A St. Paddy’s Digital Short from ‘Chuck’ Vet & Buy More Nerd Herder

Julia Ling recently stopped by the Yak to spread a little holiday cheer. Many will remember Julia and the CHUCK character she played so flawlessly, Anna Wu. While Anna has been off with the Benihana chef from Hawaii, Julia has been keeping busy ever since she finished up her work on CHUCK after the second season.

Before her stint on CHUCK, Julia may be remembered for her guest arcs on shows like ER and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Read on below to find out what she’s been up to, her plans for the future, what she thought about the CHUCK finale and more! Also, be sure and watch the St. Patrick’s Day Sketch she wrote, directed, and starred in below.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from the Yak…Stay safe!
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The Yak: Is this St. Patrick’s Day sketch your first writing/directing experience? If not, what other things can fans see that you’ve had a hand in making?
Julia: I’ve been writing since I was a little girl, always fascinated by visual storytelling. My school teachers often encouraged me to become a writer when I grew up. I’ve been so busy with school, studying biomedical chemical engineering. Then after UCLA, I was really busy as an actress. So last year was the first time I ever got the chance to start directing and film-making.

The Yak: Does this mean you have a passion in writing or directing in the near future?
Julia: Most definitely.

The Yak: Where did the idea for this sketch come from? And can we maybe expect similar digital shorts for some other upcoming holidays?
Julia: I sang a couple songs to wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year last month. Yes. I sing. (laughs) I was jealous of Jeffster. (Here’s that video) But otherwise, I don’t have plans to do holiday videos. Saint Patrick’s Day came up just cuz I had a few ideas one day and suddenly thought it would be fun to make a sketch. But I’m actually working on a couple series and features, and will most definitely be putting out more videos on my YouTube channel.

The Yak: How has life been for you after Anna Wu on CHUCK? Any special upcoming projects you can share with us?
Julia: After Chuck, I did a lot of fundraising events for Japan, you know after the earthquake and tsunamis. It was heartbreaking to see what they all went through. We were able to raise half a million dollars for them. I also did a lot of other charity work, singing for hospitals, reading for children, raising money for children’s cancer among others. I wrote a few scripts. I studied writing, producing and directing, and danced and trained in martial arts everyday. Then I signed with the new FOX show “I Hate My Teenage Daughter,” but the network said there were too many characters and simply “not enough real estate.” They were forced to cut mine after I worked on it for one week. I have no complaints though. It was a fun journey and I was very pleased to meet legendary director, Andy Ackerman, as well as work with Sherry Blsing-Graham and Ellen Kreamer. I honestly think the best part of post-Chuck life was still, all the people I’ve met from Chuck. That show just has a way of bringing people together. I love with all my heart all the friends and fans of Chuck.

The Yak: Unfortunately, we didn’t get a little bit of Anna in the series finale, but if she were able to come back, how would you have liked her story handled? What did you personally think of the way the series ended out after having spent a good amount of time with the cast and crew?
Julia: I would have loved more butt-kicking scenes. And I’d rather have Anna die an honorably gory death, like fighting zombies or something epic. The way it ended though, was beautiful, in my humble opinion. The scene with Sarah and Chuck at the beach made me tear up. I guess I like to pretend I’m a badass through Anna Wu, but secretly inside I’m just a girly girl who wants to be loved.

The Yak: You’re a big Walking Dead fan, right? Any wild theories about the show and what we can find in the season finale on Sunday?
Julia: Yes. I’m a Walking Dead fan. At least, of the first season. The second season is a little too slow for me. I’m an action girl, and all about being pragmatic. Like why in the world would you cut your own wrist open with the same knife you use to stab zombies in the head with? And why is it so hard for our protagonists to just “keep quiet.” I think one of the biggest things that frustrate me is having stupid protagonists. My confession, I truly am scared of zombies. You can never be prepared enough for a zombie apocalypse.

The Yak: Besides Walking Dead, what would you consider your TV obsessions these days?
Julia: SO MANY! As the words of the wise man, Josh Schwarz once said, “Watch lots and lots of TV.” I’m starting on Boardwalk Empire now. Rome, Glee, Game of Thrones… And DEAR CROM do I LOVE GAME OF THRONES. Dragon Princess could easily turn me gay for a second. She’s so pretty, and I’m still angry Ned died without honor. And yes, Crom. Conan always gets a reference because you can’t beat his quote, “Crush your Enemies. See them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women.” I watched LONESOME DOVE about four times last year to get in character for “I Hate My Teenage Daughter.” I went around town speaking with a southern accent. Clint Eastwood and Robert Duvall are my heroes. The Robert Duvall-Tommy Lee Jones pair in Lonesome Dove is my favorite friendship pairing of all time.

The Yak: Do you have a page that we can share where fans can keep up with all of your projects?
Julia: Lots of photos at our Facebook page. Join me on Twitter if you dare. My humor may not always be for the sensitive-brained. Better yet, subscribe to my YouTube channel for laughs.

The Yak: Thanks for answering our questions, Julia! It was a pleasure and we wish you best of luck in your future endeavors!
Julia: THANK YOU! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, FOR WATCHING CHUCK, FOR BEING AWESOME!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uybU3TpySw