Callina Liang on Starring in Presence, Acting As Alchemy, and Cultivating A Spiritual Connection
Words: Akhil Vaidya | Photographer: Anna Koblish | Photog Assistant: Anais Conde | Makeup: Mollie Gloss | Hair: Davey Matthew | Stylist: Tyler Okuns
The horror of the conventional haunted house movie is based in prolonging a fear of the unknown. Previous iterations of these films edge the audience with the question of who or what is terrorising the house, as specifics are often much less scary than an audience’s imagination. In Presence (2024), however, director Steven Soderbergh gives the audience unprecedented access to a spirit who haunts a suburban American home, as the film is shot entirely from the perspective of the ghost. When a family looking for a fresh start moves into the spirit’s territory, only Chloe, the family’s youngest daughter played by Callina Liang, is able to detect the supernatural presence – a compelling spiritual connection that lies at the core of Presence’s domestic horror.
For Liang, whose textured portrayal of Chloe has been called the film’s breakout role, acting was, at first, a form of escapism. “I only started learning English when I was 10. Mandarin was my first language, my mother tongue. And I started learning English when my dad literally took me from a Chinese-speaking school, and then threw me into an English speaking school.” She explains. As she acclimated to new surroundings and learned a new language, Liang found some comfort in taking her first drama classes.
“It was my first time experiencing drama class as a subject at school, because in China, they didn't have that. And I just remember doing this one improv exercise. I don't think we had to speak, it was like a miming [exercise]. And I just remembered feeling so free.” After this formative experience, Liang described how acting quickly escalated from her favorite hobby to a cherished creative pursuit over a few years. On track to pursue medical school at 17, she decided to take a risk. “I sat my dad down. I was like, ‘Listen, how do you feel about me pursuing this career seriously?’ And surprisingly, he supported me. He said, you have a few years, show me you can do it.”
“You're able to sift your own life experiences and put that into what's written on the page. But obviously, what you're portraying is truth.”
Immediately, Liang dropped out of high school and started pursuing an acting education. After some hustling, she nabbed a regular role as the rebellious Mei in the British teen drama Tell Me Everything, as well as a guest spot in the sci-fi series Foundation. As she continued to develop her creative practice, Liang asserts that her relationship to acting itself has substantially changed, evolving beyond its initial escapist function.
“I hit this realisation that actually acting is half, yes, honoring what's on the page, but half of that is [how] you bring your walks of life into the character. And that is when I really, really started digging in and falling in love with the craft. It feels like you're almost this artistic alchemist – you're able to sift your own life experiences and put that into what's written on the page. But obviously, what you're portraying is truth.”
Presence is Liang’s first foray into horror territory, though, as a die-hard horror fan, she hesitates to call Presence a traditional horror film. In fact, she makes it clear that she’s never seen or read anything quite like it, which is part of what attracted her to the role. She felt a particularly personal connection to Chloe, a troubled, grieving teenager who is neglected by her mother and bullied by her brother.
“I think as a teenage girl, growing up, I've personally not been exactly where Chloe was, but I could relate to her in a lot of different ways. The sense of isolation. I never stayed in the same school for more than two and a half years my entire life.” She notes, “I just remember, after reading it for the first time, I felt this immense, almost overwhelming sensation of love for the character, because I really felt for her. I not only could sympathize, but empathize at some points too.”
“We just gave him something different every single time until he's happy. And what that meant was, we got to play, we got to really play.”
To prepare for the role, Liang worked from the script to create the “roots that grew underneath the story,” relying on an extensive habit of journaling as Chloe to explore the contours of her character. She also used specific songs to help her get in the right mindset before filming certain scenes (one of them being “i love you” by Billie Eillish). “I was just living and breathing and trying to learn (as much about her as I could every day.”
Dress: Azeeza | Earrings: Stylist own
“I just remember, after reading it for the first time, I felt this immense, almost overwhelming sensation of love for the character, because I really felt for her. I not only could sympathize, but empathize at some points too.”
During the eleven-day filming process, Liang collaborated closely with Soderbergh, who also served as the movie’s cinematographer, to represent Chloe’s unique connection to the spirit world. She also worked with her fellow cast members, including Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan, to develop a convincing, natural family dynamic.
Top: Azeeza | Bottoms: Leather skirt (stylist own) | Earrings: Stylist own | Arm bracelet: Stylist own
“Stephen really just kind of threw us all in. We did a lot of physical rehearsals, where we just met up at whatever the green room was on set, we would just run the dialogue like over and over. We would always try different things.” Liang reminisces, “Lucy and Chris were such great mentors in that sense. They were so open to our ideas. And then the dialogue would just become like second-nature, muscle memory to us. Stephen [didn’t] really say much. We just give him something different every single time until he's happy. And what that meant was, we got to play, we got to really play.”
After the film wrapped, Liang had no idea what to expect, as she was only able to catch a few glimpses of the monitors on set. The first time she watched the film was at its Sundance premiere with a live audience. “The entire time I was like, what? It disturbed me a lot.” She pauses, “To the point where, after I went onstage for the Q and A, someone handed me the mic and I was just like, I think I'm going to need a second to just decompress. I can't really talk right now.”
Top & Bottoms: The Frankie Shop | Earrings: Stylist own
Still, Liang hopes to continue acting in original stories with distinct perspectives, referencing movies like The Substance (2024) and Heretic (2024) while describing her dream roles. She also mentions that she wouldn’t mind playing a doctor in a medical drama, an early fixation from her childhood.
Despite the extent of the realistic horrors outlined in Presence, Liang is steadfast in facing her fears. “I don't necessarily believe in a religion, but I believe there is energy, there is the supernatural, there is the universe.” She smiles, “And I believe that the universe has our best interests, and that everything happens for a reason. So that comforts me.”
Presence is available to stream now on demand.
