Meet Gregory Yuan | Actor

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

Hi Gregory, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
It’s hard to pin down a single most important decision that contributed to where I am today in the industry, but I do believe one of the biggest was changing the way I saw my “competition”. Whenever I would meet someone else who would fit “my casting” I would see them as competition, as essentially a threat to what I wanted; rather than see them as a possible colleague. Shifting my perspective has made me vastly more successful in getting to make genuine connections and friends in the industry.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As I’m sure many readers have heard time and again, being an actor isn’t for the faint of heart. I have experienced many rejections from casting directors and agents alike, and as an Asian American Male, Hollywood has been less than kind until recent years as I’ve had to deal with many identity crisis’ as to what an “Asian Male” should look and behave like. Needless to say it has been difficult, but along the way I have been blessed with meeting mentors, talented artists, and kind-hearted individuals alike. I have learned to stay true to who I am, as in what I am as far as how I look, how I present myself, down to the minutiae of how I speak to depict myself as an Asian American Man, without falling into the pit traps of what I believe Hollywood at the time might or might not be “looking for”. I have learned that it is better to do an audition putting your best foot forward of how You would interpret the character, leaning on your strengths as an individual artist, rather than pull a weaker audition dictated by what you Believe casting is looking for; trying to be a different version of yourself to play into a would-be trope. Essentially to make a well-informed choice through the script, while adding your own version of spice, behavior, character choice, etc. that perhaps others wouldn’t normally see. I have worked on many sets, ranging from commercial work with Apple that aired internationally in China, to short films that have played overseas in Berlin Film Festivals, but my favorite project that I was a part of was one called Ahma & Alan. A story of the simple struggles of an ABC (American Born Chinese) man who was struggling to maintain a connection with his grandmother due to the language barrier of an elder who only spoke Chinese, and a grandson who was only passably bilingual. As far as my story goes, I would simply like for the world to know that I am an actor, and a person too.

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?
In this specific scenario I’m going to assume that they somehow have never been to So. Cal before, so I would take them of course to Disneyland, along with the Anaheim Packing District for food if Downtown Disney wasn’t their scene. I’d also hit up Universal Studios for the new Super Mario Land and a Butterbeer, finished off with a lovely lit stroll through Universal Citywalk. Then to finish off the theme-parks I’d take them to Six Flags as it’s simply unbeat in the area for rollercoasters. Out of the mainstream areas I’d probably bring them to North Hollywood to have a drink at Idle Hour finished with Karaoke night at either Player One or The Good Nite. I’d take them to the 626 area for some of the best Asian Cuisine around, topped with some Boba Milk Tea from a number of select spots. As far as actually in LA LA we’d grab some Korean Barbecue (AYCE *All You Can Eat* or A La Carte depending on them) in Ktown; and a visit to some of the night scene in some of the rooftop bars like Mama Shelter or Bar Lis, and perhaps hitting the club at Clifton’s. Lastly it wouldn’t be a trip to So-Cal if we didn’t at least go to a beach, my favorite being Corona Del Mar.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to deeply thank my family for being as supportive as they have been, my friends who I know I can lean on, and my studio family/ fellow actor colleagues at Studio 24 Seven for always pushing me to be a more well-rounded, talented, and genuine individual.

Website: www.gregoryyuan.com

Instagram: @gregory.yuan