Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: After I think about, like two years into my depression, I decided to go public with my depression, which is like a big no no in Asia, you know, because it's such like a taboo, scary, some may perceive very dark and negative topic.
But I decided to come out with it because I just like, needed something to come out of this depression. And at first even, like, I was a little worried about going public because I didn't want my family to be like, oh, that's the. You know, his niece is depressed or his daughter is depressed. Like, I didn't want that to become the family legacy. But it turned out to be a really positive thing. And, you know, I started showing the fan letters and the DMs to my dad, like, look, look what's happening. Look what's happening. And he, he started to understand the power that came with going public with something like this.
[00:00:53] Speaker B: I'm Luke Steinfeld.
[00:00:54] Speaker C: And I'm Wyatt Sarkisian.
[00:00:56] Speaker B: We made the 5050 podcast to support you on your filmmaking journey.
[00:00:59] Speaker C: 50% business, 50 creative.
[00:01:02] Speaker B: Every Tuesday, a new how to.
[00:01:03] Speaker C: And this week we chat with Leslie Chang, an actor and singer who may be new to the States, but not new to the grit and determination necessary to succeed in the biz.
Oh, and there's a pretty rad Jackie Chan story at the very end. Stay tuned. Enjoy.
[00:01:23] Speaker B: The.
The through line is like time away from phone and like, ideally being outside.
[00:01:30] Speaker A: Get some vitamin D. Yeah, the phone.
[00:01:33] Speaker C: Is really just like a third arm at this point. Yeah, it's really. And it's like, it's like a mental. Like you.
Mackenzie actually calls me out for this. Like, like whenever. If a commercial happens on the tv, I'll go right to my phone.
[00:01:50] Speaker A: I know. I'm so addicted, it's crazy.
[00:01:53] Speaker C: Are you, are you that addicted, Leslie? Or like. Because I know it's like part of your job too to.
[00:01:58] Speaker A: It's part of my job and I just, it's. I'm just full on addicted to the point where my cousin a few years ago, and I feel like it's only gotten worse, but a few years ago, he challenged me to take a phone break to three days. Right. Like, obviously, like, I can like work and stuff, but like, you know, no social media, like no sms, like, none of that stuff. And I couldn't do it. Literally within the first hour, I felt my hands kind of like shaking a little bit. It literally felt like a drug addiction.
[00:02:30] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:02:30] Speaker A: And I would be on like the bus and I'd be like, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Yeah, it was, it was, it's a full on addiction. It's terrible. I gave into it.
[00:02:40] Speaker B: I, I, I forget where I heard this, but it was simply just like this dude talking about how he's deleted all social media because there's no point of even trying to like control yourself with it because these tech billionaires, these massive tech companies have so much money and so many resources to be like, funding these like, scientists basically who understand addiction and like, know human weakness and like, know how to like, make us really care about our phones and our feeds and everything. And like literally their one job is to make sure we are on Instagram for more than X amount of hours. Like non stop, just like to keep scrolling.
It's interesting, but it's, it's crazy because it, it shows you everything you want to see, you know?
[00:03:29] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:03:29] Speaker A: Like I, I've grown to love ads. Like Instagram ads. They're so, for me, they really are. Every time I'm like, oh, they know exactly what I want.
[00:03:40] Speaker C: That's the thing. Like, it's better than like watching a commercial of like, oh, I don't care about, like I'm, I'm never gonna see a Buffalo Wild Wings commercial and go there. I'm so sorry. And I just ruined our future, you know, potential sponsorship, which we've been chasing them down. I will go.
Yeah, okay. Yeah, 50, 50, 50, 50 x Buffalo wild wings.
Yeah. It's a really, it kind of is a little freeing in a way to know that like, oh, it's not my fault that I'm addicted, you know, like, it's like, oh, it's just these like billionaires, they control me. So it's not, I'm just, you know.
[00:04:19] Speaker B: I'm just a pawn.
[00:04:20] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. It's rough.
[00:04:22] Speaker B: My eyes hurt so bad though.
[00:04:25] Speaker A: You know, Thumbs start to hurt too, because you're scrolling.
[00:04:28] Speaker B: That's, I haven't gotten there yet. Your thumbs really? Are your thumbs sore and stuff?
[00:04:32] Speaker A: Yeah, to the point where sometimes I need to use that massage gun, like just like on my palm. And that's when I need, that's when I know it's like it's been real. Like I need to stop.
[00:04:41] Speaker C: Oh my God.
[00:04:41] Speaker A: And then I'll grab a book and I'll read. Like, thank God I'm a reader, so I have that.
[00:04:45] Speaker B: You do?
[00:04:45] Speaker C: Yeah. You do read. I know that.
[00:04:47] Speaker B: Are you like, are you like 10 before you jump into reading? Because I love reading too. But are you, are you like 10 plus hours on the phone every day, you know?
[00:04:54] Speaker A: No, no, but. Oh, I'm like, pretty embarrassed to admit. I think it's like six, seven hours.
[00:05:00] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:05:01] Speaker A: Yeah, I think that's pretty bad.
[00:05:03] Speaker C: Yeah. Does it calculate phone conversation, like conversations along with it? Because I'm, you know, I'm on the phone a couple hours a day probably.
[00:05:10] Speaker A: Oh, no, I usually check. Yeah.
[00:05:12] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm not sure.
[00:05:15] Speaker C: Interesting.
[00:05:15] Speaker B: I think it's more. I think it's more like usage with like, screen time, like looking at your phone. I don't know though. What books do you like to read, Leslie?
[00:05:24] Speaker A: I like to read all sorts of books. So I like to jump from genre to genre. So it'll be like fiction and then non fiction and then sci fi and then horror and then something super silly and funny. So it'd be like everything just for.
[00:05:38] Speaker B: Like, passion or just for fun, like entertainment or.
[00:05:41] Speaker A: So I'm like a late bloomer. I. Other than the Harry Potter books, I like, grew up just really not liking reading. I don't know if it was like just my attention span or just I like doing active stuff. Right.
And it wasn't until, like probably like mid-30s, when one of my best friends was just like talking about this book so passionately and I was like, you know what? I haven't even tried reading for many years. Like, why don't I try this book? And that book called Tattooist of Auschwitz. It's. Oh, my God. Like, that book, it was just like such a page turner. It was just so beautiful and so sad and. And that jet started me to, you know, read a book, like at least maybe like once a month, I think. Finish a book once a month or so.
[00:06:26] Speaker C: Yeah, it's. It's become like part of your routine now, right?
[00:06:29] Speaker A: Yeah. I wake up in the morning.
Yeah. And I make my hot cup of coffee and then I listen to a playlist called Jazz for Reading. And then just me and my dog were like on the couch and I'm reading. It's really nice.
[00:06:42] Speaker B: That's sweet.
[00:06:43] Speaker C: Does pack readings.
[00:06:45] Speaker A: Yes, he does. Yeah, my husband.
[00:06:48] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:06:49] Speaker A: Yeah, he does read, but he's like, super busy. But he likes to read before sleep, which. Which I feel like might be even healthier.
[00:06:57] Speaker C: Yeah, well, healthier than phone, probably.
[00:07:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:07:01] Speaker A: Yeah. But I like to like loop Brooklyn 99 or like Schitt's Creek before I sleep.
[00:07:06] Speaker C: And that is. I swear to God, that is so healthy too. It has to be healthy, right?
[00:07:11] Speaker A: It relaxes me. I love it.
[00:07:13] Speaker C: It's great. It's great. It's so important. We need more. We need more comedy like that.
But before we get too much into routine and, you know, your career and everything, I wanted to, like, formally introduce you. Everybody, this is Leslie Chang, who I live next door to in our.
[00:07:31] Speaker A: Three steps away.
[00:07:31] Speaker C: Yeah, three steps away. I see you multiple times a week. And you and your husband pack. Have become good friends with me and my girlfriend, and we have dinner a lot, and our.
Our animals enjoy playing together as well.
And you have. Just. On a personal level, you have, like, welcomed me into.
Obviously, we'll get into where you're from and everything. You're from Hong Kong. But I.
I lived on the other side of town, and I moved over to the east side, and I felt immediately welcomed by you and your husband. And it's been, like, so lovely living in the same place. It's, like, exactly. It's the dream of, like, having neighbors who you know and can trust. You know, it's like, it's a real thing.
[00:08:15] Speaker A: Yeah, we. We always talk about how grateful we are to have, like, such lovely neighbors. It's, like, really nice to be so close.
Like, the other day, I like Luke. Literally, like, I just bought this, like, pumpkin spice coffee concentrate thingy, and I just, like, would message him like, hey, are you working from home? You want some pumpkin spice latte? And he's like, yeah. And he'll just, like, come over and we'll grab a cup of coffee. It's really nice.
[00:08:36] Speaker C: The best. Luke, are you close with your neighbors like that? Probably not.
[00:08:43] Speaker A: Do you know their names?
[00:08:45] Speaker B: My neighbors?
[00:08:46] Speaker C: Besides your roommates?
[00:08:48] Speaker B: Besides my roommates.
You know what? There are.
There's a lot of walking that happens in our neighborhood, and so you kind of start seeing familiar faces around.
And so I'm not sure exactly where they live. I know they're, like, on our street, but a lot of familiar faces, for sure.
[00:09:08] Speaker C: So, Leslie, I want to start because you obviously come from a whole. Every time you, you know, give Mackenzie and I stories about, you know, your. Your past acting gigs or, you know, just the culture in Hong Kong and every game show, guest spot, series, regular role you've done, it's. It's just such a unique world. And I. And obviously you're now in the States pursuing acting in America, and I'm curious, like, what.
What is the. The download of, like, the Hong Kong acting scene and entertainment scene for. For someone. Because most of our listeners probably are not super familiar with the market over there. And I'm curious, is it, like, a smaller version of what it is here? Is it different in some ways? Like, what are. What are some of those stark differences.
[00:10:03] Speaker A: I think it's just, it's completely different to the point where I. So far I've only been in one American series, which is Expats on Amazon Prime.
And by then I had already been acting for like 15, 16 years in Hong Kong. And I felt like a newbie on set because everything from the language and the words they use to the culture, to even the mannerisms and, and manners on set are. It's just totally different.
So with Hong Kong, first of all, we don't really do auditions.
So moving to la, I'm just like, oh no, I need to do this whole audition thing.
[00:10:41] Speaker C: Self tape grind. It's definitely real.
[00:10:44] Speaker A: Is kind of like old school Hollywood where you sign to an agency or most likely a production company.
So in Hong Kong, let's say for me it would be like tvb, which is one of like the channels. So let's say it would be like ABC or you know, Universal or whatever. And through the production company you get picked to usually, you know, starting off with like being an extra or like a small role and then you slowly build your career up that way.
[00:11:09] Speaker C: It's a. Yeah, it's like a set pipeline.
[00:11:12] Speaker A: Old school.
[00:11:12] Speaker C: You're contracted to one channel, basically.
[00:11:15] Speaker A: Yes, yes. To the point where even if I go out to events, I wasn't really allowed to take other channels. Interviews, because I was on team this side. Right, right.
[00:11:29] Speaker C: That has its own press outlets as well.
[00:11:32] Speaker A: Yes, yes, but with press, I'm also. I'm allowed to do press, but if it's like press for a different channel. Right. I wouldn't be able to give them an interview. Right, yeah. So it's like. It totally reminds me of the 50s in America.
[00:11:45] Speaker C: Yeah, totally. Like contracted studio players and stuff like that.
[00:11:49] Speaker A: Yes, yes, for sure.
[00:11:50] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:11:51] Speaker B: Did you have to choose acting at a young age and kind of stick with that or was it kind of something that you found?
I mean, you said you've been doing it for 15, 16 years already.
[00:12:02] Speaker A: So I am third generation entertainer in my family. So my grandparents were both actors in China and Hong Kong.
And then my dad and all my uncles and aunts and cousins are all actors or directors and producers in Hong Kong and China and.
And so growing up in this world, I think it was just natural for me to always want it because everybody from my family to even the family friends, you know, would. Would be in the industry. So Since I was 3, I would tell my parents like, I'm gonna be an actress, I'm gonna be a singer. And so that's literally been my focus and my biggest passion since I was three. And it's never changed, which is like, good and bad because like, bad as in, like, I don't have any other skills.
[00:12:55] Speaker C: Right, right.
[00:12:56] Speaker A: But like, I'm good at what I do.
[00:12:59] Speaker C: Yeah, that. That's so interesting. Did it, did it come naturally or was it like a thing where you had to consciously, like, learn how to act or was it just so a part of you?
[00:13:10] Speaker A: It's so a part of me. I think from the day I was born, it was already like, give me attention. Like, I love this, you know, main character energy, but also I think so, like, the norm of my childhood would be, let's say, like watching a movie and not just enjoying the movie itself, but also like listening to my dad's comments of like, really appreciating this actor's acting or oh, this lighting is really tough to set up, or oh, this stunt is difficult. And so growing up I had this like, extra appreciation and fascination with movie making and music making and all that.
So I think I've had definitely had the luxury of kind of, you know, being like having access to behind the scenes, you know, of the entertainment industry.
[00:13:57] Speaker B: Do you remember the first time being on set? I mean, I'm sure you were there with your dad.
[00:14:02] Speaker A: I don't remember because I was a baby.
[00:14:04] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:14:05] Speaker A: But, but all my childhood memories have been on set.
[00:14:09] Speaker C: Wow, so you just had that like secondhand, like it was like another home for you? In a way.
[00:14:16] Speaker A: Yes. And I think it wasn't until my late twenties did I realize that that's like a weird upbringing, which is really late to realize. Right. Like, I've always, like, I promise I've always had gratitude and appreciation for, you know, growing up, you know, in this world. But I specifically remember being on set in my first, one of my first, like, big roles in this drama series in Hong Kong. And I was talking to fellow actors and they were like, who did you grow up with? Did you grow up with Jackie Chan? You know, did your dad know Bruce Lee and like all this stuff? Right. And I'd be like, yeah, yeah, yeah. And. And then I slowly realized, wait, you guys didn't grow up with anybody famous?
Like, not even one? You didn't know one actor or like one singer?
[00:15:02] Speaker C: No.
[00:15:03] Speaker A: Why?
And I'm like, whoa, why AM I like 27 and only realizing that it was really weird to grow up just being like, hey, what's up, Uncle Jackie?
[00:15:13] Speaker C: Uh huh.
[00:15:14] Speaker A: It's weird. And like, I don't know, like, it was a pretty late lesson for me to learn.
[00:15:21] Speaker C: Yeah, well, that's, I mean, you know what, you know, like, it's, it's a very interesting phenomenon that you kind of went through. Did you.
Is your dad still for you, kind of like a guiding light as far as like what kind of actor you want to be? And are you still learning from him day to day?
[00:15:43] Speaker A: Yeah, 100% because simply because I see how much love and passion he has for acting, which is crazy because he started as a child star when he was three and he's 80 now.
[00:15:54] Speaker C: Crazy.
[00:15:54] Speaker A: So he's had a 77 year successful.
[00:15:58] Speaker C: Career and he's still working, right? He's still acting.
[00:16:01] Speaker A: He's still working because he loves it.
I've literally never heard him complain.
And even now at 80, every time he gets a new project or a new script, the way he talks about it, I'm like, damn, you really love what you do.
That, that is incredible. And I see that in myself too.
And, and I just, I love that. So. And I aspire to be like that because I never want to retire and, and I hope to be 80 and to be just as active and successful as my dad because it's really cool.
[00:16:29] Speaker B: To see how, how was the Hong Kong scene like when you were there working? And I guess just kind of, that will allow us to kind of lead into the choice of moving out here and stuff.
[00:16:43] Speaker A: Right?
So the Hong Kong scene, it was very different for me because I was born in Hong Kong, but I moved to Vancouver when I was like five.
So I was like, I'm very Canadian at heart. And so moving to Asia was a big step for me.
But I mean, Hong Kong welcomed me with open arms. And when my brother and I debuted as the brother sister duo, we were called Benji and Leslie. We were, we did that for a few years. We were indie musicians and we didn't tell anybody who our dad was or who our family was because we wanted to experience what it was like to be a new artist and, and to really truly see if people like our music and our art.
So for the beginning of my career, I would say for Hong Kong, it was really, really tough because we just don't have money like you guys do, you know, in America. Right? You know, a job could be like a hundred bucks, you know, and like lots of free jobs, especially when you're starting off and just like, not a lot of acknowledgement, but thank God, like our, you know, our songs did get up on the charts and we did end up winning an award at the end of that year, and it was okay. But yeah, it was a. A rough start simply because we were indie musicians and we didn't know what to do.
Like, we had to be our own manager, our own promoter. You know, like, we, my brother and I would go to radio stations with these CDs that we burned. Oh my God, how long ago it was, right?
And we would go with these, like, cardboard boxes and like bow to DJs and be like, oh, hi, nice to meet you. We are Benji and Leslie. This is our music. We're a brother, sister duo. And some people would be really lovely. Some people would look at our CD and see how cheaply made it was, throw it in the garbage in front of us and go, good luck next time.
[00:18:33] Speaker C: Oh, my God.
[00:18:34] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:18:35] Speaker C: You showed them.
[00:18:36] Speaker A: I showed them. Right. Because it got on the charts and it was really cool.
And it was not till we won our first.
I think it was for best band. Or was it best singer song? No, no, it was best band.
My brother and I went on stage and the cameras caught my dad in the audience clapping.
[00:18:57] Speaker C: Oh, yeah.
[00:18:58] Speaker A: And that was when people were like, why is he. Why are they filming?
[00:19:02] Speaker C: What's the connection there?
Is he just randomly like a fan of this brother, sister duo or like.
[00:19:08] Speaker A: Yeah, very passionate. Yeah, yeah. And so, so then. And then I saw my career change from being kind of like this indie, passionate brother and sister duo to. Oh, Paul's daughter.
Right. So then for the next maybe 10 years, it was me really trying hard to make it into the acting scene and make it into the music scene. And it was still just like, Paul's daughter. Paul's daughter. Paul's daughter.
[00:19:33] Speaker C: Right.
[00:19:34] Speaker B: Did. Did you find. I'm sure this is the same question, Wyatt, did you find more pressure from that on you or was there more opportunity? I guess, or maybe like a double edged kind of situation?
[00:19:47] Speaker A: It's definitely a double edged situation.
I see the pressure on my brother a lot more, I think, simply because he's a male.
[00:19:56] Speaker C: Right, right, right.
[00:19:57] Speaker A: And. And the successful people in my family are the males. It's my dad, it's my uncle Derek. It's my uncle David. Right. Or my uncle John. He's got two names. And.
And so I saw it in my brother, for sure. He was very like, don't, like, make sure nobody knew who our family was and just very like, make sure you. This is only our money and we're investing in our own music and all that stuff.
I think I always had the attitude of so What? It's like, cool that he's my dad, like, whatever. Like, he doesn't sing. Like, I make great music and like, I always kind of had that type of attitude. So pressure wise? No, but I think it's more like because that's my personality.
But I think just the want in to be like, as successful as them is like, huge because you just want to make them proud.
[00:20:46] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:20:46] Speaker A: And. And also, you know, it's just so public. Right. It's like the third generation, okay. The grandparents were really successful. The parents are really successful. Like, what's gonna happen to Benji and Leslie? Right.
[00:20:57] Speaker C: It's. It's a different kind of, like, parental pressure. Not that he was the one pressuring you, but it's like this because it's so public, you know. Like, we all, you know, Luke and I come from families with parents that, you know, have high expectations for us, and we all feel that, you know, But I think the difference with you is that it was very public, you know, and there was a point where it was like, your dad is this extremely successful, you know, beloved person. So now it changes things.
[00:21:27] Speaker A: I think there was more pressure on more like how, like, my behavior and how I presented myself. Like, I always wanted to keep it close, classy. I always wanted to, you know, make sure I'm representing the family well. And of course, not mess up their beautiful, you know, what's it called? Like, their. Their legacy. Their legacy.
[00:21:45] Speaker C: Right.
[00:21:47] Speaker A: And so, like, I always made sure I was like a good girl and, like, doing good things. Being very respectful and polite with that. Yeah. But I think just with. With my art and with my career, I think I just mostly focused on having fun and doing what I know I did well. I think that's why I didn't have much pressure because, like, not to sound arrogant, but it's like I worked really hard on my craft and, you know, I can write, I can sing, I can produce, and I can act.
And so. So it's.
I'm just happy I have this confidence because I think it would be like a really. A much tougher road.
[00:22:23] Speaker C: Of course that that confidence seems like it's like kind of innate in. In who you are, you know, that. That I'm curious. So after the awards happen and it pants to your dad and does the music, you know, what. What happens with the music? What happens with that sort of band with you and your brother?
What did that look like?
[00:22:43] Speaker A: We ran out of money.
We used up all my brother's savings.
[00:22:48] Speaker C: Oh, my God.
[00:22:49] Speaker A: On, like, I think it was like, three, four songs.
[00:22:52] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:22:52] Speaker A: You know, and three, four music videos and three, four photo shoots for the thing. And, you know, with all that accumulated, we were done.
[00:22:58] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:22:59] Speaker A: And the first year, even though we got on the charts and we won the awards, I think we made under US$2,000 the whole year.
[00:23:12] Speaker C: Whoa.
[00:23:12] Speaker A: Oh, no. Was it 2,000 or 200? Wait, I'm doing my math wrong.
Oh, no, it's 200.
[00:23:17] Speaker C: Oh, my God.
[00:23:19] Speaker A: And so we were like, okay, we want to make more music. We want to make an album, but it's not happening.
[00:23:24] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:23:25] Speaker A: And so there was discussions of, should we sign with a record label now.
[00:23:28] Speaker C: Right.
[00:23:28] Speaker A: Or should we venture into act? And then eventually we got.
We got an opportunity to act in. In this TV series. And so that's how I started my acting journey. And I just continued to release solo music, and it slowly. It just naturally became Benji and Leslie to, oh, we're both solo now.
And then it's just every. You know, we never really had an official breakup, but it's just like, we just started going different directions.
[00:23:55] Speaker C: Totally. You did what you needed to do. So then were you signed with the record label or what did. How did you treat yourself as a solo art?
[00:24:02] Speaker B: Close.
[00:24:03] Speaker A: I got so close to so many times, and it was fear.
[00:24:07] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:24:07] Speaker A: And I think, like, I live my life with, like, no regrets. Right. But I think the one thing that I think about a lot every so often is, like, I almost signed with Warner Music and I just couldn't because the contract was too long, and it was just fear. I was just like, that's too many years of my life. And now I look back, I'm like, girl, you should have done it.
But. But, you know, but it's cool to be an indie musician too, because then I have full control and I might own boss.
[00:24:32] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:24:33] Speaker A: But, yeah, and then I started, like, really getting into acting as well, which was fun to do both at the same time.
[00:24:39] Speaker B: I was gonna say being an independent musician with the acting probably allows you to do both rather than if you're signed to a label, you know, there's.
[00:24:48] Speaker C: More of a commitment. And, yeah, they treat your image.
[00:24:51] Speaker A: And I get to, like. Exactly. I get to choose my own songs. I get to release whatever I want.
[00:24:56] Speaker B: Right.
[00:24:57] Speaker C: What. What sort of things did you learn from being able to choose your own music and being able to, like, be the captain of your own ship at such an early stage in your career?
[00:25:08] Speaker A: I think, once again, like, helped me gain confidence because now I know how to be a manager. I know how to be A promoter. I know how to upload my songs on all the digital platforms, and I know how to be my own stylist and hair and makeup and all that. And so, like, that is what I earned. It's like, all the tools that I learned from so many years of being an indie musician.
[00:25:33] Speaker C: Yeah, totally. So then you're starting to act more.
What does the beginning of your acting career look like? And how did you kind of gain traction on that front?
[00:25:46] Speaker A: I started doing, like, side characters. So it would be like, the main character's best friend.
Supporting roles or the main character's daughter. Right, Supporting roles. And that was really good training because my Cantonese reading isn't that good. Right. Because I'm Canadian, after all. Right. Like, English and Japanese, I'm, like, more comfortable with than. Than Chinese. But then after a few years, I decided to.
I went through a really tough and public breakup, and I stopped working basically for, like, four years.
[00:26:20] Speaker C: Whoa.
[00:26:22] Speaker A: And so, like, as I was kind of, like, starting off with my acting journey, it kind of, like, halted. And I really need to work on myself for four years.
But. But those four years were. Were great because I grew a lot, and I made a lot of really amazing heartbreak music.
[00:26:40] Speaker C: Right.
[00:26:41] Speaker A: And then after that, I decided to sign with the. The biggest television channel in Hong Kong.
And that's when I feel like my official acting journey started, because that's when I, like, really started doing, like, variety shows and game shows and hosting. And then from that, I went into actually getting characters, and I slowly built myself up to, you know, getting really good characters.
[00:27:08] Speaker B: Can you talk about those four years if you are comfortable?
[00:27:11] Speaker A: Yeah, of course.
[00:27:12] Speaker B: Of course was. I mean, you said it was great for songwriting. Were you in the studio the whole time? Were you traveling? Were you with friends? Were you completely alone?
[00:27:20] Speaker A: Like, what? So I was traveling a lot because. Because my music team was in Korea, and so And I really wanted, like. And K pop was booming then, and I was like, man, I really want to learn more with, like, how to make really catchy songs. And so I was, like, traveling a lot. But that was for production, I think. Like, writing. It was mostly just in my living room playing the keyboard. And, you know, with my little. With my little keyboard and logic pro, I was, like, slowly learning how to produce myself. And I think there was a time when I cranked out, like, six songs a day.
[00:27:58] Speaker C: Whoa.
[00:27:59] Speaker A: Like, it flew out of me.
Some of the songs, I still get, like, choked up and, like, borderline anxiety attack when I listen to it, but they're really beautiful songs.
And, yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll release them one day.
[00:28:14] Speaker C: Was that.
I mean, was that time.
It seems like it was obviously, obviously such a fruitful time creatively, but, you know, as far as your mental state goes, it was probably very tough. And did you find that you were isolating yourself from everything?
[00:28:33] Speaker A: Yes, because I had clinical, severe depression. It was just. And just with the whole, you know, with the whole breakup, like, I've lost a lot of friends because basically I was with the guy. Like, the. I met the guy the first week I moved to Hong Kong, so all my friends were his friends.
So when we broke up, it's like all his friends went his way, and I was just alone and completely not knowing what to do. So literally it was just me, my dog, and my piano.
[00:29:01] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:29:02] Speaker A: Right. And so that was really tough. I still have depression now, so it's been like 11 years, but I'm a lot better now, and I take antidepressants, which is very, very helpful. And I am proudly a very active mental health advocate.
And so, you know, after, I think about, like, two years into my depression, I decided to go public with my depression, which is like a big no, no in Asia, you know, because it's such, like, a taboo, scary, some may perceive, very dark and negative topic.
But I decided to come out with it because I just, like, needed something to come out of this depression.
And so, yeah, then. Then I just became a singer, songwriter, actress, and mental health health advocate.
[00:29:56] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:29:56] Speaker A: Then on.
[00:29:57] Speaker C: And it's now like a part of. When you go public with something like that, it's like a part of your brand, you know?
[00:30:02] Speaker A: Yeah. And at first, even, like, I was a little worried about going public because I didn't want my family to be like, oh, that's the. You know, his niece is depressed or his daughter is depressed. Like, I didn't want that to become the family legacy.
[00:30:16] Speaker C: Right.
[00:30:17] Speaker A: But it turned out to be a really positive thing. And, you know, I started showing the fan letters and the DMs to my dad, like, look, look what's happening. Look what's happening. And he. He started to understand.
[00:30:27] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:30:28] Speaker A: The power that came with going public with something like this.
And, yeah, I mean, I still. I still have my off days, but I feel like I am able to handle them a lot better. I'm like a pro at it now.
[00:30:43] Speaker C: What. What are your tips for someone going through that sort of thing? Because obviously, from my perspective, it's. It's usually some combination, you know, with, like, talk therapy, having a good support System, routine, exercise, you know, sometimes medication. Like, what. What is. What's your. What's your cocktail of things?
[00:31:07] Speaker A: So we all. We all know what you just said, right? You know, see a doctor, see friends and family, take medicine, exercise. We. We know all that. But I got two tips that I invented myself, which, like, totally helped me, and I really hope it helps other people, which is. So the first thing is you need to give your depression a name, a really stupid, silly name to humanize it. Right? So my depression is called Borat.
And so when you humanize this illness, you're able to give it a personality. Right? And so Borat's personality is. He is a pathological liar.
And so since I said it that way, every time my brain tells me, you're not good enough, you suck, you're not pretty, blah, blah, blah, blah, then I can just go straight to, all right, he's a liar.
Right. And it's also easier to talk about, like, just with friends, like, Borat's being a douche today.
And. And it just makes things a lot more casual.
[00:32:06] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:32:07] Speaker A: Things a lot easier to talk about, almost in a funny way.
[00:32:11] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:32:11] Speaker A: Right.
[00:32:11] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:32:13] Speaker A: And also. So my second tip is, so I have a diary, and sometimes I'm in the mood to write in, and sometimes I'm not. But what? Me and my husband have kind of like an open book policy where he's allowed to look at it anytime. And so every day, whether or not I write an entry in it, I write down A, a number out of 10, and D, a number out of 10, A for anxiety and D for depression.
And so if my husband opens my book and sees 0 for A and 0 for D, he knows it's a great day.
Right. But if he sees anything over A, four for my D for my depression, then he knows to maybe take a longer break at lunch just to be with me or go for a walk with me. It's like, it's a lot easier than. Because sometimes you don't want to talk about it and you feel like a burden sometimes, too. It's not like, again, you know, you don't want to talk about it. So sometimes it's just so much easier for someone to just flip open a book, see the numbers. Great. Understood, and know where you're at.
[00:33:10] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:33:10] Speaker A: And so these two things have really, really helped me.
[00:33:15] Speaker C: That is so fascinating. And I'm curious if those, you know, really tough things that you've gone through have informed your performing and have performed your outlook on acting and on. On obviously writing music. You Know, we talked about those four years, but I guess specifically with acting, if. If you're able to, you know, I don't know exactly what kind of actor you are, but if you do channel those sort of things or put that into the work.
[00:33:44] Speaker A: Yes. Well, I'm a very, very emotional person, so I'm able to bring out a lot of emotion.
[00:33:50] Speaker C: Right.
[00:33:51] Speaker A: Anytime.
But, yeah, for sure. With, like, all the trauma and all the stuff that I've been through, I'm able to cry within 30 seconds. I think they timed me once.
[00:34:03] Speaker C: Who?
[00:34:04] Speaker A: I did.
No, like, on an interview, they were like, we heard. Is this true? I'm like, do it. I'm like, time me crazy. But it's funny. But I also did promise my husband that I will never use this talent against him because it's a very dangerous skill to have.
[00:34:20] Speaker C: Yeah, it's a weapon, in a way.
[00:34:22] Speaker A: Yeah, for sure.
[00:34:23] Speaker C: Yeah.
So you do put it into your work. That's interesting.
[00:34:27] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:34:28] Speaker C: And. And what kind? Because obviously you've been acting for so long. What kind of, like, training? Do you have formal training or what is your relationship with, like, the. The tool chest of different methods of acting?
[00:34:40] Speaker A: So I did take a. An intensive, like, three months, Monday to Saturday, like nine to nine method acting class that I was okay with. I was like, you know, and then I moved to la, and then I did two months of an acting class here, and I was okay with it, too. So I'm still searching.
But for me is I have the extreme privilege of being the daughter of Paul Chen. And so whenever I get a script or even an audition, like, I love doing homework with my dad, and he loves it so much, too.
[00:35:17] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:35:18] Speaker A: And so we like to talk about it and analyze it and, like, through that, I think that's like my biggest teacher.
[00:35:24] Speaker C: Yeah, that's the work right there. That's everything.
[00:35:26] Speaker A: Sometimes he'll film himself doing it and then he'll be like, okay. And at this moment, maybe look down and then look up again, but don't blink. And I'll be like, oh, my God, that's so good.
[00:35:35] Speaker C: Such a pro.
[00:35:36] Speaker A: So much. Oh, he's amazing.
[00:35:39] Speaker C: That is amazing.
[00:35:40] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:35:40] Speaker B: How was. How was the acting class experience in Los Angeles?
[00:35:45] Speaker A: So I went to one that I feel like wasn't right for me because it was like going in, sitting down, watching other students perform, listen to them get critiqued, and then the next people perform, listen to them get critiqued, and that's it. And all you're doing is sitting there, and then you need to sign up for your turn to perform. And that might be like four weeks from now. And so for me I was like, I want to perform now. Like, I'm antsy.
So maybe it's just like that class wasn't right for me. So, you know, hopefully I'll find another one. Totally suits me. More la.
[00:36:20] Speaker B: LA is a strange place though. I mean, why you're the actor here, but like, I don't know, like any, anything with classes, with strangers in Los Angeles, there's just, there's destined to be. I mean maybe you'll find like a gem somewhere, but there's a lot of strange something in the water kind of thing.
[00:36:39] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean it's, it's hard not to feel like there are people who sort of capitalize on like the desperation of, of actors in LA and that's, that's like not a new thing.
Like LA film school is like getting sued right now for like, you know, lying about job. Like they basically, I'm gonna butcher this. But they basically like paid an outside company to hire their grads for like a day so that they can say that they have like a job. Like a X percentage of people get a job right out of graduation.
So now it's like a real lawsuit and it's happening. So that's like, that's just like a singular example of the sort of stuff that happens like the non legitimate elements of the acting industry in la. And I think this is kind of a good transition into, you know, the business side of the entertainment industry in la because you're obviously, you know, very recently a person who moved to LA and you know, you've, I would say you've adapted very well. But there, I'm sure there are things that are very tough for you.
What, what, what is, what are the most sort of tough things about kind of starting over in la?
[00:37:52] Speaker A: Dealing with your ego, having no money and no jobs and needing to pay rent and food. Right.
Like I'm living the proper like LA actress life right now. Like I'm feeling it.
Yeah. I think like for me, because I, you know, worked really hard and it took me like 13, 14 years to quote, quote, make it in Hong Kong. Right, or have like a little bit of, you know, whatever and, and to feel good about it and proud of that and then leaving that and coming to this country where nobody knows you, nobody even acknowledges or knows about your skills and talent and hard work.
And here you are on like even today. Later on I'm doing a one liner audition for a commercial for a cardiovascular like like, whatever medical thing.
And you do have moments when you're. Like, when I was in Hong Kong, like.
[00:38:53] Speaker C: Right, of course.
[00:38:54] Speaker A: Like, with both the opportunity, like the role as well as the price.
Right. It's very, very different. But I think when you get over that, it's kind of like when you look at it from a very positive way, it's like, damn, I am proud of myself for doing this. You know, Like, I am hustling hard and I'm like, getting a lot of life experience out of this, which is like, kind of cool too, because I want to live the poop out of life. Right. And so, like, why not? It's a struggle, but I think it's also like, how you look at it too.
[00:39:24] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:39:24] Speaker A: Like, I, I had my moments, for sure.
[00:39:27] Speaker C: Of course, it's.
[00:39:28] Speaker B: It's all about perspective, for sure. But I also, I, I really appreciate you being so honest.
And I feel like a lot of individuals, I mean, there aren't many, but who have come from where you have and like, the success you've had being as honest and open as you are of like, kind of starting fresh in a way and like moving to a new place.
I mean, that's like, seriously, like, thank you for being so honest with us.
But it's, it's, it's really interesting to hear though, of like, first of all, you are booking things, so you're already.
[00:40:02] Speaker A: I'm not, I'm not, though. I only booked one so far.
[00:40:05] Speaker C: But even now, Nicole Kidman show on Amazon isn't too bad.
[00:40:09] Speaker A: By the way, she was partying on my yacht. By the way, I played a rich.
[00:40:12] Speaker C: Oh, nice. It was your. It was your yacht.
[00:40:14] Speaker A: That you're my yacht.
[00:40:17] Speaker C: It's not that wrong. It's not bad, definitely. And like, you're much farther ahead of a lot of people.
[00:40:23] Speaker A: I'm very, very grateful for sure, of course.
[00:40:26] Speaker C: But I, I'm curious because, like, it's such a hard thing to do. The self tape grind and all of that. Like, what. How do you, how do you cope with that? Is it. I mean, from what I hear, like, is it helpful to like, be calling your dad and put like that Is that is work.
That is doing the work to pick apart a script. Understand, like you are. That's part of it, an equal part of it to like booking something, being on set. Like, you have to all kind of consider it all part of the work. But I'm curious, like, what are your coping skills with that specifically?
[00:41:00] Speaker A: I mean, I think for me, I'm always focused on Being ready for everything.
And so staying in shape.
Staying in shape or, like, you know, keeping up with my dance, so my choreo and, like, learning movements is still quick, you know, and, like, maybe learning a new language. I'm. I'm thinking of signing up for, like, a British accent class as well. Like, you know, just, like, really make sure you're ready. And you have all these tools in your toolbox so people can't say no to you, because, you know, as long as all your answers are, yes, I can do that. Yes, no problem. Like, then it's, you know, and when you have confidence in things, too, in your skill, it's just, like, such a difference in your performance.
So I'm continuing to better myself and, you know, practicing my craft and.
But. And the thing I learned moving to LA is you can't just be an actor. You got to be an actor, writer or an actor, director or an actor, whatever. And so I'm also writing. I'm writing a TV show that's possibly now a movie. I feel like it's better as a movie, but, yeah, you know, you got to keep yourself busy with other creative stuff, too.
[00:42:09] Speaker B: It is so interesting, you know, like, Leo doesn't write.
[00:42:14] Speaker A: Yeah, but Leo's Leo.
[00:42:15] Speaker C: He's from a different time, a different generation.
[00:42:17] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:42:18] Speaker C: It's totally Timmy.
[00:42:19] Speaker B: Timmy definitely doesn't write.
[00:42:20] Speaker C: Timmy doesn't know how to read, I don't think.
[00:42:23] Speaker A: Look at the newer generation. That sounds so old right now, but, like, the new generation. So everybody from. From, like, Kiki Palmer to, like, Issa Rae, they're all doing their own stuff.
[00:42:32] Speaker C: Oh, yeah.
[00:42:33] Speaker A: They're creating their own opportunities for themselves. And that's what my brother and I did. Right. Like, initially, when nobody knew who we were. Nobody wants it to sign us because it's not as simple as you make good music. Right. It's just. It was just so tough to get a record deal back then. And we're talking about, like, 2009 to 2010.
And so we decided to make our own music and release our own music, because we invest in yourself and therefore be making our own opportunity for ourselves.
[00:42:59] Speaker B: When you came out here, did you look immediately for representation or what was the first step aside from getting an apartment?
[00:43:08] Speaker A: Oh, la. So the thing is, like, I had to have representation in order to get a visa in order to move to la.
[00:43:15] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:43:16] Speaker A: Yeah. So I was. I was very lucky to be able to find an agent quite smoothly and quickly.
So that's when my career helped me. So, like, you know, like, my portfolio did help me with this first step.
[00:43:28] Speaker C: Right.
[00:43:28] Speaker A: But what's funny is I noticed through auditioning though, is your resume means nothing here, like, other than maybe getting signed. Right. Because in auditions it doesn't matter how many followers you have, how famous you are in your own country. I'm not talking about myself. I'm talking about like some of my K pop friends that are like kings over there. They still can't get a job to save their life over here.
[00:43:51] Speaker C: Yeah. It's so interesting.
[00:43:53] Speaker A: Supporting role. It's very crazy.
[00:43:55] Speaker C: Do you think that as obviously K pop is getting so huge in the States, you know, with K pop Demon Hunters, Blackpink, like these bands who are, who are, you know, making, making the sort of arc into the States, like, do you think that there will be more of a transition there and people will start wanting to hire people from other countries as streaming services, make things more international. Do you feel like there's more of, like an international edge to things these days?
[00:44:23] Speaker A: I. I sure hope so.
[00:44:24] Speaker C: I know we can hope, right?
[00:44:25] Speaker A: I am like so excited about K Pop Demon Hunters and Blackpink and bts, you know, But I mean, one of the reasons why I decided to move to LA now is because as an Asian looking, like, watching Hollywood from the outside, it does seem. Seem like there is more representation and opportunities for us to even audition for roles out there. And I do notice it through my auditions. It would always be like any ethnicity or maybe like more specific, you know, Chinese or like Asian.
[00:44:55] Speaker B: Right.
[00:44:55] Speaker A: And. And that gets me excited for sure.
But I think there still needs to be a lot more improvement and I still feel like it's going to take many, many years.
[00:45:09] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:45:10] Speaker A: But at least the train's moving and I'm excited about that.
[00:45:14] Speaker C: Yeah, it really does feel like the train's moving. I mean, even Lisa was in White Lotus and you see these people who are really pushing through and even American musicians doing collabs with K pop solo artists.
[00:45:30] Speaker A: For sure. Yeah.
[00:45:32] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:45:32] Speaker A: It's really exciting to see.
[00:45:34] Speaker C: It definitely is exciting.
[00:45:36] Speaker B: Are you keeping your ego in check, like with your agent when speaking to them or trying?
[00:45:45] Speaker A: I always mention, like, listen, you go, do you.
[00:45:47] Speaker C: Do you know who I am? Do you know who I am?
[00:45:51] Speaker B: But it's gotta be. It's gotta be so tough. Like, seriously, I can't.
[00:45:55] Speaker A: It's not tough because I'm not. I'm living in la. As in, if I wasn't living in LA and still in Hong Kong, it might be tougher suffer. But because I'm physically here and Literally, nobody knows who I am or even cares. Like, even if they knew where I'm. They don't care. Like, you're in the city where you can be at Trader Joe's with Jon Ham, and people would be like, oh, okay. Like, you know what I mean? Like, people don't care.
So I think that's fine. But there were inst. There was one instance when I booked my first commercial. It was just like a photo shoot from. For some skin care in Utah.
And it wasn't until I showed up.
[00:46:32] Speaker C: At the shoot in Utah.
[00:46:34] Speaker A: That.
[00:46:34] Speaker C: Or this.
[00:46:35] Speaker A: In Utah. In Utah.
It wasn't until I showed up for the shoot on the day that I get an email of the details of the shoot and that it's actually a campaign for Asia only. And it was a campaign specifically for Hong Kong and Taiwan and China. And, you know, all that. And that's when I got upset, because that's when I'm like, you don't even know.
[00:46:59] Speaker C: Right.
[00:47:00] Speaker A: Oh, my God.
[00:47:01] Speaker C: That's why you came to the States. Like, you could do a.
[00:47:04] Speaker A: Or more like, if I got this job in Hong Kong, you wouldn't be paying me this.
[00:47:07] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:47:08] Speaker A: You wouldn't be treating me this way, and I would be standing in the middle of every. You know what I mean? Like, that's where my ego's coming now. Now I feel now I sound like I'm like a Madonna. Right. Like.
[00:47:17] Speaker C: No, but that. That completely makes sense.
[00:47:19] Speaker A: Small little potato in Hong Kong. Right. But still, I have my career in Hong Kong, and that was the moment when I'm like, oh, my God. God. Like, why? Why? And so that's when I did have a talk with my agent where it's like, I understand that most things are worldwide now because of the Internet, but let's just make sure if it is focused on, like, campaigning in Hong Kong, like, let's get a higher price.
[00:47:42] Speaker C: Yeah, for sure. Oh, my God.
[00:47:44] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:47:45] Speaker C: The idea that you have to tell your agent that I know, and then.
[00:47:49] Speaker A: Like, you don't want to sound like, you know, this arrogant, like, do you know who I am? Type of person? Because, like, I am very conscious of where I am at in Hong Kong, and I'm not a superstar in Hong Kong in any means, you know, but, you know, I did.
[00:48:04] Speaker C: But you worked really hard to a certain level. You were winning awards. You worked very hard to get to that point. And I think, although that, you know, that fame doesn't carry over, I think the hard work does is the kind of the lesson here.
[00:48:21] Speaker B: Right.
[00:48:22] Speaker A: And the fact that I'm Asian, I'm obedient, baby. Like, like, we listen, like, we are obedient.
So, yeah, yeah, I don't think anybody can take away, like my knowledge and my hard work. For sure.
[00:48:36] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. How have you found, like, other parts of la, like within entertainment, like networking and things like that.
[00:48:45] Speaker A: So it's like both good and bad. So mostly good, which is great.
I think, like, you, you meet a lot of just like really wonderful people that are just as passionate as you and very welcoming to, you know, like, be, make friends with you and maybe even read your script and give you some advice and stuff like that. So, like, that's been pretty cool because I do feel like everybody, no matter how big or small you are, it's like we're all in the same industry that's kind of struggling right now and so we kind of like got that in common. So I do feel pretty good about all the people and the networking that I've been doing. Yeah. But I think like, the only negative stuff is like the typical. So before moving to LA, everybody's like, be careful, LA has a reputation where you meet someone and they'll promise you a million things and then they'll just ghost you. And so I've had a couple of those where you meet someone and for me, being Canadian, right, It's like, oh, wow, this person's just like so nice and so supportive and just like, oh my God, you need anything, just email me anything. Yeah, and like they double down to where it's like, make sure you email me, like, blah, blah, blah.
[00:49:55] Speaker B: And it's such a bullshitter.
[00:49:57] Speaker A: They're like, yeah, good luck with that. That was the response that I got, huh? And I was like, oh, this is the LA that people were talking about.
But, but that's like, really rare. But it does happen.
But other than that, I really feel like LA has been a really positive and fun experience.
[00:50:15] Speaker C: You definitely fit here.
[00:50:17] Speaker A: Yeah, I think so. But it took me a few months to get to here though. I think, like, the first five months it really was like really eye opening for me, simply because I just wasn't booking anything.
And it's like you move here with this Hollywood dream and then like reality kind of slaps you across the face and.
And I was feeling really bad about myself and I was feeling really bad career wise and even like looks and confidence wise, and I started questioning my, my ability. It was just like, really bad. And then in May, I went back to Hong Kong because my dad at 80 was nominated for Best Supporting actor for the Hong Kong Academy Award. And so that was his date. And so when I went back and I was on a red carpet, I remember having this moment, like when people were taking pictures, pictures of me, and I was like, I used to hate this and now I'm like, yeah, take it.
Oh, this feels good. They're like saying my name, my dad's. I'm like, yes, thank you so much.
[00:51:14] Speaker C: And you're like, pushing your dad out of the way. Like, I'm here.
[00:51:17] Speaker A: Like, I'm here, guys. Right? And, you know, and then I, I promoted my new song. And so I was doing radio interviews and I was meeting up with like these old friends, whether they were DJs or interviewers or reporters. And. And it just reminded me that I did something. I'm appreciated and I'm a bad B. Right.
And it kind of like, I kind of gained my confidence again. And then after May, I came back to LA with a totally new perspective of like, you're a good girl and it's gonna happen and your dreams always come true.
[00:51:50] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:51:50] Speaker A: And so I always. Because that has been the fact.
[00:51:53] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
[00:51:54] Speaker A: That has been the pattern in my life. I've just been so blessed where I go for it and, and my dreams always come true. And so I always. That's like my mantra every morning where it's like, my dreams always come true and it's going to work out in, in Hollywood as well. So like.
[00:52:07] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
[00:52:08] Speaker A: It's also like this attitude.
[00:52:10] Speaker C: Well, I think it's like just what I'm thematically, what I'm noticing is like, you, you really do put in the work and you go the correct way with things and you know how to self promote and you know how to self produce and you know how to generate content and a fan base. And I wrote down suit of armor because I feel like it really is like a. It's like how to find your suit of armor as an actor, you know, and, and that suit of armor, that's an international suit of armor, you know, it's not, it's not just in Hong Kong, it's. It's something here. And like, acting scares the hell out of me because I, I'm like, you go for it and you're just there, there is a cliff and it's like jumping off a cliff. Like, I feel like you're like, to some extent just destined to fail, fail, fail over and over. And like, you need to have that suit of armor as an actor. I feel like.
[00:53:00] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.
[00:53:02] Speaker C: It's very real.
[00:53:04] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, my seven years with my last management, that was boot camp. And I think, like, after that, too, it's just like, I feel invincible. It's like, whatever. Like. And nothing can scare me now, and.
[00:53:16] Speaker C: Totally.
[00:53:17] Speaker A: So, yeah, I guess I do have a suit of armor. That's a good way of thinking that.
[00:53:22] Speaker C: Who do you look up to as someone you would want to emulate someday in terms of career, in terms of spirit?
[00:53:31] Speaker A: Okay, so I'm.
[00:53:34] Speaker C: I feel like I know what you're going to say.
[00:53:36] Speaker A: Okay, wait, we say it together at the same time. Okay. Three, two, one.
[00:53:40] Speaker C: Britney Spears.
[00:53:41] Speaker A: Britney.
[00:53:42] Speaker B: Yeah.
Whoa.
[00:53:45] Speaker C: You see, I know her well.
[00:53:47] Speaker A: So, like, Brittany. Oh, my gosh. Like, ever since I literally remember the first time I heard Baby one more time, I was in the backseat of my friend's car. We had just, like, gone to some field trip, and we were on our way back and I heard.
I was like, what.
[00:54:05] Speaker C: What the hell is this?
[00:54:07] Speaker A: And then you hear that iconic voice of her, and I was instantly hooked. And Britney, I've had a lot of idols in my life, you know, like right now, like, I love Lady Gaga. I love all that. Right? But it's like Britney was the one that started with what type of artist I wanted to be. Like, everything from dancing and singing to fashion, like, she was very, like, sexy and provocative and brave then. Right? Was, oh, my God, belly button ring. Like, we've never seen that before. Right.
And even the way she conducted herself in interviews, I see myself doing it now. I sometimes look back at my interviews, whether it be in Cantonese or English. I say a lot of yeah, yeah.
And Britney does that. And it's like. And even when my friends listen to my demos, they're like, oh, my God, your voice is like, Brittany. When you sing. I don't realize it, but it just naturally happened where I think she just became my biggest influence.
[00:55:05] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:55:06] Speaker A: And I just love her so much. I just love her so much.
[00:55:10] Speaker C: I love that. I love that.
Well, we always like to ask this question, and I feel like you've answered it a little bit, but what is. What is the dream? Like, ideally, what are you doing in the next few years career wise? And, like, what's. What's the ultimate dream?
[00:55:27] Speaker A: Well, I hope to contribute to this amazing, you know, Asian representation thing that's happening right now. I really hope to, like, selfishly for myself to be in these amazing projects where the script is amazing, the team is amazing, the production is amazing, you know, because we don't. We. We have that in Hong Kong, but not at a scale of Hollywood. Right. And so that's another reason why I moved to America, because damn, Hollywood projects are huge. Right. And that would be really cool to be a part of and.
And just hopefully, you know, really have an effect on society, whether it be me representing or just, you know, chasing my dreams and doing something positive and being myself.
[00:56:12] Speaker C: I love that.
[00:56:13] Speaker B: There you go.
[00:56:14] Speaker C: There you go.
[00:56:16] Speaker B: With Britney being kind of like the North Star, are you more interested in being on tour than set to set kind of thing?
[00:56:27] Speaker A: So my old answer used to be singing over acting any day.
And then it evolved to when I'm singing, it's always singing, but when I'm acting, it's acting.
I recently noticed that I'm kind of leaning more towards acting, which kind of scares me because singing and songwriting is such a huge part of my identity.
But I realized that the improvement and growth in my acting is kind of addicting.
It's like a high where with music, if it makes sense, like, music just feels more natural. As in, like, I walk around the house singing and like, I'll be playing the piano, you know? But with acting, it's kind of like you see yourself going step by step. It's like the climb, climb. And it's like, that's really addicting. And it's just fun being all sorts of different people.
[00:57:19] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:57:20] Speaker A: So I don't know. Recently, I'm kind of leaning towards acting, but we'll see.
[00:57:24] Speaker C: Cool.
[00:57:25] Speaker A: I'm just. I'm greedy. I want them all.
[00:57:26] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Totally.
Well, I. I think we've gone through everything that I can think of. I feel like we've covered so, so much. We've covered Borat, we've covered expats.
We've covered just such a fruitful career. And I feel like you are so inspiring to specifically people starting out on their acting journey because you've gone through so much and you've gone through so many different versions of yourself and versions of success.
So I feel like you're a really great addition to the 5050 family. We really appreciate you for, for, for coming on.
[00:58:07] Speaker A: Yay. Thank you so much.
[00:58:10] Speaker B: Thank you, Leslie.
[00:58:11] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:58:22] Speaker B: Did you learn something? I'm like your mom. Did you learn something in this episode? I hope so. Or not. That's okay. Thanks for hanging. Make sure you follow us at the 5050 Fest on Instagram and give us five stars, because. Why not? Why not subscribe? Why not? You know, why not? Okay, bye.
