Written By: Jayme Face
Whether it’s fighting crime in the real world or fighting crime in the superhero world, James Chen does it all as Samuel Chung in Iron Fist and in Dick Wolf’s latest drama series FBI! And he’s telling us all about it!
Photo Credit: David Zheng
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about Iron Fist and your character Sam Chung?
James Chen: This season Iron Fist has a lot more action! I feel the show has really stepped it up the fight scenes, and my favorite category: epic fight scenes! We learn a lot of further details in the Davos-Danny backstory, and we learn new things for Colleen as well. Ward and Joy’s relationship is kicked into a whole new adversarial phase, and Alice Eve is introduced as Typhoid Mary. There is a much greater Asian-American presence from the characters in the Chinatown community where much of the story takes place. I’d say it’s a lot of power grabs, making and questioning alliances. Awesome performances from everyone in froth of and behind the camera.
Sam Chung is a protector and a provider. His work at the Bayard Community Center is to serve the community in all sorts of ways, from organizing entertainment to clothing drives. As the episodes progress and the stakes get higher, Sam maintains a balance between his professional public appearance representing the Center and taking care of the community and setting boundaries to protect them. He gets more involved in helping out Danny and Colleen as emergencies escalate.
upfrontNY: Your character is relatively new in the Marvel Universe. What is it like playing a newer character opposed to ones that have been portrayed many times before on-screen?
James Chen: The excitement of the newness of it all, and how you feel more space to put your own interpretation into it instead of fighting another person’s portrayal or even high-pressure fan expectations.
upfrontNY: What’s the best part of being a part of the Marvel Universe?
James Chen: I think the fact that you accept as a given circumstance that we live in a world where there are people with powers. That Sam Chung has read or heard about Daredevil or Luke Cage as part of the 6 o’clock news. So walking down the street you have to be open to the fact that powerful people walk amongst you and that he thinks back to where he was when the Battle of New York happened… really cool and full layered event history like that.
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about FBI and your character Ian Lenz?
James Chen: Think a smarty pants with a super dry scathing wit. Ian could probably be making millions in Silicon Valley with his expertise but he definitely has an appetite for more exciting cases — catching bad guys who threaten national security by analyzing the evidence they left or staying a step ahead of them using the latest high-tech surveillance. He really enjoys what he does I think because it’s a mind game of one upping and outsmarting some bad people. It’s completely a team effort and Ian works with field agents, Maggie Bell and OA Zidane, as well as with the special agents and experts at the FBI command center to piece together disparate pieces of a puzzle.
upfrontNY: What did you learn about the FBI preparing for this role that people might find surprising?
James Chen:That there is a special team called CART. Computer Analysis and Response Team, which specializes in dealing with the analysis of various electronic and computer evidences or instruments in solving cases. One of the many divisions in this vast organization working to keep our nation safe in so many different areas.
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about your upcoming film Fluidity?
James Chen: Fluidity tells the interweaving stories of 10 millennial as they navigate relationships, sexuality, technology and where all of those things blur and converge with each other. It’s a fast-paced, often confusing mix and I think film does a great job of capturing how young people struggle for understanding and identity in different ways through that wilderness.
upfrontNY: What was it like working with award-winning writer/director Linda Yellen?
James Chen: Linda is wonderful. She’s such a veteran New Yorker as well as filmmaker and such a kick ass fearless woman and artist. She is bold and shocking and also so warm, inviting and collaborative. I loved working with her.
upfrontNY: How did you first get interested in acting?
James Chen: I always had a big imagination as a kid and a pretty healthy curiosity. I would draw a lot and remember crushing it at charades in 1st grade. I grew up watching a lot of TV and going to the movies – a lot. My friend and I would see back to back shows with some arcade games in between and when the lights would come up after a show, I remember feeling ripped out of this world and from these characters that I felt I grew so close to. It wasn’t until college that I had a chance to explore acting in theater shows, and once I did that I got the bug pretty quickly as they say.
upfrontNY: With attention towards more Asian Americans and diversity in films at the moment where do you think we are and how have some of your roles played a part in this movement?
James Chen: I think we’re finally in a place where we can see some positive forward momentum in terms of seeing more Asian American stories in main stream positions such as Crazy Rich Asians or Searching or To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before… not to mention a great many TV/streaming shows that are in some form of pre- or post- production. I think also Asian men are finally getting more of a fair consideration in leading roles and roles that are more interestingly and humanely written instead of some 1D perfunctory supporting character or background. That said, we still have a long way to go on all fronts and we need Asian creatives and allies to continue to make moves in front of and behind the camera.
I think the roles I’ve played this year were great in that their ethnicity wasn’t essential to their character, they just happened to be Asian and there was no commentary on it. This is an important step in normalizing Asians and the presence of Asians in the stories we tell and consume. Next month I’ll be playing a billionaire in Madam Secretary and I was really excited for this part because of how unusual it was to have an Asian character that had so much status. We hardly ever see things like this depicted and it’s really important to break the stereotypical tropes and describe real life (the billionaire was more or less inspired by a real person).
NYC FAVORITES
Photo Credit: David Zheng
You split your time between New York and LA, what is something you love to do when you are in New York: Catching up on all the great theater in town, and grabbing a slice from Joe’s.
Favorite NYC Restaurant: Westville or Pure Thai Cookhouse.
Favorite NYC location for inspiration: The Met, Central Park, or just riding the subway.
Favorite time of the year in New York: Fall. So right now!
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