Photo by David Zheng
We had an amazing opportunity to chat with James Chen about Marvel’s “Iron Fist” and other major appearances. He’s an awesome guy and wonderful talent that shared his thoughts on acting and the importance of inclusion. Check out the interview below.
Hi, James! Thank you for granting the interview. Congrats on your role as Samuel Chung in Netflix/Marvel “Iron Fist” series. What should the audience expect to see?
Thanks so much! I am very excited and excited for you all to see it! Definitely a lot of great action, which I think is safe to say the show amped it up from last season. There are a lot of characters from the local Chinatown world that are introduced this season, giving the place where Colleen and Danny live and work an authentic feel and immersion. Also, it goes a developed presence and humanity to the people of the community. Old alliances get complicated or break down and new ones form with new entities on the scene. There is some pretty cool development with the power of the iron fist that I think everyone will love!
Since it’s rumored your role is loosely based on the comic book version, who is known as the vigilante superhero ‘Blindspot,’ what characteristics are shared between the two Sam’s?
Sam is loyal, hard-working, committed to helping and protecting his community through his work at Bayard and his assisting of Danny and Colleen. He feels personally responsible for their safety and is resourceful in times of emergency.
Tell us about your character. Who is he? What is his personality like?
I think Sam is deeply connected to the needs and stories of the individuals and families that come through the Bayard Community Center for help. They help to get them on their feet in a new country, learning a language, employment opportunity, struggling with a new culture or financial debt, or in more dire cases, the threat of danger from local gangs… He sees their sufferings first hand and undoubtedly empathizes with their experiences.
I think this is what drives Sam to work so tirelessly and selflessly at the community center, where he befriends Colleen Wing as she volunteers there. He admires and respects her a lot and is really struck by her. He thinks she’s really special… watch episode 2 and tell me if you think there’s chemistry there!
I think Sam has a great sense of humor and has a knack for connecting with people, getting a sense of who they are.
With the importance of representation at a high, is it a challenge to play him? Did you pull from experience?
I think I approached this role like any other, taking the majority of my impressions and interpretation from the text, what he says and does, and what others say about him. Regarding representation, I think where we’re at with Asian American representation is moving past mere inclusion (i.e. appearances on screen) into proper development where these characters can be seen as full three-dimension human beings. Where we learn about their past, see how they think and feel about important decisions, and are able to track their journey via their relationships with other characters and the through-line of the plot.
I have volunteered in the past to work with Chinatown high school students in after-school SAT prep programs and I certainly had the experience to draw upon investing in the success of the Chinatown community.
How did you get the role?
Having previously auditioned for a role or two for season 2 already, I’d gotten an appointment to go in for a character named Jackson Liu (a fake name to keep things under wraps as Marvel is known to do). I actually was quite busy at that time and could only submit a tape. A friend helped me late one night and it was one of those situations where you felt the dialogue naturally synced with your own rhythm, and it all felt quite a natural fit. Over the course of the next few weeks, I’d heard there was interest in me for the role, eventually being booked for it and shooting soon after the 2017 holidays.
What is going to surprise people about Sam?
Sam’s very resourceful, he pays attention to everything that’s going on though he may not reveal it to you at first.
Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite line of dialogue and why?
Actually, one of my favorite lines is one that got cut… it was from my first scene in the season, episode 2, while Colleen and I are setting up for casino night at Bayard. She makes a joke/reference from the movie Chinatown (“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.”) to which I respond, “I’m more of a romcom guy.” I just love the Sam-Colleen teasing banter.
When looking back on the production, what resonated with you the most and why?
Honestly, it was the inclusion and development of so many Asian American actors and characters from the Chinatown world where Danny and Colleen operate. Long-time New York actor friends who I’ve known and worked with for years, such as Christine Toy-Johnson, Marcus Ho, David Shih, James Liao to name a few, make great appearances and have wonderful moments on screen. They’re great actors and they had an opportunity to sink their teeth into some juicy material. I’m very proud of them, and I’m proud of Iron Fist for their attention towards that inclusion.
In your opinion, what scene in the series is going to blow people away and why?
Oh man… in a season with many twists, turns, revelations, explosive fight scenes, and dramatic character arcs… I think the last 5 minutes of the series (that’s episode 10 for those counting)… a bit of an epilogue I guess… had me going nuts watching it!
What did you enjoy most about your character and role?
I really love Sam and Colleen’s rapport, it’s such a nice and fun mix of friendship, teasing, work, wit, humor, and chemistry. I love how there feels like there’s so much more Sam would like to say to Colleen but never gets around to it.
What are your other upcoming projects?
Dick Wolf’s new show, FBI, will be premiering on CBS September 25th! It’s another exciting and compelling drama from the guy who made Law & Order such an NY staple. It has a gritty cinematic feel, and these FBI cases have an even higher-stakes, urgent and international quality to them. It’s been a dream to work with our directors, crew, and especially leads, Missy Peregrym and Zeeko Zaki, who are incredible actors and people. I can’t wait for you to see it.
I also recently worked with Tracy Morgan on the 2nd season of The Last O.G. which was obviously incredible and I just hope some of my improvs made it to the final cut. And I also had the true joy and pleasure of working with two of my idols — Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson — on their show Broad City, which Abbi was directing. Such amazingly talented and inspiring creators. Both should come out next year in the spring.
Currently, I’m working on Madam Secretary, where I get to join the crazy rich Asian crowd playing a Japanese-American billionaire! The wardrobe fittings alone for those have been absolutely amazing. That will air in November this Fall and it will be a character to remember!
[su_youtube_advanced url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqGFInaslQk”]
What do you enjoy most about acting?
I think it’s being able to apply a natural curiosity for human behavior towards creating something. Also being able to use my imagination in collaboration with others in creating a story is just a dream come true. On the film and theater end of acting, it’s amazing to go into the rehearsal process with a creative team and explore story and character with everyone united to make this production — it takes a village.
What was the last movie you watched and why?
The last movie I watched was Mission Impossible: Fallout. I love action movies, and I think Tom Cruise is an incredible performer. The fact that he does all his own (insane) stunts never cease to amaze me. Plus I wanted to see what all this Henry Cavill mustache drama was about!
Is there a role you would like to play one day?
Several! Richard II, Prince Hal, Henry V (can you tell I like the history plays?) and of course Hamlet. I think also the role that I want to play isn’t written yet, but it would be the equivalent of a Walter White from Breaking Bad. The depth of being able to explore that character and all the conflicts built into his situation is incredible. Can someone please tap Vince Gilligan and make it happen? Thanks!
[su_youtube_advanced url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvvWB0GwCek”]How important is representation in the industry?
It’s everything. In these times we live in, I feel empathy is so needed to help us bridge those conflicts we see in the news every day. Without representation, all we know of other people are the limited one-dimensional stereotypes written by others. This leads to really unfair and inaccurate assumptions on a whole group of people without even having met them. So for starters, accurate humane representation helps to reverse the harmful stereotypes, prejudice, and bullying we come across every day.
On another level, there is a very real phenomenon known as Symbolic Annihilation in which studies have shown that the exclusion of people who look like you from the narratives told in your culture (whether it’s TV, film, theater, cartoons, storybooks, etc) consciously and unconsciously sends the message that “I don’t matter”. This leads to incredible damage towards one’s self-image and self-worth. When Asian audiences across the country were in tears upon seeing an all Asian-American cast in Crazy Rich Asians, it was common for them to be surprised by how moved they were to finally SEE themselves represented as main characters. Growing up in a culture that promotes your absence it’s often unbeknownst to even yourself how badly you were starved to see yourself portrayed with dignity versus perfunctory demeaning stereotypes.
On yet another level… enough is enough and it’s just freakin’ time already! Networks and execs are finally picking up on the common consensus and demand for diversity and inclusion in the stories told. We know it’s the right thing to do, and thankfully it’s slowly beginning to change.
If you didn’t choose acting as your career, what would you be doing and why?
Great question… English teacher? Amateur poet and chef… who also does research for sustainable energy.
What’s your favorite quote/affirmation and why?
Attitude is everything.
Complete this sentence. If I could do anything in this world, I would be doing . . .
I think I’m already doing it and continuing to work towards doing it at the highest levels of the craft and business.
How can people connect with you on social media?
Instagram: @jameschennyc
Twitter: @jamesCchen
Facebook: @JamesChenActor
Featured Image Credit: David Zheng.
About Author
