Meet Eve Zhao | Actress/Dancer/Model

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eve Zhao and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eve, we’d love to hear more about your end-goal, professionally.

What’s really fascinating about my job as an actor is that this is an ongoing journey and adventure – You never know where your career’s taking you, and that truly is the best part. It has allowed me to stay passionate and thrilled about the future, the next adventure that I’m going to take, the next character’s life that I’m going to live. And so, instead of giving that journey a destination, I’d rather spend my life exploring all the possibilities, not fearing getting too far from the main path – To put it another way, I want to try all different flavors of chocolate in that box of “life”. This journey itself is my goal, and all I wish for as an actor.

Other than that, it’s also my goal and responsibility as an artist to bring a story to real life that’d hopefully make a difference on an individual, communal, or societal level. That being said, if at some point in my career, my performance could bridge the gap between different cultures and backgrounds and can be resonated with and reciprocated by a fair group of people regardless of where they come from, that would be the moment that I feel I’ve filled my duty and could actually live up to that title professionally.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment that really triggered my desire to be an actor. It seems to have just been living inside me since I was a child – imitating dialogue and movements from TV, film or any media that I had access to. Looking back now, I would say it just runs in the blood – My grandparents used to work at a local theater back in my hometown, and I’d always sneak behind the drapes to see how they rehearse and prepare for the show, how they do daily warm-up and vocal training.

I remember I was so mesmerized by how different these people look, behave and carry themselves on the stage that I just forgot that these are people I know so well in real life. I can’t help but cry what they cry, laugh what they laugh. And it felt like waking up from a sweet dream when curtain dropped, lights back on and people all rose to applaud. That’s my first time realizing how much acting could affect me and the idea of being an actor has ever since rooted in me and never changed.

Despite my desire of becoming an actor, I grew up following the conventional trajectory, cuz just like other kids of my age, I wanted to live up to my family’s expectations and made them proud. So I quitted my dance and other performance classes and was fully dedicated to school through my adolescence, with that childhood dream buried at the very bottom of my heart. I once believed that this was going to be my life until I moved to Australia where I was able to fully immerse myself into western culture, and develop my interest in acting while keep practicing my craft from working on indie films. It was that experience that really opened the world of acting to me and that’s when I finally decided to pursue what my real passion had led me to.

Aside from my unique experience of getting my foot into acting, my background in filmmaking also has a profound impact on my career, especially for film acting which is my major focus right now. Unlike a lot of actors coming from pure theater background, I’m more familiar with the way film sets function and therefore, could quickly adjust myself to the environment and bring out my best performing state. My background in filmmaking has also allowed me to see things on both sides, from behind and in front of the camera so I could understand the instructions from the director better and could process them and adjust my performance accordingly. It has made the communication and collaboration process a lot easier, and I’m truly grateful for that.

It’s also inevitable for actors to confront challenges and barriers in their journey. The way I chose to handle that is to keep training – to continuously strengthen my acting skills, like attending workshops and taking acting classes. Everything takes practice, and by continuously learning and applying theories to actual performance, and embodying that whole process in my daily life, I’ve naturally learned to approach characters in a more authentic and organic way.

At the same time, I never stop nurturing my acting qualities from reading, watching movies, traveling and going out to meet different people. Maggie Cheung once said that her inspiration for acting comes from traveling, watching people and observing life and feeling life, and it’s the same for me – Traveling has allowed me to see, to question, to acknowledge and to understand the world and myself, so whenever I feel I’m stuck or drained, I’d always give myself a break, so I could go out and get rejuvenated in a different environment.

Along this journey, I also learned one of the most important lessons in my life as an artist, which is to believe in yourself. Acting is hard—Unlike other jobs, what we’re facing is ourselves. You need to face a lot of imperfections, insecurities, and fears all from yourself, but if you could get over them all and eventually stand in front of the real you, you’ll be surprised by how far you’ve already gone.

I was greatly encouraged by what Kate Winslet once said that we shouldn’t listen to anyone who has ever tried to put us down, no matter it’s a teacher, a friend, or even a parent. Because as we walk through this world, this is going to happen a lot and to walk as a performer, we’re going to hear even more. Therefore, I just want to say, to anyone who wants to have a life acting, to those who have found their way or are still trying to figure things out, me myself included, that no matter what others say, don’t listen to any of it, don’t doubt, listen to your heart, believe and focus on yourself, and just keep going.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

New York is truly a tricky place to make an itinerary for – I simply don’t know where to start because there’s SO much to do, to see, to check out and there’s always more to explore – To discover the “the hidden gems”. I’m still ready to be surprised by this amazing city any time. But if I were to actually make a plan, I’d make it fairly loose – It’s this city’s usual to rush, so why the hustle when the point is to enjoy?

In the ideal world, we’ll start the day with a brunch at Good Enough To Eat, where they serve the best pancake and waffle in NYC! It’s literally the best way to kick off the day with their homemade sausage and special brunch cocktail in the nice whether (If we’re lucky enough to be seated outside). After that, we’ll walk through the Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art – The green and peaceful view really helps with digestion, and Central Park is 100% the place for it.

A little side thing— I’ll schedule two days just for MoMA and The Met personally. In my humble opinion, even the least artsy person would find themselves mesmerized by the great art created over history and it’s so easy to get lost in that glamorous and splendid world. As someone who goes nuts about art and history, I would go back a thousand times!

Also, if it were summer time, we’d spend the night watching Shakespeare In The Park (Especially with my friends who’re into theater). I watched As You Like It this summer and it was stunning to just see how the team adapted such a classic piece and recreated it in a modern and unique way. I really enjoyed it. If not, Broadway would be another option – No matter if you choose to hear the phantom whispering from the medieval time, or to join Simba on the massive grasslands in Africa, or to travel with a caravan across the desert to the far, mysterious and prosperous kingdom of Agrabah, even if you want to fight the evil alongside with your wizard friends swinging your wand in the magic world, it never disappoints you.

Night time is also for bars and night clubs if you’re a night owl. There’re a few really nice pubs and Japanese Izakaya in Lower East Side, which are good for both lone time or with friends. You could also dance the whole night out at Avant Gardner if you like, where you might run into popular DJ like Kayzo, Tchami and Ac Slater etc. Anyway, a fun time is undoubtedly promised there.

I’d also like to take my friends to Soho and Williamsburg for shopping and thrifting—Come on, we all need retail therapy once in a while, right? I used to love wondering around in that district, while appreciating the view and the vibe. You might also find small museums and individual-run multimedia art exhibition in the area that are total delights to visit.

Last but not least, I would strongly recommend one of my favorite restaurants in town – Cho Dang Gol. It’s a family-owned Korean restaurant located in the heart of K-town that’s famous for their homemade tofu and wine. Their signatures, spicy galbi jjim and tofu soup have been complimented by many gourmets multiple times, as to have “an incredible and unforgettable taste and texture”, which are my absolute go-tos every time I order there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I really want to thank my family for their support all way along. There’s no way that I could make it this far without them. Despite the fact that my grandparents used to be actors themselves, it was still rather rough for my family to give genuine and serious support to a decision that looked so unrealistic in the moment. After all, I was only one step away from the stable life they’ve always wanted for me if I had kept on my study in business. Yet they’ve shown their unyielding support, love and respect to my decision and helped me the best way they could after they came to understand how serious I was about acting and was ready for whatever’s coming next, which I’m ultimately grateful for.

Also, big shoutout to my friends and teachers that accompanied me along this rugged journey and made this less lonely and confusing. There were many times that I felt disappointed in myself and wanted to give up acting, and it was my friends, colleagues and teachers who stood with me the entire time, showed me faith and unconditional love, and helped me regain my confidence and passion. I feel really fortunate that I have such a warm, helpful and supportive community as I navigate my career in this rough industry.

Instagram: @evelyn.dz_

IMDB: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm10820097?ref_=hm_nv_usr_profile

Website: evezhao.com

Image Credits
Photo Credit to Will Foster, JO and Xuan Luo