Growing up in movie sets
Tan’s inherent love for martial arts and cinema doesn’t come as a surprise. His father, Philip Tan, was himself a martial artist who moved to the US with his family to work as a fight choreographer for films like Tim Burton’s Batman. The younger Tan found himself in movie sets as a toddler, but his earliest memories were from the time he was a wide-eyed five, six, or seven-year-old.
“I remember sitting in the chairs, the director’s chairs, next to the director in this little tent and we’re watching in this little monitor and the director’s telling everyone what to do and my father’s coming in and he’s designing the action,” he recalls. “I remember just watching it, thinking, ‘This is insane. How are they doing this and how does this work?’”
Curiosity got the better of him. “I knew at a young age I wanted to be telling stories and be part of the movie business because it’s so creative and it’s so interesting. The stories you get to tell and the places you get to see. The people you get to embody. It’s a unique business, you know?”
Shirt by Billy Reid. Jeans by Paige. Shoes by Christian Louboutin. PHOTO: LARSEN SOTELO
Tan knew, however, that hanging out in movie sets and rubbing elbows with Hollywood stars and directors would not be enough. He worked his way up, joining theater groups in school and taking acting classes for a good 10 years to hone his craft. He did a lot of supporting roles in a handful of movies, too.
His efforts have paid off, and he feels only grateful for the opportunities that have come his way, from the smaller wins to the biggest milestones.
“Mortal Kombat is obviously a huge milestone,” he says. “To lead a huge, big-budget studio franchise like that. Wu Assassins is also important to me because I got to perform with this amazing all-Asian cast for the first time. It’s the first original, all-Asian Netflix scripted show. That’s something very unique. They wrote in-depth characters that have levels and history and pain—all these different levels to the characters which I’ve been waiting to play. It was really beautiful to get to do that.”
Jacket and trousers by Saint Laurent. PHOTO: LARSEN SOTELO
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The struggles and triumphs of fellow Asians
Tan also recognizes the plight of Asian actors trying to make it in Hollywood. “As an Asian actor, it’s hard to get the attention that a lot of other projects easily get. You have to have the right people behind you supporting it, and the right crowd that appreciates what it is.”
He then talks about a film that has been making waves as of late. “And now if you look at Everything Everywhere, All at Once , it’s getting so much attention nowadays with the Oscars. It’s amazing to see. It’s such a beautiful project. I’m so happy for people like Michelle Yeoh and Ke (Huy Quan) that they’re getting the attention they deserve.
“If you look at Ke, he was in a Steven Spielberg hit movie when he was a kid and he had such a hard time finding work for the last 30 years,” Tan adds. “And now he’s finally getting recognition, 30 years later.” Lewis was alluding to the fact that Ke Huy Quan was part of the cast of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
“It’s a struggle for actors of color,” he says. “I think it’s a struggle for us and we’re continuing to progress the conversation but I still feel like it needs more attention and accolades, not just my projects, but all of them.”