Michelle Ferre

French-Japanese woman Michelle Laure Miho Ferre (stands 5'4", michelle@fukuhara.cc) stars in the 1998 Jackie Chan movie Who Am I?

According to IMDB.com: "Michelle never considered acting, but on the set of "Who am I?" when she tried to interview Jackie Chan, he was struck by her, and asked her to audition for the film--which she did, and landed a co-starring role in the film."

It's her only movie. Her background is journalism. She's worked in TV in Japan for gameshows and for CNN.

Born June 13, 1973, she speaks Japanese, English and some French. Her favorite sports are short ski, snorkeling, fishing and tennis. Her hobbies include Japanese ink painting, walking, watching movies and plotting scripts.

Michelle's Yahoo group.

I got these questions to her through her brother.

* 1 When she was a girl, what did she want to be when she grew up?

A1) ... When I was a girl, I had interest in becoming just about anything. The very first "dream" I had, was in becoming a fashion designer. I loved to imagine and draw variety of clothes. But eventually, I came to realize I had a problem. I wasn't good at drawing!

* 2 What was she expected to become?

A2) ... I wasn't expected to become "something" in particular, I suppose. I always had freedom of decision, in whatever I wanted to do.

* 3 What led her into journalism?

A3) ... I did deliver news in the program "CNN Headline" in Japan, but I wouldn't consider myself a hardcore journalist. It all came as a natural flow of coincidence. I majored in International Relations and Political Science at my University. Upon graduating, I had to decide which career I was to proceed in. Interest in mass media along with the educational background, and my ability to speak both English and Japanese lead me naturally to settle in the field of journalism.

*4 What are her wishes for her life?

A4) ... Having experienced acting in a movie, and having experienced the joy of acting, I very much "wish" to succeed as an actress in the movie scene.

* 5 Could she describe any highlights and lowlights from her life?

A5) ... I think the highlights of my life are yet to come, talking from an optimistic viewpoint. But if to give something offhand, it would probably be the opportunity of having played the role in "Who am I." Lowlights, on the other hand are undesirable events along life. Many events are simply undesirable, but most are necessary to make one grow up for what is to come. I tend to find reasoning in any mishaps. This way I can take it, chew it, and digest it, so I can get over with it. Otherwise, too much pessimism just lays you down on the track of negative events. Sorry that I don't have an example of a lowlight event, but experience tells me: "NO FUN" is rather "JUST A WASTE OF TIME", so I'll just keep it to myself.

* 6 What parts of her life give her the most meaning?

A6) ... Family, no matter what. My family has always been on my side, both in good times and bad times. Mutual love and trust within my family has helped a lot in shaping my character. Therefore, I will be what I am, and want to be with people who like me for what I am.

* Where have you lived?

I was born in Kobe, a port city in Japan which probably resembles Seattle in much ways. I have lived in France for a couple of years during my baby years, before enrolling into an international school here at Kobe. Since then, the long term stay in France settled to Summer vacation visits to Grandparents' place in the Northwestern part of France, "Bretagne" or also known as "Brittany". My University was in Tokyo, and I lived there throughout my schooling, work (mass media), and working with Jackie. Ever since, I mostly reside in Kobe with a lot of moving around, which makes it hard to say where I am, most of the time.

Q: So which are your favorite books? Or books that have most influenced you?

A: Naming all the books I like will be too much, so let me pick up a few that have influenced me. The books are: Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" and "The Bridge Over San Luis Rey", and J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Ring". All three books have changed my outlook on life in a similar way. Whether it was the author's intention or not, I adopted a feeling that I should live each day to its fullest, and that I should be true to myself as well as to others.

Q: What makes you happiest?

A: This is a hard one! I'm happy when I'm eating good food, taking warm bath, snuggling in newly spread bed sheet, listening to the sound of waves, watching clear blue sky, snowboarding in fluffy powder snow...there's just so many little "happy" aspects in my life that nailing one down is simply too difficult. But, if I were to choose one, it would be when I'm hugged or hugging someone. It puts a big smile on my face.

It's funny how these questions give me chance to think about things I take for granted!

2/13/06

Q: How did that Jackie Chan movie affect your life?

A: The Jackie Chan movie affected my life in many ways. It opened a new door leading to a profession as an actress. My lifestyle also changed from day to day routine to something more "unexpected". It's like having either a long break or a long working period. But most of all, I enjoy the new encounters I make through this profession.

Q: What type of men are you attracted to?

A: I'm attracted to men with cute and adorable smiles. I'm not picky about looks. It's important that I can feel relaxed and at ease when sharing time and space with someone.

Q: Who are your heroes?

A: My one and only hero would be my Brother. I'd define "hero" as someone you would respect, admire, and trust. There are people whom I respect and admire, but trust is a hard aspect because it is something you gain not for granted.

Q: Favorite novels/songs/poems?

A: My favorite novels are:

"The Neverending Story"---Michael Ende
"Flowers for Algernon"---Daniel Keyes
"Peter Pan"---J. M. Barrie

The songs I like are:

"Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro)" ---Andrea Bocelli
"La Vie En Rose" ---Louis Armstrong
"The Logical Song"---Supertramp

The poem I like is:

"The Road Not Taken"---Robert Frost

My favorite phrase/ proverbs/ etc.:

"If you kept the small rules, you could break the big ones" ---1984, George Orwell

"Nothing ever built arose to touch the skies unless some man dreamed that it should, some man believed that it could, and some man willed that it must." ---Charles F. Kettering

I'm working on writing scripts. Elaborating ideas within imaginative scopes are fun, but putting them down in words...writing is simply a challenging job!