Callina Liang discovered an unexpected personal connection to Chun-Li while researching the character for the Street Fighter film. The actress also opened up about the intense preparation and physical transformation required for the role.
Speaking with Variety, Callina discussed how she prepared to play the iconic character in the big-screen adaptation. She admitted that the role came with pressure and a few mental breakdowns. To prepare for the role, the Canadian actress said she downloaded all the games, read the books and manga, watched the anime movie, and researched as much as she could.
During that process, she discovered that she and Chun-Li share the same blood type. “I found out Chun-Li’s blood type. It’s the same as mine. Type A,” the 26-year-old revealed. The Presence star joked that the discovery made the casting feel like it was “meant to be.”
How Callina Liang trained to bring Chun-Li to life in Street Fighter
Liang also discussed her intense training, diet, and body transformation in the same interview. She had just two months to prepare before filming began, so she hired a Toronto-based personal trainer to help her build muscle while also completing stunt training.
“I was doing leg day every single day at the gym, but like it would be a different muscle group,” Liang explained. Her stunt training lasted two hours daily, with only one or two days off every week.
Liang avoided cardio and ate around 4,000 calories daily to build muscle. She focused on size over definition, eating eggs, turkey, chicken, and beef. Asked if she had grown tired of the diet, Liang explained that Street Fighter changed her approach to martial arts, nutrition, and weightlifting. While she still follows some of those habits, she joked, “I don’t eat 12 eggs a day anymore.”
Liang’s dedication emphasizes the lengths actors go to bring characters to life. Directed by Kitao Sakurai, the 119-minute film is now playing in theaters.
