IN CONVERSATION WITH ARCHIE KAO

interview by JANA LETONJA

Actor Archie Kao will next be seen in the surreal action-comedy ‘Interior Chinatown’, which will debut on Hulu on 19th November. In addition to acting, Archie is passionate about transformative housing. He is the president of Homes 4 the Homeless, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide dignified, affordable, and transformative housing solutions for those in need, enabling them to rebuild their lives, find hope, and thrive.

In ‘Interior Chinatown’, you play Uncle Wong, the owner of the Golden Palace. What drew you to this role, and how did you prepare to portray a character that both embraces and challenges stereotypes?

I felt for most of my career like the main character Jimmy O. Yang's Willis Wu,  as the supporting background actor who wishes he could really emerge into his own. But certainly those opportunities were never crafted for Asians, especially when I was starting my career back in the day. Of course, I am incredibly grateful for the career I have been able to have in Hollywood, but at the same time, it was a lonely time to be an Asian American male actor in Hollywood, because you know you’ll be relegated to the sidelines as the supporting character. 

‘Interior Chinatown’ dives into universal themes of identity and typecasting, particularly for Asian-American actors. How did your own experiences with typecasting resonate with the story, and did you find any parts of the series particularly personal?

I'm not known to be a martial artist, or a comic, or any of the character tropes that have traditionally been used to portray Asians in western media, just a very mainstream American Asian guy that actually grew up for a while on a farm in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a white family, so actually that was my principal identity in my youth. I didn't grow up speaking Chinese at all, but was relegated to the same character options as other Asians, so when I got to Hollywood was a very strange and isolating feeling. 

Willis Wu’s journey to break out of stereotypical roles mirrors what many actors face. How do you see this series helping to address or reshape the narrative around Asian representation in Hollywood?

I'm delighted that Charlie wrote such a well-received novel, and then Hulu took a leap in bringing it to life. I think the central drive with Willis’ journey is to see how other ethnicities outside of the establishment can be heroes, with their own hopes and dreams. The setting of ‘Interior Chinatown’ focuses on the quiet desperation of its residents within, and how they are just trying to make their way in the world, the same as everybody else, not just the invisible waiters that bring you food when you eat in Chinatown.

The show is described as a surreal action-comedy, blending humor with deeper social commentary. How do you feel this unique approach enhances the story, and were there any comedic or action scenes that stood out to you?

The show has often been described by others as a metaphysical journey. The comedy of the show provides great entertainment value, and the drama anchors it with its sentimental, and I hope what is a thought-provoking and social commentary of society at large. 

There is a scene where Willis's character gets thrown into a vat of spicy oil and to be honest, when I first read it in the script, I thought it was gonna be a little silly and hokey, but actually it's one of my favorite scenes of the series, and that it really well illustrates in a heartfelt way the growth challenges that we can face in our personal journeys. 

You’ve had a successful career, starring also in shows like ‘CSI’ and ‘Chicago PD’, yet you often found yourself playing the “generic Asian man” or reserved tech roles. How did those experiences shape your career and your aspirations as an actor?

I ended up moving to China and worked exclusively in the Chinese market for about 5 and a half years, and came back just in time for Covid. It was about the time that my feeling disconnected from my own ethnic heritage, which was frustrating, and the initial impetus for my move was to not only learn Chinese, but also learn about being Chinese. Unfortunately, right out of the gate, I was offered opportunities to play romantic interests, and heroes in projects where I didn't even speak Mandarin at the time, which was an interesting reflection for me. Having an Asian face in Hollywood was more of a liability than my inability to speak the local language in China.

However, you can only know certain things once you've had enough distance in your rearview mirror, and I wouldn't be able to have taken on ‘Interior Chinatown’ had I not gone to China and learned to speak Mandarin. So I guess everything worked out just the way it should have.

Growing up on a farm in rural Pennsylvania and attending George Mason University in Washington D.C., did you always envision a career in acting? What inspired you to pursue this path?

Never had I thought about being an actor when I was younger, and when I came to Los Angeles, I initially planned to go to law school.  But as fate would have it, when the opportunity to do some modeling and shoot some commercials presented itself, it just simply looked like more fun than studying all day. Eventually acting became a career instead of just a hobby.

Alongside your acting career, you’re deeply committed to transformative housing through your nonprofit, Homes 4 the Homeless. Can you tell us more about what inspired you to start this organization and about its mission?

The family on the farm that took me in and raised me for the early formative years when my mom was having severe financial hardships is in many ways what's compelled me to support the potential of those who will be the future, because that family did the same for me. 

With our non-profit we’re not only building transformative housing, but also fostering vocational training opportunities for disadvantaged youth, so they can have a skill set they can take into the world to make themselves viable in the workforce. We've seen them not only be able to provide for themselves and become more financially sound, but along the way, seen them develop self-respect and self-esteem, which is probably even more valuable.

What are your long-term goals for Homes 4 the Homeless, and how do you envision the organization evolving over the next few years?

We have outreach in different communities across the world, not just here in the States. We’re partnered with Bloomberg, Habitat for Humanity, The Lime Foundation, Defining Humanity, and so many others in various territories. In South America we recently raised funding for a school in Columbia, and we’re fostering mental health programs in Africa. We are still growing, and certainly so much of our impact is only possible through the incredible volunteer efforts of those that have come to lend their time and talents to our cause.

How has your work in philanthropy influenced or informed your career in entertainment? Do you see parallels between the two?

I don't know how much of a parallel I see between philanthropy and entertainment, but certainly the more of a platform you have, the more visible your efforts can be. The underlying and governing motivation for me is simply time. I love the entertainment industry because it allows me to try to carve out as many lifetimes into one as I can, and also philanthropy because if you have the time to help, I think in many ways there is a moral obligation to do so because our time here is limited.

Outside of acting and philanthropy, what are some of your personal passions or hobbies? What do you enjoy doing when you’re not on set or working on your nonprofit?

The thing that makes me happy is when I can say that I actually don't really realize when I'm working and when I'm playing, it just all kind of blends together. So in that regard, I never feel like I have to switch something on or off, I just enjoy the pursuit of building things, whether they be stories or homes or various business pursuits. But these days it seems like golf and Pickleball are certainly getting some more time in.

After ‘Interior Chinatown’, what is coming up next for you? What can you share with us about your upcoming projects?

I have various projects set up with different production companies, here and abroad, and there’s one that I am particularly looking forward to that is something I hope I'll be able to speak about more soon.

TEAM CREDITS:
photography SELA SHILONI
styling JAY HINES
grooming KIMBERLY BRAGALONE