Brian Doe Chua found his calling after realizing that the cartoon characters he watched didn’t actually live inside his parent’s TV. After being bitten by the acting bug, he has been walking that path ever since.
Perhaps best known for lending his voice to the characters, the actor has also been developing a portfolio of live-action work that includes the FOX TV series Wayward Pines, and the CW Network’s Supergirl to go along with various independent film projects that can be seen at film festivals around the world. We had the pleasure to speak with him about his career and current projects.
Thank you for agreeing to catch up with Occhi Magazine. What drew you to a career in acting?
I had an elementary school teacher who, on my last day of class before going off to high school, really encouraged me to look into taking drama as an elective as a way to express myself. I eventually became very immersed in the art
s when I was in school, being a part of the drama, band, and choir programs. Growing up in Vancouver, I learned about the Vancouver voice acting community, and how while it was very competitive, there was an opportunity to explore a career path. In addition to being involved in the arts at my school, I started recording myself on a desktop microphone and just practiced. I read aloud, imitated, and explored different sounds. The more I practiced, the more fun I had and I just kept going. I haven’t looked back since.
Who were your early influences and how did they impact your career?
I watched a lot of cartoons growing up, and so I draw a lot of inspiration from animation – both past and present. I’ve also been lucky in that I’ve had a lot of great mentors at the start of my career, and throughout. They’ve helped me stay focused and humble. I remember being encouraged when I was starting out to just stick with it and keep going, keep working on your craft, and don’t worry about all the outside noise. Another piece of advice that I really appreciated was that ”you don’t need to be liked by everyone in the industry. You’re not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but stay consistent and you’ll eventually find your people.”
You’re best known for your voice acting on several popular shows including My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, and Ying Zheng in the anime series Kingdom. Can you share with us how you approach an animated character; how is the methodology different to live action work?
I treat the majority of acting as exactly that – regardless of the medium of performance, it’s acting. Yeah, there are different tools that are required (camera technique versus mic technique for example), but for the most part, I’m going to create and explore a character the same way. I try to be very aware of the world that I’m playing in as well. For example, playing in the world of the DC Animated Universe is going to be very different from playing in the world of Bikini Bottom (Spongebob). It’s the same with live action – auditioning for a Hallmark Christmas movie is very different from reading for a network CW series.
Who is your favourite animated character of all time, and why?
Bugs Bunny has a special place in my heart, mostly for nostalgic reasons. I grew up watching a lot of Looney Tunes as a kid. Another character that comes to mind is Aang from Avatar: The last Airbender. I think his backstory and through-line throughout the series is very rich and he learns and develops throughout the story. That show was really good at teaching valuable lessons to its audience without feeling forced.
Tell us more about your live-action work. You’ve appeared in the FOX TV series Wayward Pines, the CW network’s Supergirl, and several indie film productions. What are you currently working on?
I’ve had the pleasure of working on a number of projects in live-action. I really enjoy working on a network television series, but working on independent film is always a real treat. In my experience, it’s usually a bunch of people in the film community coming together to tell a story. A lot of members of the community are happy to support each other’s passion projects. A highlight of mine was working on an indie short film called “The Star of Therapy”, which highlights a number of mental health themes. It did really well on the film festival circuit worldwide. As for current projects, I have an episode on the TV series Family Law that’s coming up. More details will be out soon!
Name the top three people in the industry you’d love to work with, and why?
That’s really tough. I think the world of so many of the voice actors in our industry. I’d love to work with Eric Bauza at some point – he just recently won an Emmy for voicing Bugs Bunny in Looney Tunes. We met very briefly a few years ago, and he was so welcoming and generous with his time. Other names that come to mind are Steve Blum and Jennifer Hale – two powerhouses that have been around for a long time.
What other projects are in the pipeline?
I’m currently working on a number of projects that are set to be released later this year and in 2024. While I can’t talk about them yet, I’ll be sure to keep everyone posted!
Where can our readers find out more about you?
You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram, at @BrianDoeChua.
https://twitter.com/BrianDoeChua
https://www.instagram.com/briandoechua/?next=%2F
Photograph by Kristine Cofsky / The Portrait Sessions.
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