Nicholas talks to Jeff about his journey to moving to the U.S and becoming an actor, while blackmailing his parents to get everything started.

This is Film Center, your number one show for real entertainment industry news.

No fluff, all facts.

Now, here are your anchors, Derek Johnson II and Nicholas Killian.

Welcome everybody.

This is Film Center.

I'm Nicholas Killian, DJ.

Derek Johnson, the second is a bit sick right now.

So what we're going to do is it's just going to be me and you, Jeff.

Hi everyone.

So today, what we would like to do is we'd like to get to know you more.

Would you like to introduce yourself?

Sure.

My name is Jeff Chan.

I grew up in China.

I moved to the U S when I was in China.

I did.

How long did you live in China?

Until 17, 18, until college.

Until college?

Yes.

Is there any specific place you'd like to shout out from where you were in China?

Okay, my people in Ma'anshan, nobody would know where that is.

Ma'anshan?

Ma'anshan, yes, where my hometown, it's such a small city with a million people.

Is there a relative location that's close to it?.

Then the closest is Shanghai.

Okay.

So Shanghai, because everybody will.

I at least would hope people would know where Shanghai is.

Yes.

But how far away from Shanghai is your city?

Take a train.

High speed train would be two hours.

Two hours?

Yes.

And to Nanjing would be 15 minutes.

So very close.

Okay, cool.

And do you guys have like a museum that you could go visit in Nanjing?

Yeah, they have a massacre museum.

It's just, it's so off putting whenever I introduce people be like,

Hey, this is the history of my city.

And then what is your city famous for?

Or what is there?

Ooh, so they're famous for producing a lot of like metals, like iron,

like material, raw material for a lot of these real estate industry.

Oh, nice.

Yeah.

Awesome.

So tell me about what your upbringing was like.

My upbringing.

So like my generation, I'm a only child.

My dad is a nine to five, works in the office.

My mom What does your dad do?

He works in the government, like as a, some insurance people, like he takes

care of the local health insurance.

And my mom was doing everything until when I was, I think, eight years

old, she started her own business.

That's when my family's income really changed.

That's how I afford, how I can afford to go to the U S for college.

And what does your mom do?

She's like the middleman for recycling metals.

So she gets used metals for a cheaper price.

And then she'd sell them for a higher price.

And so that's what afforded you to come to the U.

S.

Yes.

To become an actor.

Yes, to finish college.

Can you walk me through how you got to the U.

S.?

What was, like, what was the conversation with your parents like to come to the U.

S.?

Because China and the U.

S.

obviously are completely different worlds.

Very different.

What was, why didn't you go to I was, when I was, I think it was,

okay, I tell people it's Harry Potter, but I think it's Spy Kids.

Spy Kids?

I think it's Spy Kids.

It's one of those blockbusters that came into my small city, small town,

and everybody went and saw that movie.

And, everyone is delusional and so was I, who are like We're all delusional.

Everyone's delusional.

Everybody who lives in Los Angeles is completely delusional.

Yes, at some level.

Healthy delusions.

But I was like, when I was a kid, I was like, you know what?

One day I want to be up there and I want to tell a story just like these people do.

Go on an adventure.

Magic.

And Spy Kids was that for you.

Spy Kids was Spy Kids was your inspiration to become an actor.

Yes.

Yes.

I'm not going to speak for you, but I have been told that Asian parents do not

like it whenever you deviate from the lawyer, doctor, engineer career field.

Unfortunately, that's true.

So please, I would love to hear the conversation you had with your parents.

I think it wasn't one conversation.

It was several conversations.

It was a process, but I think at the end, it's, I blackmailed them.

You blackmailed your parents into letting you?

Yes, because it to them, their kids going to college is so important.

So at the end, I'm like, you know what, it's either going to

college for film for theater.

For like stuff I want to do for arts or I'm not going to college.

And I think that's when they're like, okay, fine, whatever.

I guess you have to threaten a threat.

So you told them I'm not going to college if it's not for film.

Yes.

And what was their response to that?

They're not happy about it, but they also know that there's

nothing they can do about it.

So they're like, okay.

I think they expect me to.

Go to college, get a degree in art, and live that life for a few years, then

realize, okay, now going back to China, get a 9 to 5 job in a film production.

Company or in a tv station or whatever like entertainment to them news anchor

is the same as an actor When I told my mom I was like, hey, I really want

to try out this career in hollywood in los angeles My mom is oh we can we

know someone in the local tv station Maybe we can get you an internship.

You can be a news anchor And i'm like these two are complete different jobs

completely different, but she doesn't know she doesn't see the difference And

how is it still the same to this day?

You My dad it's I think it's more supportive Cuz I

think I made a short film.

I was in a short film.

I didn't make it I was in a short film that's about the father son

relationship After that film, I think my dad got touched or something.

It's a very Hollywood moment But my mom I think She got jealous?

I don't, I'm guessing a lot of things.

Asian parenting, we don't talk that much.

Last time I talked to my mom was like a month ago.

So You don't talk to your mom that often?

Once in a while, like once a month, twice a month.

I'm trying to be better at it.

But it's hard.

And then your relationship with your dad as far as your film

and television career is better?

Because of that short film?

I think so.

And also, my dad went to college, and he went to grad school.

He has a higher education, so he understands arts, literature.

My mom barely finished middle school.

Wow.

Okay.

So she is the hillbilly.

You called your mom a hillbilly?

I call her a lot of things.

She calls me things.

This is how we, that's how we express love.

That's how Asian parents are?

That's how all of us are.

And then what college did you go to in the U.

S.

for film and television?

It was random.

Or for film.

It was very random.

It was American University in Washington, D.

C.

They're famous.

I've never heard of that.

They're famous for politics.

You are like, That's a good place for film.

I got, I, How did you find that place?

In China, most students, because we don't have, especially back

when five 10 years ago, there was a lack of information transparency.

So what happened was When is there not?

We have the same here in the US.

But what happens is if you want to go to the US for college, you basically find an

agent to help you look through schools.

Okay.

I feel like I shouldn't say this.

I don't know.

No, go ahead.

Maybe.

They're not gonna come for you.

I worry.

But, yeah, so he recommended me this school.

He said, oh, they have a great film program.

And they do.

It's just, it's documentary.

I found out about this later.

I want to do narrative.

And they have a great documentary program.

But I was like, okay, sounds good.

I'll go there.

Do you think that he recommended you to this school because he

got a kickback from the school?

Yes or no?

I do not confirm nor deny my assumption.

You get to the school, what's your experience?

It was great.

I actually, I'm just terrified of people from my school coming for me.

No, I love, just if anybody from AU is listening, I love AU.

AU was one of the AU is amazing.

It's the best school ever.

Yes.

It was truly actually the happiest time of my life.

One of the happiest times of my life because I met some really good friends.

I get to forge the path I want to, I get to forge my own identity, my own path

to pursue my, whatever I want to do.

It's very different from China because in China you have

this guidebook on, oh, fit in.

This is what you do.

Step one, go to college.

Step two, get a job.

Step three, marry, get kids.

It's very traditional in that sense.

And the U.

S.

is just diametrically opposed to China.

Seems like in every single aspect.

It's very individualistic That's how I would put it how I would have

put it and China is more about you know You create harmony through Fit

in through thinking about the big picture thinking about everyone else,

which is exhausting It is exhausting.

Yeah, I don't support that and then so What did you find out

about yourself through acting?

Whoo Wow, this got deep all of a sudden.

in terms of the culture difference, how long did it take you to adjust to the

culture difference from China to AU?

Through acting or just in general?

Through acting.

Through acting.

I would say maybe three, four years, actually, my entire college.

Yes.

Cause most people in the program, in the theater program or in

the film program, they had.

Previous experience in high school.

They have a theater They did society whatever school theater, whatever.

Yes, but they are exposed to it in china There's no such thing.

You learn math.

You learn science.

You learn history.

You learn serious subjects arts.

It's very Not important not valued as important unless you're a

rich kid Who goes to rich preppy school, which I wasn't right.

So when I got here, it was like, Oh, I don't, I was just, it was just so

foreign to you, so foreign, so new.

And I was just, it was doing everything for the first time, but it was,

there's a sense of freedom in that.

I would say that make your acting more authentic because you had never done it.

Absolutely not.

No, I was bad.

And what was the process that you took towards getting better?

Oh, I moved to the, I moved to LA.

I think I never think of myself as someone who is, who got it.

So I was like, okay, I just need to put in a lot of work.

So I have never stopped taking acting classes since 2018,

2017, since I moved here.

Yeah.

And how long did you spend in university and your university for your film?

Four years.

Four years.

Yeah.

And then when did you move to Los Angeles?

20.

December 2017.

2017.

Yes.

Okay, and what's been your experience in Los Angeles compared to the two places?

So you go from China Yes.

to Washington Yes.

and then from Washington to Los Angeles.

What was the easiest transition?

I might say the China to Washington.

The hardest being the China to Washington.

Yeah.

But What was it like to move to Los Angeles?

It was fun.

It was everything I wanted.

It was like I was waiting for my entire college to move here

because I love my college.

I love that experience But I was like I was bored You were bored.

I was bored in the way that I couldn't do things.

I want to be in film and television and DC is full of theater.

It's a great place It's one of the largest theater markets,

but not much film was happening.

And also, I'm an international student.

So back then, I was on a student visa.

I couldn't audition.

I couldn't work.

And I really wanted to work.

And when I moved to L.

A., I got a work permit off my student visa for a year.

So I was just so excited to jump in and it comes with a lot of depression It

comes with a lot of I only have a year.

It was all I wanted and I Had a lot of I had a lot of anxiety and pressure on

my shoulder because I only have one year of work visa a work So I have to have

enough material made to garner myself an artist visa in order to stay in

the United States to work as an actor.

It was just, I don't know what I was, I didn't know what I was

doing, but I was doing everything.

Every submission, I was hustling.

I was going out to meet people, to background work,

whatever I can, I'll do it.

And it was so fun.

Honestly, it was, So great.

And I cried a lot in my car.

I think your twenties are so fun because you're failing but you don't realize it.

Because you're just going forward.

You're like, okay, what's the next thing?

Okay, what are we doing next?

What's going on next?

Yeah, exactly.

I like how you put it.

So you said you didn't like theater, you liked film more.

How did you realize you liked film more than theater?

I think it's more that I want to pursue film.

Than theater just because it was delivered to me in China the Hollywood blockbuster

system was Presented to me on a big screen in China, and that's how far reach This

media how powerful this media can be And actually, the more I work on my craft

as an actor, the more I'm like, man, I wish I wanted to do a theater play.

I wanted to be, I want to do more theater in the future.

It just doesn't pay you that well.

Oh no, it pays you crap.

Yes.

Pays you absolute crap.

But it's so fulfilling.

It is.

So there's a, I had an acting teacher that told me this an acting teacher told me, he

said, listen, Theater is an actor's craft.

Yes.

I agree.

Theater is an actor's craft.

Because once you get out on that stage, there's nothing anybody can do.

Yes.

And it's, you're all on your own.

And nobody can tell you're doing anything wrong or whatever.

Yeah.

Film is a director's craft.

Because they can tell.

Say cut.

Yeah.

Also, what you can also say is if you don't get the performance

you want, that's on the director.

Yes.

It's not really on you.

It is on you, but not really.

Yeah.

Because it's his job to communicate what you want him to, what he wants you to do.

Yeah.

But I'm sure we've all gotten these really terrible directions

like, be more sad, be more happy.

Yeah.

But it doesn't do anything for you.

Be more some emotion, emote.

What's some directions that you've gotten that you were just like, I

don't even know what to do with that.

True.

I did a, I did an experimental short two years ago, and it was

actually a very successful director, like a successful director.

Director in his own field.

I don't want to be too particular.

Yeah.

You don't have to name names.

We all have NDAs and stuff like that.

Yes.

But he was like, he wrote this short and it was, it doesn't make any sense.

It was very experimental.

And I feel like it's just words piling up.

And I was, I remember going to him and be like, Hey, I don't really understand.

What are you trying to say here?

He wouldn't.

Bother to explain that to me He would just be like just don't do anything.

Just say some just say these lines as a robot Really?

Yes, no emotion nothing like less but not in a good way not in the

way that y'all you're doing too much You're too much emotion.

It's just I don't you don't need to know the story.

You don't need to know why you're here just I feel like I was an object

I didn't feel like I was an actor or he needed me to work with me.

He just, we, he was using me in a sense.

Do you feel like these directors, they're basically just they get

to a point where they're so famous that they're just like, anything

I write and touch just artsy gold.

But he wasn't successful in narrative world.

He was successful in other fields like commercial.

So he thought that Yes, but, and I think this is one of his first

narrative work he's trying to put out.

And I do I was sensing a lot of ego.

A lot of ego.

Yes.

I don't like, I didn't like that.

And then, have you faced any challenges being Asian in the entertainment industry?

Ooh

As a, as an actor?

Yes and no.

I think yes.

In the way that, of course, it's something you accept from the very beginning.

This is what.

For the past, I don't know how many years, how many decades, this is what Asian

people looking like you, or they sometimes they don't even look like you, what type

of roles they get, the funny one, the nerd, the there is a stereotypical, right?

Of course, a formula there.

So you just went in accepted and you don't see it as a restriction.

You just yeah, this is what it is.

But I want to work but In my, in the back of my mind, there's always a

little voice, like one day, or there's going to be one role or one day you're

moving towards forging a career that you're going to take on some roles.

That's going to be different.

That's going to break these stereotypes.

Do you feel like, because this is how I would feel like is I'm going

to go in there and I'm going to be what they want me to be so that later

I can show them what I actually am.

I'm going to play the stereotypes.

I'll play the nerd.

I'll play the whatever Asian, that way when I get more established, I can then

show the American public, Hey, this is what Asian people are actually like.

Yes, I think so.

I think it's paying your dues, right?

Like at the beginning, you just have to work.

And when you have more power or more momentum in the industry,

That's when you're gonna be like, hey, I don't like that.

Let's change that, right?

Let's not do that anymore.

Yeah What would have been the benefits?

That you've seen as being an Asian actor.

I think this you know this for the past five six years this whole diversity

inclusion You see the trend happening in Hollywood and I do think I it's easier for

me to get reps than people who are white.

Oh, yeah.

No, I can definitely agree with that.

I just want to be 100 percent honest.

It's easier for me to get reps, even though it's sending me out to

these Just whatever road that says Asian, they'll send me out which

I don't know how I feel about that But it's easier for me to get reps.

There are more auditions Than a lot of people a lot of white

folks who just start out.

Yeah, no, and who do what do you typically go for?

What do you typically get cast for?

Two types one minutes Something being funny.

Some funny character.

Cause I, I think I don't care how I look on camera, which I think is great.

It's I don't care if I look stupid.

I just wanna be real and be, enjoy entertaining people.

And the second type is edgy, or, sultry, like very indie, which I love.

Yeah, that, because, I'm edgy.

Eh, correct me if I'm wrong, especially for Asian guys,

that's not typically represented.

No, I don't think so.

Not in the indie, indie world.

No, I don't think so.

And then, is there, in your personal experience, is there a reason why that is?

Is it because the, actually, I'll just let you answer.

Oh, I just think we should, I think we need more Asian writers.

Asian filmmakers.

You need, you think it's, you need more Asian writers and filmmakers?

I think so.

I think so.

I think that's part of it, because actors, I think as an actor, we

are the last puzzle of the piece.

We're the last process of the, the production.

Cherry on top.

Yes.

I think it all started with showrunners, or writers have good

stories, which I see a lot more now.

But I still think, as you said earlier, in the Asian culture,

parents are encouraged their kids to be doctors, lawyers, engineers.

It's so rare.

They're like, Oh, you want to be a filmmaker?

That's great.

I support you.

It's the most likely it's, Oh, I think it's, I think it's a

universal experience that your parents want what's best for you.

Yeah.

Yes.

Regardless of the culture, they just want you to be able to survive

so that you can then thrive.

Yes, absolutely.

But the thing is, they have no experience or knowledge of how to do

that in what it is you want to do.

Yes.

So they don't have it, they don't know how you Survive and thrive.

Yeah.

As an actor.

Yeah, because it's such a, it's such a temperamental job.

Yes.

And they're like, but my sweet baby, I don't know.

I'm not going to pretend to know Asian culture, but I could think on a

universal level as far as mom and dad.

Yeah.

They just want what's best for you, even though it doesn't come

out in the most healthy way.

Yes, absolutely.

And then is there ever going to be.

Where you've had highlights in your career, have your

parents acknowledged that?

Or have they just been like, Okay, whenever you're done with this,

whatever this phase is, then you'll come back and you'll be a doctor.

I think until a couple of years ago, they still are trying to

persuade me to move back to China.

But recently they're like, Oh, you're very serious about this.

And they see me, I think last year, for forever.

So starting last year, October or August, I was fully supporting myself

with the money I make as an actor.

So I was a working actor.

So first of all, we have to highlight the fact, and you can highlight the fact,

how much of an accomplishment that is.

In LA.

Yes.

Let's first of all, full stop, let's go ahead and give you your props,

because you yourself know how hard that is in Los Angeles to fully support

yourself off of your ability to act.

Because it has nothing to do, would you correct me if I'm wrong, it

really has nothing to do with your ability to act, but everything to

do with all of the other stuff.

Yeah, outside of it.

Can you please, I say 50 percent is your ability as an actor.

Then there is percentage that's about.

Your understanding of the business.

Then there's relationship reps, which you need to invest time, energy

into building more relationships.

And then there's time.

It's just time.

It's constant investment of your energy and your work, your good work.

At the end is luck.

At the end.

Yeah.

No, of course.

Yes.

Luck.

Luck is part of it.

That's definitely part of it.

Yeah.

How long did it take you to support yourself fully off of your acting?

Not just your survival job.

Oh.

So 2017, this is 2023.

So six years.

Six years.

Six years.

And.

I want to be, I want to clarify.

It's, I don't know how long this will last, as most people do in this industry.

None of us do.

Yeah, I don't know if this will last, but I'm happy that I achieved

it at one point, regardless.

That's, yeah, no, that's absolutely, what were you doing beforehand?

What was your survival job?

I was, I had waiting, I was waiting the tables, I did that.

Yeah, it was a lot of that.

And then, could you talk more about what is your process in acting?

Like, how do you approach a character?

Oh, I'm at a point I really don't know.

You just do it?

No, that's not, it's, I spend time with the script.

I think everything, everything starts with a script.

Your job is a storyteller, so to tell the story.

But I think I used to follow like some sort of method or steps.

And I'm at a point, I'm like, you know what, let me feel what I want to use.

Let me feel what tool of my toolbox I want to pull out.

And I listened to my instincts.

But it always starts with a story, with a script.

That's for sure.

But regarding to the specific process, I really don't know.

That's it's not uncommon for people to be like, I don't really know.

I just, I do my research and then I do your work.

I put it out there and they give me notes and then I put it out there some more.

And that's it.

Yes.

It's a, you sometimes you feel, when I feel like it, I use imagination.

Sometimes I'm like, Oh wait, this story kind of resonates with me.

This thing that happened to me that's so deep Let me pull that out and let me

try to create some sort of a parallel universe that's similar to the story.

So there's just so many possibility to do this.

I like to have fun It's just trial and error.

Yes and What would you say is one of the big things that you

like about this industry and what you could just live without?

the best thing about this industry, it's the process Yes Building a character.

It's the work.

I really enjoy work.

I really enjoy acting for itself.

I can live without I Can live without the idea of how am I making my money?

Am I making enough income that sort of pressure?

I can also live without oh you have to hustle you have to I don't know like

the idea of fame the idea of money.

It's very good.

Don't get me wrong.

I love it Chef gifts, but just knowing how much how horrific a lot of horrific

stories you've heard like how much You're sacrificing for that So often

I'm like, I don't know if it's worth it.

And if I get it, I want to make sure It's worth it.

Or it's my way.

It's healthy.

It's full of love and the bubbly stuff.

Do you think acting has helped you become a better person?

Absolutely.

And how long into it did you realize that?

Huh.

I think after the first year of Los Angeles.

I went to a school.

I still, I'm Ivana Chubik.

Okay.

They're very much about, oh, using, your own, , they're very much about

using your own stories, your own past, your own relationship to

understand this imaginary characters or make believe stories dynamic.

And in order to do that, you have to understand yourself as an instrument,

like what triggers you, what happened to you, and that makes you who you are.

And what's your drive, what's your need, what's your desire as Jeff.

Then, once I understand myself as an instrument, I can utilize myself

to, to cater to the character.

Awesome, awesome.

Yeah.

Listen, Jeff, it's been so great having you on here.

With that being said, do you have anything you'd like to plug?

Do you have Instagram?

Do you have Facebook?

Follow me on Instagram is JFC, Jeff Chen.

So JFC, T I N G, K F C, but J.

Awesome.

Listen, this has been Film Center.

I'm Nicholas Killian.

I'm Jeff Chen.

And we'll see y'all later.

This has been Film Center on Comic Con Radio.

Check out our previous episodes at comicconradio.

com.

You can follow the show at Film Center News on all major social media platforms.

Tune in next Wednesday for a fresh update.

Until next time, this has been Film Center.