More famous for her role as Daisy “Skye” Johnson/Quake in the Marvel television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Chloe Bennet’s moved away from seven years on the A.B.C. series to explore new roles and new opportunities.
In Abominable, released in 2019, the actress showed the first sign of embracing new projects, albeit purely a voiceover role. Then the remake of Valley Girl saw a supporting role in a movie that celebrated love through music.
Of course, what elevates Bennet to the status of someone able to drive good looks and equality is the embracing of all-action roles. At 29, she is the perfect age to be taking on a TV remake of Powerpuff, alongside Dove Cameron, who starred with her in S.H.I.E.L.D. and Yana Perrault.
“It seems that action will continue to be my go-to niche,” she says, “and I’m absolutely fine with that.
“Fitness, exercise and wellbeing have always been at the heart of who I am, and as much as I’m always keen to explore new genres, I’ve always been a firm believer in staying true to what you are good at.”
Bennet, born Chloe Wang to a Chinese father and a Jewish American mother, moved to China to follow her dream of becoming a singer, living in the Chinese capital of Beijing with her grandmother on the paternal side of the family.
She then moved back to the U.S.A., Los Angeles, to be precise, and changed her stage name to Chloe Bennet. In 2012, she secured a role as Hailey in the A.B.C. drama Nashville and later that year was cast as Daisy in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a character she played until 2020.
Bennet lives in Hollywood and, in recent years, has been in relationships with DJ Sam French and YouTube star Logan Paul.
STRIPLV: What did you watch as a kid that has created this all-action side of you? BENNET: I’m not sure what it was, but the characters I choose to portray on film are everything I always want to see in a girl. I think mostly it’s because I don’t really relate to princess characters, and to be honest, I didn’t even get to watch films or T.V. programs with princesses when I was growing up, mainly because I have six brothers. I was constantly in the minority when it came to voting for what we were choosing to watch. (Laughs) I was a stubborn, creative, and independent kid, someone who wanted so much more out of everything that I did or that I was involved in, so I guess I have fallen into the right brand of entertainment, right?! STRIPLV: You took a diversion into animation with Abominable but are returning to traditional work, right? BENNET: I think there’s a bit of a disconnect where animated movies are concerned. I think the assumption is that it’s a really quick route to getting a film done, and much of the work is down to the guys on their computers. Of course, that’s true to an extent, but as an actor, a lot of the same processes are the same. There’s the whole thing about really finding a way around the character. Obviously, there’s a process of learning lines, although you do have the luxury of holding a script in front of you, I admit. Of course, there’s that whole promotional investment when the film is made; junkets, press conferences, promo, not everything that goes into getting that movie in front of people. STRIPLV: It sounds like moving outside of your comfort zone? BENNET: Of course. What you have to have when you are doing voiceover work for film or T.V. is an incredible amount of imagination and also a whole lot of energy. That wasn’t something I was expecting, at all and I had to really adapt to that, and it’s so different to being on screen as yourself. Mainly because you don’t have someone there to bounce off, you do all of the voice recordings by yourself. You don’t have a wardrobe to assist you in getting into that character and make it authentic. You don’t have a makeup department, no hairstylists, nothing at all like that. And as far as the animators go, there’s actually a much bigger job than just imagining these places. In fact, many of them are real. In Abominable, they were all real, which I know seems crazy with it being an animated movie, but it’s true – they are all completely real places that we went to and did filming in. I feel a bit bad because the way that those places look absolutely incredible in this film. They may not look exactly as they would do if you went to them in real life, but the locations we went to are still amazing places. STRIPLV: So more animated work going forward might be an option? BENNET: I think so. I’ve been told I have one of those unique voices – lower than most females, perhaps a bit husky. If that makes me different and interesting, then I’m all good with that, and of course, I want to keep testing myself on as many different projects as possible. STRIPLV: You have grown into a woman and a positive force for other women during your time in front of the camera. You must be proud of that? BENNET: I never wanted to be judged on how I look, so as a woman and as an actress, you’ve got to have in what comes out of your mouth. You come to realize your voice is perhaps the only thing some may not try to strip you of, and that becomes your tool to act, which becomes a totally powerful thing. That is so big when you are a woman and especially because you used to when people reduce to judging you almost entirely on how you look. That’s an insecurity that you can see in those who get that in front of the cameras. STRIPLV: Equality for women is something that, as an issue, has been raised a lot over the past couple of years. How are things for you? BENNET: I think that the biggest thing for equality, whether it is for women or Asian women or Asian-American women, is really just representation on screen. I think that the power of storytelling is amazing, and it means everything to me. It’s why I got into acting. I remember growing up and thinking that I wasn’t pretty enough because I didn’t look white enough. Or that I wasn’t good enough because I wasn’t Chinese enough, or I wasn’t white enough. It is just as important for boys to see powerful women as it is for girls, and seeing characters on screen who inspire you as a young kid, that’s really important. STRIPLV: A lot has been made of your rebellion against some of the Hollywood glitz. How did that come about? BENNET: I’m not sure. I just think there is a humility that we need to discover or rediscover because, with everything that’s gone on over the past year or so, people in the public eye need to be very careful in terms of the image they put out. Let’s be honest, Hollywood isn’t renowned for its sense of perspective and self-awareness; I would, however, like to think I come from a place where I have seen the other side of the coin, and I know what it is to struggle, to be an outsider, to be a real person; so it’s important to focus on the wider picture as far as society goes, not just ourselves. STRIPLV: Does Hollywood get an unfair rap compared to many other billion-dollar industries? BENNET: I think so, yes, but Hollywood is the industry that puts itself out there most, so it’s to be expected. I know there are sports people or tech people or scientists who are every bit as sure of themselves as movie stars, but they fall under the radar a bit more because it isn’t their purpose to be exposed and in people’s faces. When you’re in the entertainment world, that is the whole point, so with that comes the prospect of getting under people’s skin. STRIPLV: You’ve managed to avoid that so far. BENNET: (Laughs) I hope that’s true.