Á: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into acting.

HT: I’m Chinese Indonesian and a second generation American. I’m the youngest of five siblings and was born and raised in California. My siblings and I were dancers and my mom wanted us to stay busy as kids. We had these creative outlets and I’m so grateful for that. My older sister Brianne was scouted by an agency and they took me on too. We’re still represented by them to this day. That’s how I got into acting. I started at age 4 or 5 with commercials and kids television.

Á: What was your experience like as a child actor?

HT: It was exciting and I was happy to be there. However, I was so happy to be there that I ignored the bad stuff. Looking back, I can see that I was definitely westernised. It was small things like staying out of the sun so my complexion was a little lighter. Keeping my hair straight and dark so I looked more Asian. Now when I look back, I can see that. I am now recognising the racism. We’re still creating vocabulary for those experiences, e.g. microaggressions. I’m now recognising the western beauty ideals that were placed on me and the fact that some of my insecurities stem from that. There was kind of this unspoken agreement amongst the children of immigrants to just be quiet and grateful to be there. Our parents had come to America and had worked really hard to get us where we were, so we should just take it all in our stride.

It was an awkward position to be in at times. Sometimes I would be too Asian for the role and other times I wouldn’t be Asian enough because I couldn’t speak the language or do Kung Fu. You wouldn’t get the lead role and there only seemed to be space for one person of colour. So if there was someone else, you could just forget it. I didn’t believe I could be a lead or that there could be more than one person of colour until I was older.

Á: How would you describe your relationship with acting?

HT: I have a love-hate relationship with it at times. On one hand, it’s a magical experience. There’s nothing like being on set with people you would have never met unless you were in those particular circumstances. There is also so much art and collaboration that happens behind the scenes, which is amazing. On the other hand, it’s also a money-making industry, which means there is a lot of politics within it whether you agree with it or not.

Á: How did the pandemic affect your job?

HT: Auditioning during the pandemic was and has been quite difficult. My other friends who are actors also agree. Especially towards the beginning of the pandemic, not everyone was comfortable doing self-tapes and missed having the adrenaline that comes with going in person for auditions. The pandemic made it difficult for smaller, less known actors to get jobs. Some productions were also halted or lost funding. It’s hard because most actors are freelance and it’s a financially unstable job. 

Á: What skills would you say are essential for an aspiring actor? 

HT: You have to be able to adapt quickly. Actors are freelance so, as I mentioned before, it’s unstable. I always joke with my friend about this. You could be the biggest actor on a huge show like Game of Thrones and then never work again. You never know what will happen and you really can’t take anything for granted. You need to be grateful, be smart and be kind to everyone – and not just because you want to get ahead in your career, but because they’re human.

Á: Why haven’t we seen you on-screen recently?

HT: I made the decision to take a break because that was what was best for my mental health. I had lost the motivation for it and it started to feel like a chore. I would almost dread it. I would get a role and find myself questioning whether it would be filmed or put on hold. I went on a break and focused on discovering what I enjoy. That’s when I bleached my hair, which is typically a no-no for an Asian actor. That was an important moment for me, because it was me honouring and hugging my inner child. It was always something I wanted to do but never did because I wanted to be so perfect on paper. It’s funny when I think about it now, because I would try and be perfect for them and still get rejected. 

Á: What have you learnt from your time away so far?

HT: I realise that people want to see you as your authentic self rather than who you think they want to see. That was a wake-up call for me. Once I started being myself, doors started opening for me. People started recognising me in all other facets of art and creativity that I love.

Á: How would you describe where you are at the moment on your journey? 

HT: I’m still on a sort of break, although I do a lot of voiceover acting now. With on-screen acting, I need to heal within myself before I go back to that again. I want to love it again for the right reasons. Success also has a different meaning for me now. Success for me is the fact that I was ready and able to step back and take a break for my mental health. So that I could be happy. Because this industry is so hustle focused, at first I was ashamed of what people would think about me stepping back. I thought people would see it as a failure, but I see it as the biggest win I have ever achieved for myself. Right now I’m taking ownership of my inner child and focusing on what I enjoy doing. Looking back, I have given the majority of my life so far to acting. I worked all the way through my childhood, I was home-schooled since 7^th grade and I went to community college for 2 years online before dropping out and pursuing acting again. So I’m taking the time to explore my other interests, because if I don’t do this now I know I will regret it later on in life. Sure I’m not making the most money I have ever made, but I’m meeting really cool people, exploring different creative endeavours, having fun and learning to love myself in a way I never thought I could.

Á: What would you say to someone who feels pressured to keep up with the hustle culture?

HT: Motivation is so necessary and passion is beautiful, but sometimes you have to slow down and just wait it out. You need to see where your energy is best placed and put it into something that matters. You need time to rest and recharge and that doesn’t make you weak, it makes you strong. Sometimes it takes more strength to stop than to keep going.

Á: What advice would you give to someone who wants to move to LA?

HT: In my opinion, if you are going to live in LA, you need a good support network of people who genuinely care about you and support you. People who are happy when you succeed. If I didn’t have that, I don’t think I would be able to cope. It’s really key.

Á: You mentioned that you are interested in other creative things, could you tell us more?

HT: I love acting but I also want to produce and creative direct. I am interested in writing a show as well. I’ve always been obsessed with clothes and love styling and I’m having so much fun dabbling in it all. I love collaborating with brands and people. I love music as well. I love to sing. I’ve been writing and making music for myself since I was 8 years old. When you’re an actor people love to basically put you in a lane. They don’t want you to branch out too far, but I just want to create. If it’s not my face on the end product, I don’t really care. I want to spend the rest of my life doing all of these different things. It just feels amazing.

Á: What advice would you give to those struggling with rejection within the industry?

HT: You have to remember that even the greats have experienced rejection. It’s brutal but inevitable because no one can say they got every role they ever auditioned for. When it happens, feel what you need to feel. Although it’s easier said than done. Getting an audition is hard enough in itself. For a casting director to even see you that way is huge. I look back on some of the roles I got rejections for and I realise I thought I was ready, even though I actually wasn’t. You don’t realise that until years later though. Feel what you need to feel and move on, but remember that there will be more. It’s a degrading feeling, so you have to remove your ego. Also, remember that every rejection is a learning opportunity and lasting success doesn’t happen overnight. If you want a lasting career in this industry, it takes time to build it. You need to pay your dues.

Á: How do you choose a role to audition for?

HT: It’s important to note that when you start out as an actor, you take every opportunity you can get. Even if it’s not necessarily your first choice of the character you would play, it’s an opportunity to meet people and grow. It’s how you get work experience for your resume. You have the luxury of picking roles when you’re further down the line. If I read something and I can’t put it down, I’ll go for it. It’s important to not reject yourself before you’ve even gone to the audition though. We’re really hard on ourselves and put ourselves down. We say oh well, I don’t look like a model, or like this or like that. My sister Brianne has booked roles that she doesn’t not fit on paper at all, but she books them because she ends up changing their mind about what they thought they wanted. There are times where I have fit the character on paper and didn’t get chosen, but someone who is completely different did. You just have to go for it.

Á: What advice would you give to someone who wants to become an actor?

HT: I would say love it for the right reasons. Know why you’re doing it. It’s so easy to get carried away by motives like money or fame but I think you need more than that. If no one is supportive of you going into this, do it anyway. You also need to choose your manager and your agent carefully. Your representation is so important and they should understand you. They walk with you and represent you. I got lucky because when my sister was scouted, I was taken on too. I have a really great relationship with my manager.

Á: What would you say to someone who is on the fence about going to university?

HT: For someone like me, not going to college was hard for my parents because it was big thing for them but I had a career before college was even on my mind. I already had experience and knew what the industry was like. I was there already. So, I felt it was justified for me to not go. If I went to college I would have gone to meet people rather than to get creative experience, because I already had it. If you have no creative experience, I would say go to school for that. You can meet cool people, establish relationships and find a new space to be creative.

Á: What would you say to your 16-year-old self?

HT: It gets so much better. Keep holding on. Everything I wanted seemed so far away but now I’m becoming who I always wanted to be. I feel like I’ve finally found my place.

Á: Who do you look up to the most in your industry?

HT: My biggest inspiration is my sister Brianne. She’s the hardest working person I know. Being able to see her growth and the ups and downs of her journey has been so inspiring.  

Á: What do you do for fun?

HT: I love travelling, eating food and immersing myself in different cultures. If I could do that for the rest of my life, I would.

Á: Any final words for our audience?

HT: Remember, whoever has the most fun wins!