TRANSLATION | Eugenia Yang
優美的手臂線條，伴隨音樂遊走自如，行雲流水的舒朗節奏，險些讓人忘記連俞涵的演員本質，「暫時放下自己，把角色放到最核心，長出來的肌肉、眼神、神情就會比較偏向角色。」卸下光環的她，私下擁有眾多興趣，尤其對捏陶情有獨鍾，靜心內觀自我，更笑答肌肉或許是這樣來的，纖細身軀裡，蘊含著與世無爭的清馨氣息。
戲如人生
氣，為演員不可或缺的靈魂要素，與角色融為一體的淋漓暢快，讓許多人為之耽溺，為曾未經歷的人生片段，注入一股鮮活演繹。談起近期的深刻感動，連俞涵表示《流麻溝十五號》是一個非常難得的劇組，即使主演與臨演人數眾多，拍攝現場依舊擁有極大凝聚力，「每個人都在創造這個氛圍，在那樣的共同創作裡大家都很認真，你會覺得進入到表演，就是一個充滿創造力的地方。」停留綠島近半個月，她說其實很多時候是在等待，待機過程中，也意外讓她望見了映於眼前的自然風光，「無論人類在這裡發生了多少故事或是歷經了多少，大自然就這樣日復一日地沖刷著這個海的礁岩，每一天拍到天快沒有光，魔幻時刻就出現了，我從來不知道原來綠島這麼美。」當海闊天空的景致，遇上了美術組的夜以繼日，荒蕪空地搖身化作 1950 年代的歷史場景，一場從無到有的浪漫，構築了進入角色的最佳儀式感。
自《一把青》朱青、《茶金》張薏心至《流麻溝十五號》的陳萍，皆見證了歷史時代下的傷痕軌跡。問及自身與角色的相似之處，連俞涵笑說這些角色都比她巨大許多，「我覺得角色沒有從我身上獲得什麼，而是我從角色身上拿了很多。」如擁有沈著氣息的陳萍，縱使面臨顛沛流離，依舊清楚如何存活；本是千金的張薏心，當掌握了人生主控權，以絕對負責的態度將壓力化作實現志業的動力，其商業思維讓她十分欽佩；最後談起朱青，連俞涵隨即說出「絕對不要對愛太執著！」笑說在戲裡已深刻體驗過一回，現實生活中追求恬淡即可。
順應自然
自幼於蓊鬱山林成長，造就了連俞涵一切順應自然的豁達性格，「我在大自然裡學到的就是千變萬化。」野火燒不盡，春風吹又生，枯萎與繁盛僅不過是四季裡的日常景象，而身為寰宇一小份子的人們，又該對這世間有何求？「有追求、有想法很好，但不用過度強求，是你的就是你的，不是你的就讓它去吧。」不刻意為之，方是最自然甜美的果實。倘若多元宇宙真實存在，她則希望其他宇宙的連俞涵全部都在種樹，「大自然真的是很需要被種回來，我希望她可以超脫演員的身分，盡力去做對地球有意義的事，如果她也像我一樣沒有那麼聰明，至少可以腳踏實地的種樹。」而對於有限生命的自我探索，連俞涵也給出了不一般的恬淡答覆，「如果你的智慧真的跟不上活著的時間，那就不要去破壞這個世界的任何生命或是大自然，好好的過完你這一生，平平淡淡的就好，我覺得當一個 Nobody 自由自在的，是一件非常好的事。 」話語至此，眼裡的純淨不染表露無遺。
古董寓意
為了飾演《茶金》女主一角，連俞涵特地尋找了年代相符的古董錶，並依照時間推移換上不同款式，是她入戲前為自我締造的細膩巧思。平日對於首飾的挑選，她表示特別鍾愛細小的設計，「因為我比較迷你 Size，喜歡頸鍊、線戒或是小小的耳環。」連俞涵也特別喜愛逛古物與古著店，手工訂製服與古董腕錶的精緻工藝總深深吸引著她，「有些手錶我會買到庫存新品，五十年後才與它相遇的緣分，也是一種浪漫。」談起近期收藏的古董單品，她笑說是從古物市集裡挖寶的清朝茶杯，小小一口的造型使啜茶變成一種慢享受，因戲深入接觸茶農與製茶師，著實讓她明白手中的茶是歷經多少汗水揮灑而來，「要花這麼多製作流程才有這一杯茶，為什麼連喝一杯茶的時間都沒有呢。」除了捏陶、金工、裁縫、編織等手作嗜好，她也進一步習得「揉茶」技能，沈浸於茶葉與山林氣息，此時此刻的心無旁騖，恰是抽離角色、回歸自我的必經洗滌過程。
隨筆日常
演戲之餘，連俞涵也擁有作家身份，每週三的「山羌閱覽室 podcast」便是她分享書單的愜意時光。談起出書的契機，她笑說從小就很喜歡亂寫東西，當時聽取國小老師給予的建議，養成了定期寫札記的習慣，爾後被出版社找上門，意外開啟了連作家的創作之路。「其實每個人都是可以寫書的，你的工作經歷與人生經歷跟別人不一樣，只要會寫字就把它寫出來，大家不會一定要追求很漂亮的文字，重點是你想要說的故事。」對於人生必讀的三本書籍，連俞涵也給出了既溫柔又堅定的答案：《種樹的男人》訴說著一個人的力量，無需追求他人認可，存在本身就是意義，用獨一無二的人生去做你認為重要的事，可能大家會覺得很傻，但這本書是我的內在原動力；《過於喧囂的孤獨》是一個在廢紙回收站工作的老人收藏精裝書的故事，影射著世界擁有各式誘惑與刺激，但你始終是孤獨的，也沒有人能懂你，在這麼多歡樂背後，也許就是這些被落下的書籍是最好知己，它就是一封給文字跟書的情書；《森林裡的陌生人》講述著一個男人某天倏然歸隱山林的生活，有時候我們無法理解別人怎麼會突然做了一個巨大的改變跟選擇，我覺得這本書很有趣，給予了一個全新的思考方向。興高采烈分享著閱讀心得的她，臉上的笑顏滿是幸福。
As the free-spirited music plays in the background, her beautifully toned arms dance along with the flowing rhythm, almost making us forget that she is an actress. “By putting yourself aside and focusing completely on the role, everything—from the muscles you grow, the look in your eyes, to your posture—becomes more believable.” Stepping out of her roles, Cindy Lien has many interests in her private life, with a special love towards pottery. She laughs and says perhaps that is where she got her muscles from. As Lien reflects upon her inner self, her demeanor radiates with an aura that is refreshingly peaceful and unmistakably content.
Life is but a Drama
The essence of acting lies within the ability to integrate with your character seamlessly. It is something that actors and actresses indulge in, as it imbues fragments of life with a vitality that they’ve never experienced. To Lien, the crew of Untold Herstory is one of a kind. Despite having a large number of actors and extras, the set still radiates with a great cohesive ambience. “Every single person attributed to this special atmosphere. It was an environment in which everyone is working together as a whole. The moment you start performing, it feels like you’ve entered a place of creativity.” Having spent half a month on Green Island, Lien says she spent most of her time waiting. As she waited for her scenes to start shooting, she stumbled upon the beautiful, natural scenery of the island. “Regardless of the stories humans created or the things they experienced here, the waves will always be crashing against the reefs. Every day, we shot our movie until there was almost no natural light, that’s when the magical hour appeared. I never realized Green Island was so beautiful.” When the scenic views of nature met the diligent effort of the production design team, the deserted land transformed into a historical scene of the 1950s, a romantic journey that somehow echoes the ritual of getting into character.
From A Touch of Green’s Ching Chu, Gold Leaf’s Yi-Xin Zhang, to Untold Herstory’s Ping Chen, these characters witnessed the traces of wounds in history. When asked of the similarities she shares with her roles, Lien smiles and says her characters are much bigger than her. “I don’t think they gained something from me, it’s the other way around.” Calm and mature, Ping Chen understands the rules of survival even in the face of turmoil, while Yi-Xin Zhang takes charge of her life and turns pressure into motivation, her business mind is something Lien admires greatly. Lastly, speaking of Ching Chu, her immediate response is never to be overly obsessed with love. Chuckling, Lien explains that she had already experienced the fixation while portraying the character. In reality, it’s better to pursue a more understated, natural kind of love.
Following the Steps of Nature
Having grown up amid mountains and forests, Lien’s upbringing is the key to her open-minded personality. “One thing I’ve learned from nature is its versatility.” Wildfires never end, spring breeze will always blow again, decay and flourish are just norms of the seasons. As a minute part of this world, what expectations should we have for this universe? “It’s always good to have desires and ideas, but don’t be too stubborn. What’s yours is yours, learn to let go of what’s not.” The sweetest fruits are often the ones that arrive with no force. If the multiverse does exist, Lien wishes all the other versions of her are planting trees. “Nature really needs to be restored. So I hope she can go beyond the role of being an actress and try her best to achieve something meaningful for the earth. If she is not too smart, like me, she can at least plant trees.” With the same open-hearted attitude, Lien offers her view towards self-exploration within a limited lifetime. “If your wisdom is having a hard time keeping up with time, then don’t disturb the lives and natural beings of this world. Just live your life, plain and simple. I think being a nobody is actually a good thing,” she says, as her eyes beam with an unwavering purity and sincerity.
Learning from Antiques
To prepare for her role in Gold Leaf, Lien specially searched for antique watches of the era and wore them according to the corresponding time period—it was her own way of getting into character. For her daily accessories, she tends to go for designs that are smaller in size. “I have a rather petite body so I usually select chokers, wire rings and tiny earrings.” Fascinated by the exquisite craft of customized clothing and antique watches, Lien also likes to visit vintage stores. “Sometimes I buy watches that are new in stock, but I find the idea of meeting them fifty years later really romantic.” Speaking of her favorite piece from recent collections, she smiles and says it is a tea cup from the Qing Dynasty she found at an antique market. Its tiny cup design turns tea tasting into a slow-placed enjoyment. Thanks to her work, she got the chance to meet tea farmers and tea specialists and understand the hard work behind making a nice cup of tea. “It takes so much time to make a cup of tea, why don’t we have the time to finish it?” Besides handicrafts like pottery, metalworking, tailoring and knitting, Lien also learned how to knead tea. As she is immersed in the aroma of tea leaves and the mountains, her mind is cleared completely, the perfect cleansing process necessary to withdraw from her roles and return to her authentic self.
Casual Daily Writings
Besides acting, Lien is also a published author. Updated every Wednesday, Muntjac Reading Room Podcast is the time for her to share her book list. Always writing when she was a kid, she followed her elementary school teacher’s advice and kept a journal ever since. Later on, she was approached by publishing companies, which accidentally opened the doors to her creative writing journey. “Everyone is capable of writing a book. Your work experience and life journey are one of a kind. As long as you know how to write, write it all down. No one is looking for beautiful words or flowery diction. The focus will be on the story you want to tell.” From all the books she’s read, Lien offers three recommendations that she renders as must-reads. First, The Man Who Planted Trees talks about the power of one’s own strength. There is no need for us to pursue validation from others, instead, existence itself is what matters. Do what you think is important because your life is unique—perhaps many will find this too naive, but Lien sees it as her motivation. Her second recommendation is Too Loud a Solitude, it is about an old man who works as a compactor of wastepaper and books. While the world is filled with all kinds of temptation and excitement, in some ways, you are always alone and no one truly understands you but yourself. A love letter to the literary, the short novel showcases how the abandoned books are the old man’s best confidant. And lastly, The Stranger in the Woods, a true story about a man who suddenly decides to live in solitude in the woods. While Lien sometimes doesn’t understand why people did what they did, she finds this autobiography to be interesting because it offers a brand new mindset. The smile on her face comes to full bloom as she shares her favorite books with great enthusiasm.
