Asian-American actor Parry Shen has had a long 10-years in the acting business. Starting off in a low-budget Full Moon film back in the late 90's to more mainsteam projects like Better Luck Tomorrow and the upcoming Hatchet. You've most likely seen Parry on TV, where hes had roles in classic Buffy episodes to the more recent Veronica Mars. Parry speaks with UHM's Dan Walton (Master of Horror) on his career and what its like to be an ethnic actor in Hollywood. Read on!
CONDUCTED BY: Dan AKA Master of Horror
EDITED BY: FrighT MasteR
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON: 1/20/07
What inspired you to get into acting?
Being a latchkey kid, I was basically brought up watching a lot of television and films and I think that medium of storytelling sort of sank in. When I played with my G.I.Joe’s, I would set up these great adventures for them to go on; almost like a little play. The story would always begin with the G.I. Joe’s winning a battle to show their team work and introduce their specialties. Then one of the G.I. Joes would get captured and then finally the G.I. Joe’s come up with a plan to overcome the obstacle and win back their team-mate. I later discovered in a screenwriting class, that’s a standard 3 act story –
But it was just engrained into me from soaking in the tube.
Also, every time I watched Indiana Jones, I wanted to be an archaeologist. Then when I saw “Backdraft”, I wanted to be a firefighter. Seeing “Karate Kid” made me want to learn Karate. “21 Jumpstreet” made me want to become a detective. “Doogie Howser, MD” made me want to go to med school. While looking at all the pre-med courses I would have to take in order to become a doctor, it was then that I began to catch on that I wanted to portray these characters as opposed to actually pursue their respective lines of work.
From the film Shrieker in 1997 to now -- how do you feel about your career so far?
I’ve had a solid career thus far. Ten years later and I’m still here doin’ it. I’m not as “big” as I would have imagined starting out but as they say, “Even if you shoot for the moon and miss, you’re still among the stars”. I’ve done a few projects that have really moved some people and I can’t discount that. I’m still learning and growing stronger the more I do it. So it really is an ongoing journey. On the whole, I feel very fortunate.
Aside from film, you’ve also had appearances in various television shows, which show do you feel was the best experience?
I enjoyed my latest stint on FX’s “Thief” – just because I’m usually cast as the nice boy-next-door and my character, Shrimp Boy, was the total opposite – being a punk gangster with a foul mouth.
Which do you enjoy more, TV or film?
I enjoy the slower pace of film. I like developing the character’s arc over the course of a month as opposed to eight days. Since there are little discoveries you make each day with the role, you can add them in the next scene’s performance to ‘fix’ and round out the character more in a film.
Now, your filmography has horror and sci-fi films, are you a fan? If so, which films would you consider to be your favorites? 
I’m an escapist at heart which is why I’m in this business, so the horror and sci-fi genres are right up there for me. Through all I ask is that there is a level of realism despite the genre – where the characters aren’t just playing the genre. For example, I can’t stand any genre film where the characters are so desensitized from seeing a dead body flop in front of them just because they’re in a horror film. A dead, life-less carcass has just flopped in
front of you — freakout accordingly!! So with that said, “Shaun of the Dead” has got a lot of heart despite the genre and that’s why it rings true with the audience probably figuring they’d react the same way if zombies started popped up. Also, the "Saw" series and "The Hills Have Eyes". In the sci-fi genre, “Back to the Future”, “Frequency” and "Gattaca" are my favorites.
Tell us a bit about Hatchet and your role in the film?
I play Shawn – the Cajun tour boat guide. The other characters in the film join my swamp tour where I introduce to them the local legend of Victor Crowley aka HatchetFace… a deformed man who still wanders the swamp after being accidentally killed with a Hatchet to the face by his father. When the swamp boat gets marooned due to my incompetence – that’s when the bad stuff starts to happen.
How did you feel about the project when you read for the part?
The fact that this Chinese character spoke in a heavy Southern Black accent (think Michael Clarke Duncan) when he’s first introduced, automatically set it apart from roles I’ve portrayed in the past. But there was a latter part of the role that I wasn’t too keen upon, where a Chinese Accent came into play. But Adam and I figured out a solution where it remains true to his original vision and characterization while still maintaining a progressive representation of an Asian character on screen that we’ve never seen before.
Many fans and critics are claiming that Hatchet is the return to old school horror -- would you agree?
Most definitely. On paper it seemed like your standard horror fare. But I really started to get a hint of that when I heard the actors at the table read and when Adam had us on set. All the prosthetics and lack of green screen were something new. It was fun sitting in the audience with horror purists when we screened at the Tribeca Film Festival… fans practically having an orgasm over the kills.
Another film people are looking forward to is The Gene Generation, can you tell us about it?
It’s set in a dark future, think “The Crow” meets “Blade Runner” where the rampant crime is people hacking your DNA. I play the troubled, petty thief little brother of the actress, Bai Ling. Her character is an assassin battling the DNA Hackers while trying to keep me out of trouble at the same time. When I stumble upon a hacking device, I get
propelled into the very world she fights everyday. The website's: www.genegeneration.com
What kind of projects do you seek out?
I’m not at a point in my career where I can be too choosey, but I’d say I try to find stuff that challenges me both as an actor and an Asian-American.
In the early part of my career I was adamant that all it took was to be a good actor and be an actor who just happened to be Asian. But unfortunately even though I tried to keep race out of it, the roles I would be auditioning for/offered -- weren’t allowing me to do that. They were all very one-dimensional and stereotypical. I’d always play the side-kick or some awkward tech guy without a love interest. So any role that is progressive for an Asian character or that I can make a progressive character, I’m game for. I pass on the characters that don’t really contribute in moving the story along or that are unsalvageable in terms of stereotypes.
Hollywood can sometimes be a hard place for ethnic actors.
I just want to preface that I despise playing the race card but it is something that exists. And the more folks that are conscious of it (producers, writers, audience goers), the little bit better things will hopefully become. And I’m fully aware that ALL actors of ANY race each have their own obstacles. But since this is my interview and I’m Asian, here is what I go through:
There was a study done by the authors of “Freakanomics” where they polled online dating of white women. They statistically found that white women preferred white men and then conducted a study on how much more money a man would have to make before
he became popular to women of another race. For Hispanic Men it was if they made $77k+ more, Black Men if they made $154k+ and Asian Men if they made $247k+.
Where does that reaction come from? I think it largely comes from the cycle of what’s portrayed and reinforced on TV/Films. It’s a tough fact to ignore when the only time I get to audition for a certain TV show is when it’s the “Chinatown Gangster Episode” or
that tech guy who is awkward around women. All those images tickle down to the audience (both Asian and non) who subconsciously eat up those perceptions and act accordingly. And what you get is women of all races who don’t have an idea of a sexy or cool Asian guy. And this image gets re-written into more TV shows/Films because it’s what all the producers and writers also observe/perceive on other Films. The vicious cycle.
What kind of projects can we expect to see from you in the future?
I’ve got an appearance on Veronica Mars and then “Hatchet” and “The Gene Generation” hopefully later in the year.
What advice would you have for aspiring actors looking to break into the film industry?
Treat your career like a business and do one thing a day towards your career. Whether it’s taking classes, reading a play, working out or studying a movie. Over the course of a year, you’ll have done 365 things toward the larger goal. And everyday that you don’t
do something… well, those days slowly add up as well. I've also been compiling a lot of stuff/advice for actors in my FAQ section on www.parryshen.com.
Special thanks goes out to Parry Shen for the interview and my buddy Brian "Horror Pimp" Harris.
