Bai Ling is misunderstood. Or so I've been told. I'm on the buzz with the China-born extra and abiding Fug ambition because I characterized her as "bat guano crazy" and her arranger saw it. Mea Culpa. In any case, I've been asked to allocution to Bai myself, to accept that she's added than a tabloid-friendly photo op.

Here's what I learned: Ling is one of the workingest actors in Hollywood with nine projects in assorted stages of assembly (her latest, "Crank: High Voltage" opens this weekend). She's additionally an columnist (she says her book, "Nipples," will acceptable broadcast after this year), a accompanist ("I'm a cantankerous amid Fergie and Bjork"), a blogger (check out her free-form beck of Blackberry posts here), an award-winning extra (she won three awards for her role in the Hong-Kong-made blur "Dumplings").

If she's a bit eccentric, what's the harm?

At 42 (although Ling claims she's 26 in her mind), she's hardly an ingenue. She's fabricated a abiding Hollywood career out of the unlikeliest of beginnings.

Born into pre-capitalism affable China, Ling abutting the People's Liberation Army back she was 14. She spent three years in a achievement troop afore abiding to Beijing in the bosom of the pro-democracy about-face of the backward '80s.

"I appear from the best archaic abode in the apple and I've appear this far," said Ling. "I had a dream and I accept that if you aboveboard accompany your dream and accord aggregate to it you will acquisition it."

She emigrated to the U.S. in the aboriginal '90s and aboriginal landed on the big awning in 1994's "The Crow." She's formed steadily anytime back with roles in aggregate from "Anna and the King" to "Entourage" to a memorable about-face in "Lost's" third season.

Despite her success, Ling is acquisitive to booty on roles that don't casting her alone as the cool Asian woman. She'd like to assignment with Steven Soderbergh ("Michael Clayton" "Traffic") or "Slumdog Millionaire" administrator Danny Boyle and she credibility to that award-winning achievement as a adverse baker in "Dumplings" as affidavit of her range.