Meet Trent Foo | Actor

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

Hi Trent, why did you pursue a creative career?
From the moment I can remember I’ve always loved film and storytelling. As a kid, I’d stay up late watching Jackie Chan films, or spend the day cinema-hopping with my brother and dad. One time we snuck into a showing of Resident Evil – I lasted about 5 minutes before I got too scared and ran out crying. I was having nightmares for years but it’s a fond memory I look back on.

Action and comedies were my favourite genres growing up. Nothing beats laughing until your stomach hurts or a well-choreographed set piece that blows your mind. My heroes were actors like Hugh Jackman, Heath Ledger, Jackie Chan, Will Smith and Johnny Depp. Really cool, incredibly talented, hard-working and kind people. They inspired the way I like to work today, and how I hold myself within a creative team. The Dark Knight was my favourite film – Christopher Nolan is a director whose work inspires me to be a better artist, and he’s someone I dream to work with one day.

I started my acting career on the stage as a teenager, performing in musicals like ‘The Addam Family’ and ‘Legally Blonde’, I may not have been very good, but these productions ignited my love for the arts. I enjoyed doing things that allowed me to express myself; writing, singing, sports, and acting. When I first told my grandma I wanted to be an actor, she said to me “It’s not worth doing anything unless you’re going to give it 100%” – so that’s exactly what I did.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
For an actor, I think the work always starts with the text. It’s kind of like a dance. I love the process of unpacking a great piece of text, extrapolating information, making conjectures, then building a character, developing a psychology, and working with a team to tell an emotional story. As an artist, I’m obsessed with deepening my understanding of the craft and how we tell a story that resonates with people. I believe my ability to tap into my own unique experiences and understanding, combined with the ambition to bring an authentic and exciting performance is what makes me the actor I am.

Every project I work on is unique, from its content to the people I’m working with. The dynamic is never the same and every day becomes an adventure in itself. Being able to travel to different places in the world for work is an amazing gift and
deeply enriching experience.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt is that you never know how things are going to go. Just when you think you’ve got it worked out, life throws you a curveball. And that’s not always a bad thing. In fact, it’s often an opportunity itself. Losing out on a role or embarrassing yourself in an audition is agonising in the moment, but each setback has taught me something new and made me a better artist. To live life with gratitude and remember where I came from, why I’m doing what I’m doing, who I’m doing it for… you can’t get better than that. It’s never easy, but wouldn’t that be boring?

There’s no doubt I’m in the position I am today because of the people I have around me. I work hard, I put in the hours, I commit 100% to everything I do… but because of the support of my team, I’m able to go far beyond what I ever thought was possible.

I’m young, I’m skilled, I’m motivated, and I’ve got a long way to go. But I’m loving every moment and excited for all the exciting new things I have ahead of me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As I do this interview, I’m currently shooting in Sydney, Australia and there are some super cool spots to check out! If you ever get the opportunity to go, I highly recommend Darling Harbour for the view, Bar Totti’s for the food, and of course the legendary Sydney Opera House.

In LA, my favourite food spot is Leo’s Taco Truck near Thai Town on Sunset Blvd. Just. Ooof. There’s also a Jazz club called Hot Potato you should check out if you haven’t already.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to my grandma – my “Paw Paw” – Yip Lai Foo or “Jenny” as she likes to go by. She raised me to be the man I am today without her, I wouldn’t be living the life I am today. She’s caring, compassionate, disciplined, generous, funny, and the strongest woman I know. Everything I do I hope to honour her.

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Image Credits
Sally Flegg
Jared Stephenson
Daniel Locicero
The Actors’ Hub Studios Inc.
InfoList
SandBox Productions