The actor Adrian Dev gained a recurring role in HBO’s Westworld that shifted his acting career to the next level. Adrian’s good fortune includes roles in TV and film on projects such as CBS’ Seal Team, Netflix’s Medal Of Honor, VICE and Laugh Mobb. Now we can look forward to seeing him in Disney’s live-action feature Mulan as Red Fire Rouran coming to theaters in 2020. We had the pleasure of speaking to him about his career and what’s next on his agenda.
Hi Adrian, Thank you for granting the interview. Congratulations on your career so far. How did you get into acting?
It’s been a long and interesting journey, I actually grew up doing a little bit of everything like drama, choir, and orchestra, so I’ve always had a love for the arts. My first play was in Chittick Elementary’s production of Grease!. It’s one of my all-time favorite musicals, and eventually, in college, I ended up with TV production as my major. I started working in Hollywood in different aspects of the industry occasionally doing PA and Stand-In work; I PA’d on a project executive produced by James Franco and his production company. It was a great experience that taught me a lot about the inner-workings of moviemaking. I noticed more and more the commonality of great actors was great personalities and I’m not one to brag but it made me think: Damn, I have a good personality…and multiple ones at that…so I can be an actor too.
You appeared in HBO’s Westworld. What was it like behind the scenes and how has it impacted your career?
Westworld was great! There are so many great people involved in the cast and crew. Behind the scenes, the hours were long. Originally I came on for a three-day call of night shoots and they ended up bringing me back on-and-off for 6 months! Although the long hours were tough, they were so rewarding, as I got the chance to work with some real titans in the industry from our directors and showrunners to our VFX team…so many talented individuals involved with a love for film. It was hard to come to set and not feel inspired everyday!
Westworld featured some big-name actors such as Sir Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, and Thandie Newton. Are there any actors or industry moguls you’d be overwhelmed to work with?
I don’t know if I would be overwhelmed working with someone in the industry but honestly, my inner child and film nerd would freak out if I got a chance to share the screen with Jim Carrey or Johnny Depp! I had a chance to meet Depp at the last Pirates premiere at Chinese Theatre and that was an awesome moment! I learned quickly in the industry that everyone is pretty much a fan of everyone when it comes to great acting. Whether it was playing ping pong with Ray Romano and Kumail Nanjiani on set, or late nights with Ed Harris out in Santa Clarita during out night shoots, or watching Soderbergh direct VICE, I think these moments all showed me I am exactly where I need to be.
You’ve been involved in several projects, including Disney’s highly anticipated Mulan. Please tell us more about the film and what we can expect.
I think Mulan is going to force everyone to reconsider how they look at remakes or retelling of classic Disney films. Disney’s attention to detail is second-to-none from my experiences on set. The fight rehearsals and choreography along with the training we received for it from our AD Kevin (who also worked on Westworld) were unparalleled. The funny thing is when I was first getting involved with the project I thought I was agreeing to be in some random Asian film that needed martial artists called Phoenix. It wasn’t until after my first fitting in one of the hair and makeup trailers that I saw my friend Doua, who I already knew was playing Po, that I realized what I had become part of. It was the experience of a lifetime getting to work on a project with one of the greatest studios of all time.
You’ve made appearances in both film and television. To date, what has been your career highlights, and why?
Working on a full season of Westworld is up there. Seeing all the places it has taken me, and the connections and friends it has made me in the industry, it has been an extremely rewarding experience. Christopher Nolan coming to visit us on set was pretty epic, especially being the biggest Dark Night fan out there. Additionally, presenting at the National Film And TV awards and sharing moments with William H Macy and so many other talented individuals was also such a great time. I think it’s all a highlight honestly, I love acting and the places it can take you. As a film nerd, I take in every movement I’ve ever spent on a set and remember it and let it continue to mold me into a better and more well-rounded artist.
Do you have anything else in the pipeline we can look forward to?
I have a couple of indie features in the past year that are wrapping up post-production, and I’ve been auditioning for several great projects while continuing to get better at my craft! Thinking about this question, you should ask my agent Jonathon at SLA! In my spare time, I like to travel with my family. My girlfriend Kristi Tucker and I have a 6-year-old son, Brodie, so that’s always an adventure…
So where can we keep up to date with your activities?
You can find me on both Twitter and Instagram at @iamadriandev. If you like to know where the best places to eat are in LA, definitely follow along on my Instagram story.
Thanks for the tip. Best wishes!
Photos courtesy of Paisley Creative Co
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