Kallie Hu is an actress and dancer, born in Vancouver, BC. The youngest daughter of Chinese immigrants, Kallie started dancing at age of four. She trained and competed across North America while completing a Cognitive Systems degree at the University of British Columbia. Kallie’s plans to enroll in a master’s program in Barcelona were derailed after she booked her first dance role in Disney’s Descendants 2 (directed by Kenny Ortega and choreographed by Tony Testa) before a serendipitous crossover into acting. Since then, she has never looked back. We had the opportunity to talk to Kallie about her career and current projects, including Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, currently on Paramount Plus.
Thank you for agreeing to catch up with Occhi Magazine. For readers unfamiliar with your background, please tell us what drew you to a career in the arts
Thank you so much for having me, Erica.
My mom always knew I had a knack for the arts, so she registered me in a fine arts preschool when I was 4; it was basically drawing and finger painting instead of math, which was what my brother got (laughs). That’s where I started dancing (the typical ballet, tap, jazz combo), drawing, and taking piano lessons. I had to admit, I hated it all when I started. I would cry and cry and cry as the tiny tot I was, but as I grew older, the arts became my strength and I was soon traveling across North America taking conventions and competing. I also started dancing with the hip-hop dance crew Illest Vibe and competed with them internationally.
I was also always dancing throughout high school, so much so that I barely had time to try acting, although I always loved drama classes. In the rare instances where I was able to sneak away from dance rehearsals, I joined the school play (and was cast as the equivalent to Tree #2) and the school improv team (we came last in almost every competition). It wasn’t until I booked my first dance gig after university that I found my agent and made more of a full transition into acting, a craft I have fallen deeply in love with.
Please recall your experiences and expectations working with Kenny Ortega and Tony Testa on Disney’s Descendants 2
This was the job that changed it all for me. It was the August after I graduated from university (I have a degree in Cognitive Systems from the University of British Columbia, with a minor in Commerce), and I had just been accepted into a 1-year Master’s program in Barcelona that started in September. However, when the open call for Disney’s Descendant’s 2 popped up on Facebook, I knew I had to give it one more shot.
Until then, I had been attending open call after open call and hadn’t booked a thing. But I remember following Tony Testa’s story back in high school in the monthly subscription I had to Dance Spirit Magazine and knew I owed it to myself to give it my all. The audition really focused on storytelling and character, strengths of mine from a young age, and I knew I could nail it. And I did. Working the job itself was absolutely incredible. I remember the first time Kenny walked into the studio. We all stood there so nervous and excited as he shared his vision for the movie. I also remember watching Tony’s work—his exploration was so thoughtful, his process was so diligent, and he really led by example. I carry a lot of what I learned from that project onto others, be that as an actress or dancer.
Who were your early influencers and how did they impact your career?
Disney’s Descendants 2 was the first time I had the honor of working with Louise Hradsky and Jeffery Mortensen who were assisting Tony on the film. They are undeniable forces in the industry who have breathed life into epic dance numbers on the biggest projects, including Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. As individuals, they have incredible careers and have built them through years of hard work, dedication, patience, and creative endurance. Working with them, I always admired how they carried themselves with grace and strength, and I feel very fortunate to have had them as some of the earliest influencers in my career. We’ve worked on several shows since D2, and I look forward to many more to come.
In terms of acting, I’m grateful to have had amazing teachers kick my butt and drill in the importance of hard work and dedication from the beginning. Deb Podowski, Aaron Craven, and Kate Isaac have been pivotal coaches in my acting training, and they continue to push me every single day by the examples they lead.
Your career includes performances on several popular tv series, including Showtime’s Yellowjackets, The CW’s The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Charmed Of your many roles, is there one you’re most proud of, and if so, why?
I’m quite proud of the work that went into attaining each role and the work that went into the execution of each of them. It feels that the skills for auditioning—technique, efficiency, perseverance, patience—and the skills for being on set—professionalism, awareness, value-adding, teamwork—have to be honed and iterated upon over and over. It’s challenging, it’s exciting, and it’s hard. So, when you get that role you know it’s that hard work that’s gotten you there. When you get the next role, you know it was built off the last. I am so proud of the work that has gotten me here, and to every role along the way, be that across Melanie Lynskey (Yellow Jackets), besides Heather Graham (Love, Guaranteed), or being directed by Gina Rodriguez (Charmed).
As with other industries, film and television work has many highs and lows. Have there been any particular chapters in your career that have changed your appreciation of the industry?
This industry has always been magical to me: All the moving parts, the gears that turn, and the pulleys that move. All the stress, worry, and pivoting that happens behind the scenes…Somehow, it all turns into a movie, a series, a real-life story. Coming home from the set of The Flash, my first acting role, or Descendants 2, I’d just lie in bed with the biggest grin on my face. Years later, I still had that feeling coming home from the set of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. Sometimes you forget you’re creating a whole other world, something that was plucked out from someone’s head and onto a page. Then, you remember and realize you’re doing one of the coolest jobs in the world. Yes, there are highs and lows, and I acknowledge the higher the highs, the lower the lows, but sometimes you just need to remember why you’re doing it all. As you move through the chapters in your career, you find more sustainable ways to take care of yourself, so you can give back to these worlds that need to be made.
Audiences can see you in Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. Please tell us about your role and what audiences can expect.
The series takes place in 1954, four years before the original Grease movie. It’s about four misfits who decide to be game changers in their own lives, having fun on their own terms and making waves that will forever change Rydell High. Audiences should be in for an absolute treat. The showrunner, Annabel Oakes, and executive producer/director Alethea Jones have poured their hearts and souls into this, along with our *outstanding* cast and crew. The show also features incredible choreography by Jamal Sims (who also directed!), and a killer soundtrack by GRAMMY nominee Justin Tranter. I really can’t wait for the world to see what we’ve created, and to bop to all these catchy tunes!
Your character acknowledges how much harder she has to work to keep her footing through the ups and downs of school, boys, and friendship. What drew you to this role?
Because we’re telling this story from where we stand today, it allows the show to explore points of view that weren’t spotlighted in the original Grease. As such, a character like Peg helps us explore what someone in her situation and ethnicity would do to survive and thrive in a school such as Rydell. Peg has a lot going on under the surface, and I loved filling in her background using instances from my own upbringing and stories I’ve heard from my mother growing up. It almost felt like I was selecting different colored pencil crayons in order to shade her in on paper—How did she get here, and what is she willing to do to stay?
What other projects are in the pipeline?
I’m not able to say at this moment, but there are some exciting things in the pipeline. Though they’re not on the docket, I would love to work on shows such as The Last of Us or The Boys: Gen V. I’ve been working on my superhero landings.
Where can our readers find out more about you?
IG: @kalliehu_
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