Meet Joyce Hii | Actress

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

Hi Joyce, why did you pursue a creative career?
I pursued a career in acting because it was the only thing I truly wanted to do. I actually started out in accounting and worked at a CPA firm, but I felt so miserable. One night, my sister asked what I actually wanted to do and off the top of my head, I said “acting,” but to me, it seemed like a silly, unrealistic dream. She told me to just try it and it dawned on me for the first time that it could be a real career and so I did. Now I’m 4 years into my acting career and I’ve never wanted to turn back.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Pursuing acting was definitely not easy and it took me 4 years, multiple acting classes, over 70 projects and over 500 auditions to get me to where I am today.

One of the largest challenges I had to overcome was my worry of how people were going to judge me, both in and out of the industry. When I switched to acting, I was worried about whether people would think I was dumb for quitting my stable job to pursue acting. I was worried about whether I’d get booked because I wasn’t thin enough, not attractive enough, not good enough.

What sets me apart in this industry as an actress is simply that I am me. Sure, others can play the same roles instead of me, but it wouldn’t be exactly the same as how I’d do it. Sometimes I’m not what production wants, but that’s okay! Over the years, I’ve learned to be comfortable with myself and lean into who I am rather than worrying about how other perceive me. When I didn’t have bookings for a few months straight, I was reminded that the lack of bookings just meant that God wanted me to focus on other things in life and that I didn’t have to worry about it because the bookings will come again. This year in 2024, God blessed me with booking after booking, so I know I can trust that work will come again. I’m thankful that because of this, I don’t have to be anxious or desperate when it comes to auditions and bookings.

What excites me about this industry is change, though it is uncomfortable at times. I love hopping onto new projects, meeting new creatives, diving into different roles than I’ve ever played, sporting new looks, and playing through new stories in new locations.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Even though I was born and raised in LA County, I actually have no idea where to go! Maybe Santa Monica pier, Redondo Beach, and Little Tokyo?

I reside in the San Gabriel Valley, so I love all my Asian foods. I LOVE noodle soup at Yintang (Monterey Park), mozzarella cheese taiyaki at Bingsu Bingsu (Arcadia), boba milk tea from A Little Tea (San Gabriel), churros from Churros Don Abel and sushi from Opus Sushi (Arcadia) and Kaviar (Pasadena). Okay basically I just eat heh.

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’d like to give a shout out to my sister, Whitney, for encouraging me to take that first step into acting and for helping me so much in the beginning stages of my career. She helped me start up my Instagram account, gave me feedback, and listened when I came back with wild stories from set. My parents- who supported me and enabled me to pursue acting even though I know the uncertainty of this industry was difficult for them. My boyfriend, who cheers me on and inspires confidence in myself and the work I do. My friends and mentors from church, who showed interest in the things I worked on and encouraged me to trust that God would lead my career. Ultimately, I thank God for the tremendous blessings He’s poured on me- all the resources I’ve had to pursue this, all the hope He’s given me when things looked down, and all the cool projects and people I’ve encountered.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hi.joyce.hii?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==