essence, yet another WB show about the petty problems of pretty
teens. Think Dawson's Creek Goes Karate Kid, and you're close to the
martial mark.

Wong plays Tom Chang, a framed and disgraced ex-cop who runs a
martial arts school. His class is a collection of types: the tough
girl (Missy Peregrym), the shy girl (Sarah Carter), the poor boy
(Corey Sevier) and the streetwise boy (Brandy's brother Ray J, who's
unconvincing both as an actor and as a fighter).

On Sunday, we find out the tough girl is "full of anger and rage"
because the man who killed her father is running free. Need anyone
add that Chang will go after the bad guy, and tough girl will come
to his aid?

Most unforgivable of all for a martial arts show like Sash, the
fights are no more interesting than the story they interrupt. This
isn't a Jackie Chan movie: There's no grace, no humor and no
particularly impressive skills on display.

There is, however, that one thing no TV martial arts show could do
without: an Asian mentor, spouting fortune-cookie philosophy. Here,
it's Master Lee (Marko), who offers such wisdom as "Everything
unfolds as it should, young Tom. Patience is always rewarded."

Asian-American audiences have been patient enough. It's time to
demand better than Black Sash.