Meet Sunita Chiu | Actor ,Model, Singer, Dancer , Host , Event Management

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

Hi Sunita, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success is my determination of never calling it quits and the hope and believe that my family and friends have in me and my talent.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a Malaysian born performance artist. I spent about ten years of my adulthood studying and working in Singapore as an actor in Theatres and on TV. In 2020 I decided I MUST LEAVE and immerse myself into the most saturated town of creatives because WHY NOT? We must live near the source as they say ha-ha. It has now been two years since I moved to Los Angeles and I am loving every single minute of it. From the culture shock to the sensory overload of living right on Hollywood Boulevard, to the availability of anything and everything artistic. Just the mere opportunity of being able to attend as many classes as I want to from the best of the best in the industry, to be able to work on set in iconic film studios that I dreamt of as a child and really being able to just sit down and have conversations with like-minded people has made my soul very happy and complete. My career started off on a slightly wonky note. I was 15 when I was given the opportunity to play a leading role in a musical and that sealed the deal for me. The day I experienced a full theatre of people who were so moved by a show that they intentionally stood up to applaud the actors on stage shifted something inside of me and I knew I was meant to do this for the rest of my life. Coming from an all-Asian household especially from Malaysia, a career in performing arts is not first choice for anyone so when I decided to become an actor my family had their reservations. It was only until I started landing roles and proving that I can sustain my lifestyle and pay my bills that my family really started showing support and then it all changed from there. They believed in me so much that my family and friends back in Malaysia and Singapore became my biggest cheerleaders and financial contributors. As I grew up in a small town I was never really exposed to the ins and outs of show business so I had to put in a lot of hard work to hone my craft. It has taken me 18 years, a lifetime of dance, music and life lessons, 5 years of drama school, a lot of acting classes, a lot of failed auditions, massive research, reading and watching TV and most importantly A GREAT DEAL of reassurance from my family and friends to finally believe that I am an artist a creator and I am good at what I do whilst striving to be even better every single day. I believe my multicultural background, the experience of living in three countries, the traditions and history that have been passed down to me through generations overtime have immensely contributed to the beauty of my craft. Every opportunity that’s given to me to perform has been a chance for me to authentically put myself out there and showcase my uniquely blended culture be it from the way I speak or the way my body moves to a certain rhythm or even just laughing. Years of practice has now taught me that although imposter syndrome is a very real thing for me everything gets better and is more meaningful when you do it repeatedly, from different angles and perspectives with plenty of intention, interest and gratefulness.

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.
I am going to start with eating because I am a huge foodie and an even bigger FULL-TIME TOURIST at heart. Please make sure you take loads of photos! For brunch definitely Urth Cafe , Mel’s Drive-In and The Breakfast Club. My favorite street taco spot is at this Mobil gas station next to Three Clubs on Vine Street. Their al-pastor taco is to die for and they have amazing free-flow salsas. If you fancy a drink do checkout Three Clubs too, they usually have cool events going on. The Cheesecake factory at The Grove or The Americana for sure! If you’re feeling Italian, L’ Antica Pizzeria Da Michele has amazing pizzas, pastas and cocktails. BCD Tofu House in Koreatown has the most hearty Korean stew soups! And we must always always get pastries from Porto’s bakery.

I am a big fan of the Hollywood Sign so hiking up Griffith Park and having a picnic at Lake Hollywood Park is great. Be sure to checkout the Griffith Observatory while you’re at it. Runyon Canyon is a place to go to as well if you’re looking for an easy one hour tops kinda hike while also getting a view of the iconic Hollywood Sign. Remember your water bottles!
The Studio tours ARE A MUST DO! Universal Studios has a great backlot tour that comes with the purchase of the park ticket. Warner Bros has my favorite tour to date if you love Friends and Harry Potter like I do. You must visit the original Disneyland Parks in Anaheim but be sure to have at least two days of available time for that.

If you’re looking for cute themed bars or speakeasies Scum & Villainy Cantina which is a Star Wars bar is one you should try. Beetle House is another one. Good Times at Davey Wayne’s has a nice patio you can chill at and have drinks on a nice Sunday afternoon with friends. If you are a fan of frozen strawberry margheritas and chicken wings TEKILA is the place to be.
Mama Shelter has a great rooftop vibe with bar food and drinks too. It great during the sunset.

The best places to people watch for me would definitely be Rodeo Drive, Santa Monica Pier and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Just get a cup of joe and sit down and watch the most interesting characters of the human species walk by. It is very fascinating.
Now we all need some downtime to relax and my favorite Korean Spas are the best places to do so. Hugh Spa is a females only spa and they really scrub you and primp you up real nice! Wi Spa is a Unisex Spa. You can get a scrub or a massage or a facial, they also have different types of treatment rooms where you can just go in and lie down and meditate, think about life and fall asleep and wake up rejuvenated.

If you have time do take a stroll around Culver City it is gorgeous at night or head on down to downtown Pasadena they have a whole array of eateries and bars.

For my booklovers The Last Bookstore DTLA is the place to be and The Ripped Bodice at Culver City has a wide selection of books!

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?
My parents and sister! Jonathan Moo, Kamil Haque and Engie Ho. My best friends in Malaysia and Singapore and my newly made close friends in Los Angeles.

Instagram: @amandakyrasunitachiu

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@amandakyrasunitachiu