Edge and Back’s interview with Osric Chau

Who is Osric Chau? Born in Vancouver, Canada, Osric took his first acting class at the age of 8 and began training in martial arts when he was 13. He stared in the Canadian TV shows “Dragon Boys” and “Cold Squad” and landed his first role in ‘‘Kung Fu Killer’‘ opposite Darryl Hannah and David Carradine. We saw him in Roland Emmerich’s “2012″, RZA’s ”The Man With the Iron Fists” and most recently he is Kevin Tran in CW’s fan favorite series ‘‘Supernatural”.

What does your first name mean and does it represent you?

Osric is an Old English name and it means something to the effect of “Divine Ruler.” I hated my name growing up but once I found out of its meaning I learned to not only love it but tried my best to live up to it and be as good of a role model as I could be to students younger than me. I suppose that still holds true nowadays. It’s a unique name and I haven’t yet met another Osric yet. It will happen one day and I’m not sure how I’ll react.

When and why did you decide to become an actor?

I took my first acting class when i was 9. But it wasn’t until I was 21 that I decided to take it seriously. At that point I knew that I needed to do something creative and I just could not handle a 9 to 5 job. I was pursuing stunt work at the time and then I started getting acting jobs and discovered I was not bad at it and enjoyed it a lot. I’ve been doing it ever since.

What is the most challenging aspect for any acting job?

Getting the job. Auditioning for every role, the constant rejection and just making all the pieces fit together and convincing a hundred people that you are the only person in the world that could play that character, that’s the challenge. Once you get the job you already know you can do it. Most of the excitement happens before you’re ever on set.

With which actor/actress would you like to work?

Too many to count. Off the top of my head would be Matt Damon, big fan of his work and his work ethic.

What are you next movie projects?

Over the last two years or so I’ve been developing scripts with a writer friend of mine. I would love to finally make the push and make it a real thing. Part of the job is always waiting for projects, for auditions, callbacks and I just want to go out and do my own thing. I’m so excited to do it!

What advice would you give to anyone who would like to pursue an acting career?

Treat it like any other career. You would have to go to school for it, work your way up and maybe after a couple of years you get promoted a few times. That being said, a lot of people starting later in life have to start from scratch, so you might have to put in 10 years of dedicated time, with no pay just to achieve a semblance of success. Some people get there earlier, others don’t, most lose motivation and do it every now and then and eventually lose their way and say it’s impossible. If you want it bad enough you’ll find a way, but before you do, make sure it’s what you want to do because there will be a lot of sacrifices you’ll be needing to make.

Are you a comics fan? If yes,who is your favorite superhero/ character?

I love the Hulk. He’s my favourite. When I was a child the only way I knew how to deal with my issues was violence and anger. I really connected with the Hulk through that. As I grow older, I’m more attuned to Bruce Banner and the Hulk hasn’t been out in years. I just love the conflict between those two.

Does cosplay help you be a better actor or is it the other way around?

Cosplay helps me enjoy the conventions as a fan and a guest. I used to go to conventions as an attendee and dressed up, so when I started getting invited as a guest, I just didn’t want to change who I was just because I started working on TV shows.

Would you say that your martial arts training makes you a more focused person?

Martial arts is a big part of who I am. It has shaped the type of person I am and how I deal with obstacles and hardships. Training under such extreme conditions has helped put a lot under perspective and I always try my best to remember to be grateful for everything I’ve been given and to try to give back whenever I can.

Osric Chau official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KevinTranAP
website: http://www.osricchau.com/

photo credit: Osric Chau official Facebook page