Starry Constellation Magazine Interviews Harry
Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?
A) When we got off of the Glee Tour, I did a really cool indie film called White Frog. The story surrounds an American family that seems perfect from the outside, but on the inside there is a lot more demons. It follows a kid named Nick Young, played by Booboo Stewart, who has Aspergers Syndrome. He reaches out to his brother Chaz, who I play, and in a sense that holds the family together. A tragedy happens though and Chaz dies. Now, Nick has to find out what Chaz's death means and also how he can be the new glue to hold the family together. It's a great coming of age story and I am very proud of it.
Q) What is new this season on "Glee" with your character Mike Chang?
A) This week on "Glee" is a huge introduction to his storyline. He never really had a storyline in the show and he's been more of a supporting character in a lot of the episodes. He would have some involvement in the storyline, but it was never truly about his background. I am really excited for the episode because you get to hear him sing and you get to meet his parents. We can also see a lot more what Mike and Tina's relationship means to each other. This week's storyline is that Mike gets an A-, which is referred to as an "Asian F." In the Asian culture, anything less than an A is considered terrible. So, his parents almost threaten him that if he doesn't bring his grades up he won't be able to do the other things he's involved in. He's inundated with the football team, Glee Club and now Booty Camp. Then, there is his relationship with Tina. So, it's a struggle between all of that and with him becoming a Senior it's a huge thing if your grades aren't up because you won't get into a good college. So, he's fighting that and I think fans are going to enjoy looking into Mike's life because it's going to be a lot different than the other characters.
Q) How is Mike's relationship with Tina developing?
A) There are going to be some bumps. There is a particular incident that will cause some bumps, but I think they are really supportive of each other. When you have that support and a selfless motive in a relationship then that's when it holds on strong. I think they are going to hold on, but that's not to say that there isn't some teen drama as well.
Q) We learned that Harvard and Stanford are where Mike's parents want him to go to college, but where does Mike want to go?
A) I, honestly, think he doesn't really know. You look at Rachel and Kurt and they want to go to New York and there is this theater school in Ohio. I think that's an option. The traditional place, if you're a dancer, you would go to is Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater or Juilliard. But he's not really a ballet dancer and he's not a technical dancer. So, there is not really a school for that. I think there are options for him to go, but I don't think his parents would ever allow that because it's not the traditional way. There are so many questions within that, in a traditional way. I think it's a great storyline because it's really going to effect people. A lot of people are going to relate to it. Everyone has gone to high school and dealt with what they're going to do after Senior year. There are a lot of people who have done drama, singing or even sports in general that have that huge question of, "Do I go with the thing I love or do I go with the traditional, safe route?"
Q) Is "Glee" the kind of work you were expecting when you started dancing?
A) I didn't really think about that. Every day was a new discovery for me, as far as what was out there as possibilities for me. It started with the discovery of finding out that there was a dance team at my school and then auditioning for it. Then, it was finding out two years later that there were people dancing for a living...not just doing ballet or theater, but actually doing commercials, tours or movies. I then realized I could couple dancing with acting. I started acting first and then to be able to do both was amazing to me. The fact that you're able to transition into that and finding a show like "Glee "was a new discovery. I never would have thought in a million years that there would be a show like this that would have this impact and allow you to do all these things across the board. It was a new discovery and I am so happy that it's been that because it has always been a goal for me to do the best I can, try and succeed and have a variety of options. But I never had that one goal where I wanted to be a huge Broadway star. It was never that for me. It's always been, "What new thing can I try and conquer and try and be better at?" I think the same thing with singing. I was not a singer. I still, in some ways, don't consider myself a singer, but I worked as hard as I could over the summer to try and get it to the level where I am able to perform to the best of my ability. Luckily, the writers saw it and now I get to sing a couple songs on the show.
Q) How has "Glee" impacted your life?
A) It's changed my life, but also what has been great is that I've been in the industry working as a dancer and a couple of years before "Glee" working as an actor in small roles and guest stars here and there. So, I feel like I've worked up to this. I feel like I've worked up to this craziness, madness and popularity of "Glee." It was a huge thing, a whole turnaround. You turn left and right and people want to meet you, they know who you are and they are effected by what you do on television. It's been a great feeling and it's given me more money than I had before when I was struggling to find a job. But, moreover, it's changed my life in viewing how I can effect the minds of how people perceive things, whether it be if they perceive people as a dancer (if you only see them in one way) or if you're an Asian American in the media and you see them a different way. This has allowed me to really get to a place where all of the things I wanted to do I can at least try and do, where as before it was a struggle to get anyone to hear or listen to me. So, with that, the really fun part for me is to be able to explore a lot more things than before.
Q) What has been the best part for you of Mike's progression as a character throughout the seasons?
A) I think you have definitely seen him grow. With a lot of the characters, you have seen the change, but I think with this particular character it was a lot of me trying to play to that because I didn't know where I was going to go. I didn't think anybody knew so the writers didn't write to it. So, I made an effort to create something out of this character. If he wasn't getting any lines, I would play the shy side. I was giving it a reasoning why he would be shy and wouldn't talk much. You would see a love of dance with him and you would see him randomly dance at times, but he would speak through the dance. When they weren't giving Mike Chang anything to say, I would try to speak through the dance. In the second season, he transitioned over and came out of his shell a little. He had a relationship and he started getting a little bit more involved in other people's lives on the show. I just loved the progression of him starting to show and now he's really standing up for himself (or attempting to). He's kind of the cool kid at school now, even though they are misfits and people think they are the bottom of the pile as far as popularity goes. I think you're going to see that change this season. So, I just love the progression of it where he was afraid to sing and didn't know he could sing and now in the third season he has more confidence and trying to do it well.
Q) Is there a certain style of dance that you wish to bring to an episode?
A) I think Bollywood is really hard. It's really difficult, but with Mike you see tap dancing, jazz, musical theater and, of course, hip hop is his thing. So, I think Bollywood would be fun to tackle.
Q) How do you come up for the storylines for the LXD pieces? What is your creative process for choreography?
A) There are a lot of people involved like Jon Chu, the creator, and then you have Chris Scott who is one of the choreographers and producers. You have Galen Hooks who is incredible and one of the choreographers, as well. So, there are a lot of people putting their heads in. Jon usually allows us to write the stories. I wrote two episodes from the previous series and other people pitch in. It's really a collaborative effort, even when we're not on screen and we're choreographing - it's not just us choreographing. It's the dancers, as well. They have a huge amount of input and a lot of time it is their input and we try and shape it to the place where we feel what the series is. It's not us telling the dancers what to do because a lot of times it's their moves, but we try to find a place to where it fits into the story and makes sense. When there are episodes that features me, I love movement and I want it to have meaning behind it, not just because it looks cool. Even in "Elliot's Shoes" I made that transition of these shoes making me dance. I thrive when I am handed something like that or there is a story being told like the shoes are controlling me and I am trying to get a grasp of it, but finally I give in and then my whole body takes over. I love that story telling. Even when we do other numbers, to me, that's when a dance is at its most powerful stage. It's when there is a storytelling involvement to that. Also, a lot of times the music shapes what the choreography is. So, we have to pick the right music. There are scripts for each piece though and it's very loose what the movement is.
Q) How do u feel about redefining the male Asian American stereotype and your new position as a role model 4 Asian A. youth?
A) I think it's good to have different shapes and forms of how we look at certain people, in general. Even with girls and guys, they can be a little different - not just a typical male or female. It's great to show different sides. It should play to Asian Americans and show that the stereotypes are not the only thing that we do. For the sake of having peoples' mind expanded, there should be guys that are maybe aren't exactly smart as far as school and people who aren't athletic. It should showcase people who can dance and sing. I think we're seeing that more, especially with the online generation. I don't think it's quite hit the traditional mass media yet, but if you go online it's all there. They have this whole world where there is comedy, action and drama. I think a lot of it falls down on how traditional parenting has been happening over the years by allowing kids to try out these things and try to pursue these things. It makes a huge difference. I think that's why there was a big explosion online because they can do it in their bedrooms without their parents knowing and their putting videos online for the world to see. Obviously, with television, it becomes a different story. I am happy to be somewhat of an outlet. I hope that it encourages more people to be happy because I don't think I am the only one to be able to do it. I think there are people that are way more talented and they can showcase their abilities and touch other people's lives.
Q) What do you hope your future will hold for you and your fans? Do have any big plans for your acting career?
A) That is the goal! I doing it and I would love to produce more film. I would love to direct a feature, but that's way far in the future. Definitely it's acting. I just want to keep expanding. I am so happy they're supplying a storyline for me to actually showcase that, outside of being a dancer and showcasing my acting abilities. I think in the future I just want to play as many different characters as I can. I feel I want to explore the different ranges and how far I can go to play different characters. I want to entertain people. So, whatever I feel that entertains people and makes me happy then that's a win/win situation for me. I love watching movies and I would love to be in the movies, as well. We'll see where it takes us. So far, it's taken me to a good place. I want to keep that tradition going.
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A) When we got off of the Glee Tour, I did a really cool indie film called White Frog. The story surrounds an American family that seems perfect from the outside, but on the inside there is a lot more demons. It follows a kid named Nick Young, played by Booboo Stewart, who has Aspergers Syndrome. He reaches out to his brother Chaz, who I play, and in a sense that holds the family together. A tragedy happens though and Chaz dies. Now, Nick has to find out what Chaz's death means and also how he can be the new glue to hold the family together. It's a great coming of age story and I am very proud of it.
Q) What is new this season on "Glee" with your character Mike Chang?
A) This week on "Glee" is a huge introduction to his storyline. He never really had a storyline in the show and he's been more of a supporting character in a lot of the episodes. He would have some involvement in the storyline, but it was never truly about his background. I am really excited for the episode because you get to hear him sing and you get to meet his parents. We can also see a lot more what Mike and Tina's relationship means to each other. This week's storyline is that Mike gets an A-, which is referred to as an "Asian F." In the Asian culture, anything less than an A is considered terrible. So, his parents almost threaten him that if he doesn't bring his grades up he won't be able to do the other things he's involved in. He's inundated with the football team, Glee Club and now Booty Camp. Then, there is his relationship with Tina. So, it's a struggle between all of that and with him becoming a Senior it's a huge thing if your grades aren't up because you won't get into a good college. So, he's fighting that and I think fans are going to enjoy looking into Mike's life because it's going to be a lot different than the other characters.
Q) How is Mike's relationship with Tina developing?
A) There are going to be some bumps. There is a particular incident that will cause some bumps, but I think they are really supportive of each other. When you have that support and a selfless motive in a relationship then that's when it holds on strong. I think they are going to hold on, but that's not to say that there isn't some teen drama as well.
Q) We learned that Harvard and Stanford are where Mike's parents want him to go to college, but where does Mike want to go?
A) I, honestly, think he doesn't really know. You look at Rachel and Kurt and they want to go to New York and there is this theater school in Ohio. I think that's an option. The traditional place, if you're a dancer, you would go to is Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater or Juilliard. But he's not really a ballet dancer and he's not a technical dancer. So, there is not really a school for that. I think there are options for him to go, but I don't think his parents would ever allow that because it's not the traditional way. There are so many questions within that, in a traditional way. I think it's a great storyline because it's really going to effect people. A lot of people are going to relate to it. Everyone has gone to high school and dealt with what they're going to do after Senior year. There are a lot of people who have done drama, singing or even sports in general that have that huge question of, "Do I go with the thing I love or do I go with the traditional, safe route?"
Q) Is "Glee" the kind of work you were expecting when you started dancing?
A) I didn't really think about that. Every day was a new discovery for me, as far as what was out there as possibilities for me. It started with the discovery of finding out that there was a dance team at my school and then auditioning for it. Then, it was finding out two years later that there were people dancing for a living...not just doing ballet or theater, but actually doing commercials, tours or movies. I then realized I could couple dancing with acting. I started acting first and then to be able to do both was amazing to me. The fact that you're able to transition into that and finding a show like "Glee "was a new discovery. I never would have thought in a million years that there would be a show like this that would have this impact and allow you to do all these things across the board. It was a new discovery and I am so happy that it's been that because it has always been a goal for me to do the best I can, try and succeed and have a variety of options. But I never had that one goal where I wanted to be a huge Broadway star. It was never that for me. It's always been, "What new thing can I try and conquer and try and be better at?" I think the same thing with singing. I was not a singer. I still, in some ways, don't consider myself a singer, but I worked as hard as I could over the summer to try and get it to the level where I am able to perform to the best of my ability. Luckily, the writers saw it and now I get to sing a couple songs on the show.
Q) How has "Glee" impacted your life?
A) It's changed my life, but also what has been great is that I've been in the industry working as a dancer and a couple of years before "Glee" working as an actor in small roles and guest stars here and there. So, I feel like I've worked up to this. I feel like I've worked up to this craziness, madness and popularity of "Glee." It was a huge thing, a whole turnaround. You turn left and right and people want to meet you, they know who you are and they are effected by what you do on television. It's been a great feeling and it's given me more money than I had before when I was struggling to find a job. But, moreover, it's changed my life in viewing how I can effect the minds of how people perceive things, whether it be if they perceive people as a dancer (if you only see them in one way) or if you're an Asian American in the media and you see them a different way. This has allowed me to really get to a place where all of the things I wanted to do I can at least try and do, where as before it was a struggle to get anyone to hear or listen to me. So, with that, the really fun part for me is to be able to explore a lot more things than before.
Q) What has been the best part for you of Mike's progression as a character throughout the seasons?
A) I think you have definitely seen him grow. With a lot of the characters, you have seen the change, but I think with this particular character it was a lot of me trying to play to that because I didn't know where I was going to go. I didn't think anybody knew so the writers didn't write to it. So, I made an effort to create something out of this character. If he wasn't getting any lines, I would play the shy side. I was giving it a reasoning why he would be shy and wouldn't talk much. You would see a love of dance with him and you would see him randomly dance at times, but he would speak through the dance. When they weren't giving Mike Chang anything to say, I would try to speak through the dance. In the second season, he transitioned over and came out of his shell a little. He had a relationship and he started getting a little bit more involved in other people's lives on the show. I just loved the progression of him starting to show and now he's really standing up for himself (or attempting to). He's kind of the cool kid at school now, even though they are misfits and people think they are the bottom of the pile as far as popularity goes. I think you're going to see that change this season. So, I just love the progression of it where he was afraid to sing and didn't know he could sing and now in the third season he has more confidence and trying to do it well.
Q) Is there a certain style of dance that you wish to bring to an episode?
A) I think Bollywood is really hard. It's really difficult, but with Mike you see tap dancing, jazz, musical theater and, of course, hip hop is his thing. So, I think Bollywood would be fun to tackle.
Q) How do you come up for the storylines for the LXD pieces? What is your creative process for choreography?
A) There are a lot of people involved like Jon Chu, the creator, and then you have Chris Scott who is one of the choreographers and producers. You have Galen Hooks who is incredible and one of the choreographers, as well. So, there are a lot of people putting their heads in. Jon usually allows us to write the stories. I wrote two episodes from the previous series and other people pitch in. It's really a collaborative effort, even when we're not on screen and we're choreographing - it's not just us choreographing. It's the dancers, as well. They have a huge amount of input and a lot of time it is their input and we try and shape it to the place where we feel what the series is. It's not us telling the dancers what to do because a lot of times it's their moves, but we try to find a place to where it fits into the story and makes sense. When there are episodes that features me, I love movement and I want it to have meaning behind it, not just because it looks cool. Even in "Elliot's Shoes" I made that transition of these shoes making me dance. I thrive when I am handed something like that or there is a story being told like the shoes are controlling me and I am trying to get a grasp of it, but finally I give in and then my whole body takes over. I love that story telling. Even when we do other numbers, to me, that's when a dance is at its most powerful stage. It's when there is a storytelling involvement to that. Also, a lot of times the music shapes what the choreography is. So, we have to pick the right music. There are scripts for each piece though and it's very loose what the movement is.
Q) How do u feel about redefining the male Asian American stereotype and your new position as a role model 4 Asian A. youth?
A) I think it's good to have different shapes and forms of how we look at certain people, in general. Even with girls and guys, they can be a little different - not just a typical male or female. It's great to show different sides. It should play to Asian Americans and show that the stereotypes are not the only thing that we do. For the sake of having peoples' mind expanded, there should be guys that are maybe aren't exactly smart as far as school and people who aren't athletic. It should showcase people who can dance and sing. I think we're seeing that more, especially with the online generation. I don't think it's quite hit the traditional mass media yet, but if you go online it's all there. They have this whole world where there is comedy, action and drama. I think a lot of it falls down on how traditional parenting has been happening over the years by allowing kids to try out these things and try to pursue these things. It makes a huge difference. I think that's why there was a big explosion online because they can do it in their bedrooms without their parents knowing and their putting videos online for the world to see. Obviously, with television, it becomes a different story. I am happy to be somewhat of an outlet. I hope that it encourages more people to be happy because I don't think I am the only one to be able to do it. I think there are people that are way more talented and they can showcase their abilities and touch other people's lives.
Q) What do you hope your future will hold for you and your fans? Do have any big plans for your acting career?
A) That is the goal! I doing it and I would love to produce more film. I would love to direct a feature, but that's way far in the future. Definitely it's acting. I just want to keep expanding. I am so happy they're supplying a storyline for me to actually showcase that, outside of being a dancer and showcasing my acting abilities. I think in the future I just want to play as many different characters as I can. I feel I want to explore the different ranges and how far I can go to play different characters. I want to entertain people. So, whatever I feel that entertains people and makes me happy then that's a win/win situation for me. I love watching movies and I would love to be in the movies, as well. We'll see where it takes us. So far, it's taken me to a good place. I want to keep that tradition going.
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