Booked It, Danno

Hawaii has always been a favorite place of mine.  Like a 3rd, or 4th home to me really.  Some of my best friends live here and I visit as often as I can.  It's the perfect place to come back to the States to after being in Asia.  A halfway point.  The distance, time difference, blend of Asian-American, it's perfect.  Not to mention the obvious stuff...

I think I said on here some time ago 2009 was great while 2010 wasn't as much.  2011?  I'm in love with you!

January was busy in China working on RZA's The Man With the Iron Fists and then I came back to the US in February to bounce around NYC/SF/LA (ran into Fists' producer Eli Roth at an Oscar party in LA, so random), only to wind up in Hawaii, where I am now.  While here, completely randomly, I was lucky to get called in to read for a role on Hawaii 5.0 for a nice part playing opposite Grace Park, aka Kono, on the show.

Guess who landed the gig?! 

This isn't top secret so I'll just let the cat out of my bag that I just booked a recurring role of a crime lab tech on the series!  Shooting my first episode, which is this season's second to last episode, this week.  The show goes on hiatus until July when they resume things for season 2.  I've no idea what the future will hold, but I'm just grateful for today.  Still pinching myself.  It all began with a trip out here to catch a Hall & Oates (my favorite band ever) concert and it winds up with me extending my trip by 2 weeks for this.  It's funny because my friend whose name is C. Fong was one of the main reasons I came out on this trip and the character's name in the show is a C. Fong, so how's that for irony?  This trip has just been completely random and crazy each and everyday (tsunami warning included) and if it's a dream, I don't want to wake up.

The topper was running into Grace on Saturday night out and about.  I had a bit part in her film West 32nd back in NYC several years ago.  I wasn't sure if she'd remember me, but as earlier in that day I had got the confirmation, when I saw her, I had to go up to her to say hi and tell her what was up.  She not only remembered me from the film but was excited when I told her I'd be working with her real soon.  I can't explain how awesome this is.  Usually, with stars of a show, there is an interesting divide and a time that it takes to get to know them, if you even get that chance, coming on as a co-star.  I get the feeling we'll kinda hit the ground running.  I haven't seen or talked to her in years, but just knowing her briefly from before will help me at least play the character opposite her more comfortably.  I don't know how to explain this, but it's like this was just all supposed to happen exactly how it did.  I'm beyond myself.

After wrapping this episode, I gotta hurry over to LA to shoot a short film that I'm really high on.  It's directed by Ted Chung, an up and comer I have the utmost belief in.  I'm way too glad we're finally able to work together again.  I was on his first short ever in UCLA film school so it's been well over a decade now that we've tried to make another project happen.  We're hoping the short will lead into something more, but for now, this project is something that's being supported by Project Involve, a program designed to help under-represented filmmakers grow.  Looking for good things out of this!  And to top it off, three other projects I'm way too excited about producing are brewing and brewing well.  Too early to talk about those now, but I know all 3 would be attention grabbers no doubt.  For now, I'll just have to focus on this all one day at a time, one sunset at a time. 

Ewa Beach, HI.