In the Spotlight: Jess Khan-Lee’s Path to Hotel Costiera on Prime Video

Chinese/Canadian actress  Jess Khan-Lee recently burst onto the big screen as Marine Sergeant Rivera in the latest Tom Cruise MI Film installment - Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning - perhaps even the very last Mission: Impossible film! Jess stars alongside Tom, Nick Offerman, Angela Bassett, Mark Gatiss, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Charles Parnell and Henry Czerny. 

  For her latest project Jess Khan- Lee is in Positano on the spectacular Italian Amalfi Coast, starring in the new action packed drama series, Hotel Costiera, now  streaming on Prime Video . Jess stars alongside Jesse Williams and Jordan Alexandra. The series is directed by Emmy Award winner Adam Bernstein, alongside Giacomo Martelli.  

• Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning marks a huge milestone in the Mission: Impossible franchise. What was it like stepping into the role of Marine Sergeant Rivera alongside icons like Tom Cruise and Angela Bassett?

I knew I had to bring my A game. I don’t get starstruck much anymore, but I definitely was the first day of rehearsals when I met Tom and Angela. They elevate the room. It’s a great motivator because you have to rise to meet them. I soaked up every bit of knowledge I could from them. Luckily, I think my excitement upstaged any nerves. 

• You've been described as playing a “wild and complicated" character in Hotel Costiera. Can you tell us more about April Mackenzie and what sets her apart from your previous roles, like Marine Sergeant Rivera?

Mack is complex. We meet her at a difficult time in her life, when she’s made some pretty bad choices. She is loyal and tough, but feels let down and abandoned by Danny, and disillusioned with military life. She wants a different life for herself, but she goes about it in the wrong way. What I love about Mack is that she is her own master. No one can control her. She can be funny and charming; she can handle herself in a fight; she’s also chaotic and impulsive. She sits in contrast to Rivera, who embodies more of what you would expect of a Marine - serious, duty-bound, controlled.

• Hotel Costiera is set against the beautiful backdrop of the Amalfi Coast. What was it like filming in such a stunning location? Did the setting influence your performance in any way?

The Amalfi Coast is a main character, and one each of us - cast, crew, audience - interacts with and comes to know. I feel more connected, grounded, and freer when I’m shooting on location, so filming the series entirely in Italy was a treat. Mack is an American who is temporarily in Italy, having spent enough time there to be familiar but not to have any sense of belonging. I felt the same as myself, spending a few months in Italy during filming. I could relate, which tethered me to Mack.

• How does working with an Emmy Award-winning director like Adam Bernstein shape your approach to a role, especially in a series with high-action scenes and complex characters?

Working with Adam is nothing short of a dream. The respect goes both ways. He’s always available to discuss the character and offer guidance, but he trusts his actors and wants us to bring our own choices to the table. When he suggested adjustments or wanted to try something, I just went with it because I trusted his vision. He’s great at telling the story and so calm under pressure, which makes for an easy atmosphere on set.

• Mission: Impossible and Hotel Costiera are both packed with intense action sequences. How do you balance the physical demands of those roles with the emotional depth required from the characters?

I’m really active in my life - I’m a dancer, I train martial arts, and I’m an avid rock climber - so I didn’t find the physical demands anything out of the ordinary. I think it’s really important, whether the role is “physical” or not. Filming requires long hours and intensive periods, which is challenging for the mind and body. So keeping both fit and ready as a baseline I think makes sense, and means I don’t get overwhelmed when stunts are required. Then I can focus my attention on the character’s emotional life.

• With a career that spans both film and television, do you have a preference for one over the other, or do you enjoy the variety that each medium brings to your acting?

I enjoy the variety. I love film because it’s generally a closed unit. You know the arc of the story and the character. There’s typically more time to spend on digging into things. You’re working with one director. TV is much faster. It requires efficiently and elasticity. There can be multiple directors and writers, and a lot of changes, and you move more quickly through the pages. I love that challenge too.

• The diversity of characters you’ve played—from the serious military role in Mission: Impossible to the more playful and devious April in Hotel Costiera—is impressive. What draws you to roles with such a wide range of personalities?

I’m actually terrified of being typecast. If a role offers me something that I haven’t done before, I’ll jump at it. I want to play someone far away from myself, who has had entirely different life experiences, values, behaviour, and perspective to me. That excites me.

• What has been the most challenging scene to film in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning? How did you prepare for that particular moment?

My answer might be surprising, considering this is Mission Impossible! What I found most challenging was projecting my voice in the scene where I give Ethan the key. There was a military helicopter with its blades spinning, and they had set up an enormous fan in front of me to intensify the wind. I was shouting as loudly as I could, but the sound would get swallowed up. Also, I had really lowered the register of my voice, much lower than my speaking voice, which hindered my projection even more. My voice was raw by the time we wrapped.

• Hotel Costiera has an exciting cast with Jesse Williams and Jordan Alexandra. What was it like collaborating with such a talented group of actors, and did any on-set moments stand out to you?

I adore this cast. We’re such great friends. I have so much respect for all of them. When you’re working with good actors, the work becomes easy. You can trust each other in the scene, and bounce off one another. There were so many on-set moments. Danny and Mack’s motorcycle fight scene was really fun to do. Jesse and I did our own stunt fighting. The emotional scenes between us also stuck with me, because there’s a lot of vulnerability and history there, and it’s a rare thing to see for either character. And then there was the dance scene at the bar. That was just chaotic - Adam just let me loose and the whole set was laughing when the take ended.

• Looking beyond these two major projects, what’s next for you in terms of your career? Are there any particular genres or types of characters you’re interested in exploring next?

Right now I’m shooting a feature film and working on another video game. I’m also back on Strictly Come Dancing. I love moving between art forms and mediums because it keeps me creatively fresh. Whatever roles I have coming up next I hope I have to be a chameleon. A character based drama, or dark comedy, or something quirky like Wes Anderson. My dad loves romcoms, so I think he’s hoping for that!