Meet Linh Bui | Actor

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

Hi Linh, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
Giving up is not an option. When you give up, life will continue to move forward without you. I just cannot imagine myself becoming a bystander watching everything and everyone else pass me by. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing my peers succeed and I’m definitely right beside them cheering on their wins. I just think that mindset of optimism and encouragement for your community becomes harder when you yourself are not fulfilling your potential. The life of an actor is not easy and yet it is a life I’ve chosen for myself. Every day you’re faced with high highs and low lows. When you’re at a low, you have to ask yourself, “Why am I really doing this?”. My answer to that question varies depending on the situation I’m in or how I’m feeling at the moment. I often think back to my 12-year-old self and ask how she would’ve answered that same question. She would’ve said, “It’s so fun and I absolutely love it!”. Giving up was never in her vocabulary, so why would I ever consider that?

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.
There are so many unknowns to the business side of the acting world. It feels so scary and daunting when you’re first starting out. It’s something you learn by asking the right people the right questions. You have to take your own initiative to find ways to ask those questions. For example, during the pandemic, a lot of Casting Directors were offering free Zoom Q&As or Instagram Lives. Any chance I got, I would hop on and take notes! My acting teachers/coaches offer me a safe space to be vulnerable and have helped guide me through all of the technical things. Also, I joined a couple of different actor groups on Facebook that have working actors, agents, and managers giving free advice. The information is out there, you just have to dig and find it!

I feel like I’m just starting to get my bearings around this beast we call “Hollywood” and I’m really excited to see where opportunities take me! I strive to stay grounded and focused in everything I do. That way I know that I really gave it 100% of myself. If I can do that, I can walk away from whatever project I’m working on satisfied.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a food-focused person so I’d definitely map out my favorite eats in town, categorize them by type of cuisine, and then plan the sightseeing based on what/where we are eating. LA traffic can be a real doozy sometimes so it has been my mission to find something good to eat in every neighborhood in case I end up somewhere and I’m not in the mood to be in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Some of my favorite food spots in town are:

Luv2eat Thai Bistro – Thai – Hollywood
Mama Lu’s – Chinese – Monterey Park
Gyu Kaku – Japanese BBQ – Burbank
Bang Bang Noodles – Chinese – Highland Park
Killer Noodle – Japanese – Sawtelle
Donatsu – Dessert – Little Tokyo
Paper Rice – Vietnamese – Pasadena
Kye’s – Healthy Conscious – Santa Monica
DearBella Creamery – Dessert – Hollywood
Mo-Mo Paradise – Japanese Shabu – Arcadia

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?
There are so many people I have crossed paths with that have helped me get to where I am today. The real MVPs would have to be my parents. Their courageous beginnings as immigrants in America were all because they wanted a better life for their future families. I am so honored to be their daughter.

Website: www.linh-bui.com

Instagram: @lynnbuoy