"There are no damsels in distress in X-Men 3," says Eurasian beauty Mei Melançon, who plays Psylocke in the third installation of the comic-book-based film series. The 26-year-old model-turned-actress portrays the bad girl who, as the story goes, started as a member of the X-Men before switching bodies with a female assassin to become an evil mutant hybrid. The 5'8 Melançon is something of a hybrid herself, the product of a Japanese/Chinese father and a French/Native American mother.

Melançon shares more than a mixed background with her on-screen character. Psylocke's superpowers include shadow-shifting and psychic strength, Melançon has her own intuitive ability. When she was 16, her brother's friend showed her a comic book featuring none other than the exotic villainess Psylocke. The teenage Melançon mused, "Maybe when I grow up I'll look like this. I could play this girl!"

Fast-forward a decade, and she's ready for action in motorcycle pants, boots, armbands, and a leather corset sci-fi look she describes as "really hot and rad."

"When I put the outfit on, it empowered me. I felt a lot fiercer," says Melançon. The Philippines-born actress, who previously had a bit part in Rush Hour 2, shouldn't need much help doing that. In her free time she practices Wushu kung fu, hits the waves on her surfboard, and plays guitar in an all-girl garage band with a friend and a younger sister (one of her 10 siblings). She describes the unnamed band's sound as a mix of punk and soul influences, crediting her hippie mother for teaching her to play guitar at age 5. "I was in a kids'band called The Blossoms when I was 9. We used to perform at charities and clubs," says Melançon.

Beyond The Blossoms, Melançon's childhood consisted of moving across the globe; Japan, Texas, California, Hawaii, and Hong Kong. From the final destination, she fostered an interest in the classic films of Bruce Lee, Jet Li, and Jackie Chan, whose son she was friendly with. The spirited actress is most inspired by the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as an example of powerful female role models in action. "Men want the feisty girl they can try to tame," she says. Note: That's try to tame, fellas.

Shana Ting Lipton
Photos: Fredric Reshew
Apr/May 06