Jess Khan-Lee is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting names in action entertainment.
The Chinese-Canadian actress has made an explosive entrance onto the global stage, starring alongside Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning as Marine Sergeant Rivera. With the film potentially marking the end of one of cinema’s most beloved franchises, Jess Khan-Lee’s role places her at the heart of this landmark moment in action movie history.
But Jess Khan-Lee’s talents extend far beyond the big screen. This autumn, she brings her signature blend of athleticism and charisma to Prime Video’s Hotel Costiera, a high-octane drama series set against the breathtaking backdrop of Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Playing Marine April Mackenzie,a character worlds apart from her Mission: Impossible role,Jess Khan-Lee showcases her impressive range, delivering a performance that’s as mischievous and humorous as it is action-packed.
What makes Jess Khan-Lee truly remarkable is her multifaceted career. From her extensive video game credits including Apex Legends and Fort Solis, to her work as a BBC Strictly Come Dancing choreographer, Jess Khan-Lee has mastered an astonishing array of skills. Whether she’s performing Bollywood choreography, executing Muay Thai combinations, or scaling climbing walls, Jess Khan-Lee proves time and again that she’s a force to be reckoned with in every arena she enters.
We sat down with Jess Khan-Lee to discuss her journey from choreographer to action star, her experiences working with Hollywood legends, and what’s next for this unstoppable talent.
You’ve worked alongside Tom Cruise in what might be the final Mission: Impossible film. What was it like being part of such an iconic franchise’s potential swan song?
I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. I have always loved the franchise. I have incredible respect for the filmmaking that goes into them, and for Tom Cruise. He is truly one of a kind. Working with him was a highlight of my career, and such an honour. And also working with Christopher McQuarrie, who is as generous with his time and knowledge as he is talented. Mission Impossible is more than just a film franchise. It’s embedded in our culture – it’s iconic. To think it’s potentially the final one, I mean, I’m just grateful to have been so lucky.
From Marine Sergeant Rivera in Mission: Impossible to the more wild and troubled April Mackenzie in Hotel Costiera, how do you approach playing military characters while keeping each one distinctly your own?
The key is to not play ‘the job’ – you have to play the person. Playing a military character gives part of the story, but not the whole story. The obvious through thread would be aspects like physicality. There are questions you have to ask and answer about both the project and the character. For the former, I consider things like, What’s the tone? What’s the character’s function?
What world are we operating in? For character, I’ll think about circumstances, wants, objectives, obstacles, motivations, relationships. For Rivera in Mission Impossible, the tone was serious, and being a Marine was central to her character, and her function in the film. So I leaned into that. For Mackenzie in Hotel Costiera, being a Marine is secondary. It fuels the plot, but the journey is much more about discovering her layers, and her relationship and past with Danny (Jesse Williams).
She’s very flawed, and in many ways acts opposite to how you would expect a Marine to typically behave. The tone was also lighter, with comedy mixed in. In that sense Rivera and Mackenzie probably couldn’t be farther away from each other.
Your series Hotel Costiera is set against the breathtaking Amalfi Coast. How did filming in such a luxurious, cinematic location influence your performance and creative process?
I love shooting on location because by nature it adds an element of realism to a pretend world. It’s grounding. You’re not walking in a studio with a green screen. You can smell the ocean, feel the breeze, there are cobblestones underfoot, you’re surrounded by Italian culture. You’re really there. The immersion enhanced my experience and gave me a sense of freedom in my process and performance.
You’ve mastered an extraordinary range of dance styles. Which style speaks most deeply to your soul, and how has this movement vocabulary informed your acting?
I couldn’t possibly choose. Each style feels like it’s a different part of my personality, and each lends itself in a particular moment as way to express my emotions. I’ll highlight ballet, because that’s where my roots are. It’s my foundation, and was my first love. I suppose the greatest impact it has had on my acting is that it taught me dedication, resilience, and control. There is a simultaneous strength and beauty in ballet. The effort must never been seen, but it is so rigorous. It takes intense study and practice. The same is with great acting. Great acting looks effortless. You shouldn’t see the mechanics, only be seduced by the story and feel the emotion.
As someone who’s worked across stage, video games, TV, and now major Hollywood blockbusters, how do you see the entertainment landscape evolving, and where do you find the most creative freedom?
I can tell you how I’d like to see it evolve. I’d like to see a return to more original stories and screenplays. I want to see more varied stories, more representation, more heart. I think studios and streamers need to be willing to take more chances, and not just keep repeating the same formula. I believe audiences want that. They don’t want to only see iterations of what they’ve seen before. There is a place for everything, for franchises and spin offs and branches all set in the same world, and those are brilliant in their own way. But alongside that I think we need more that is fresh, daring, and unexpected.
I find the most creative freedom when I’m acting in a character driven story, particularly if that character is quite flawed or complex. When I’m dealing with that, it opens up possibilities. People can behave unpredictably. It lends itself to unusual or bewildering choices, and that’s where the creative freedom lies. I also feel creative freedom when I write, because there are no rules.
Your athletic pursuits, from martial arts to scuba diving to aerial work, are as impressive as your artistic ones. How do you maintain this physical and mental discipline, and what drives you to constantly push boundaries?
The physical and mental discipline is because of dance. It was cultivated really early, and I’m incredibly grateful for that. I’ve always been one to push boundaries. I think there is something in me that is always wanting to prove to myself that I can take things on, that I’m brave, and strong. If you don’t keep pushing, you stop growing. I guess there’s also a fear in me of stopping short of my potential. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, I don’t know. Maybe both. The icing on the cake is that I take enormous enjoyment in it all. I want to keep experiencing what I can in this life. Novelty and mastery are both thrilling.
You choreographed for BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and worked on films like Matilda and Jingle Jangle. When you’re behind the camera creating movement versus in front of it embodying character, which role energizes you most?
Performing is my first love. I’d rather be in front of the camera than behind it. Exploring human behaviour, understanding the human condition, relationships – these exercises in empathy and the storytelling is what excites me. That being said, what I love about being on the creative side is the opportunity to come up with, explore, and develop ideas. Especially in the development stage when there are no rules yet and it’s just all play.
Being Chinese-Canadian in Hollywood, what unique perspectives do you bring to your roles, and how do you hope to influence representation in the industry moving forward?
Being mixed race gave me a unique perspective because I grew up with two different cultures that exposed me to how differently people’s beliefs, attitudes, values, and experiences are. I automatically learned to see the world from more than one perspective. So when it comes to characters, that muscle is already there – that elasticity and willingness to see from another’s point of view, to understand how they have been shaped into who they are. I hope as there is more representation in the industry we will see more richness in stories, and stories that haven’t been told before.
You’ve performed everything from intimate character work to massive action sequences. What’s the most vulnerable you’ve ever felt on set, and conversely, when have you felt most invincible?
The most vulnerable I’ve felt is when I’ve been on set as a dancer. There are very few protections for dancers, and they are often not given the respect and care they deserve. It’s something I feel very strongly about, and changes for dancers’ betterment need to be made.
The most invincible I’ve felt was while shooting Hotel Costiera. Mission Impossible had been filming for 2 years at that point, and I had gained so much knowledge and confidence working with Tom (Cruise) and McQ (Christopher McQuarrie). That gave me a sense of trust in myself.
Looking at your diverse portfolio, from luxury drama series to musical theatre to video game work to Hollywood features, what’s the one project or collaboration that’s still on your dream list, and what draws you to it?
I keep a list of actors and directors I want to work with in my Notes app. It gets longer by the day but I’ll give you two directors and two actors: Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan, Saoirse Ronan, and Cillian Murphy.
As for a project, I want to play a character who is far away from me. Someone that would require intense understanding and empathy for me to play. A shift in perspective . . . An accent would be fun, too.
*Credit:
Photographer – https://www.instagram.com/jesswharehinga/
Stylist – https://www.instagram.com/borna_prikaski/
Make Up – https://www.instagram.com/meganonmakeup/
Hair – https://www.instagram.com/candice.hair.mua/
