Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with The Hardy Boys’ Alli Chung

From working at the front desk at a casting office to becoming an actress herself, Alli Chung has emerged as a dynamic talent whose credits include projects like The Bold Type, Dark Matter, The Expanse, and Coroner. But more importantly, she’s an artist who is using her platform to amplify underrepresented voices.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Alli about her experience as a woman of color in the industry, the importance of diverse storytelling, and an exciting project she’s currently filming.

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting?
Alli: It started in grade school. I had an amazing teacher. His name was Mr. Kostanack. We all had to read Shakespeare plays. We would go through all of the lines. He would make everyone audition for all the different roles in the play. You didn’t have a choice. Everyone had to be in the play. It was really fun to be pushed into that at a young age. I probably wouldn’t have chosen to do that if that hadn’t been mandatory.

I continued dabbling in acting when I was in high school. When I finished university, I worked in a casting office. I didn’t want to pursue a career in acting, but I ended up working in casting because I thought that might be something I was into. I was the front desk girl, and I would bring actors into their auditions. My boss said, “You fit the specs for this. Why don’t you go in for fun and audition for this?” It was a commercial, and I booked it.

That started my journey of being a professional actor.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Alli: It may sound cliché, but there was only one really big Asian actress to look up to when I was growing up, and that was Lucy Liu. She’s always been an inspiration to me. More recently, Sandra Oh took center stage when she made history with her awards wins as a leading actress in Killing Eve. But I’ve also taken inspiration from a lot of other actresses and actors. Sandra Bullock is interesting because she’s really great at doing drama and comedy. Those are two difficult things to master. Likewise with Jim Carrey. He’s surprisingly a really great dramatic actor. He’s mainly known for being a comedic actor, but he’s a really good dramatic actor as well.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Alli: I had a great opportunity to work on a TV show called UnREAL. I got to work with some amazing women writers, directors, actors, and producers. They were all very collaborative. Stacy Rukeyser was the showrunner on that show. That was a really eye-opening moment for me in terms of receiving great guidance from other females in the industry—being creatively guided by them but also simply seeing women thrive in these positions. That was really inspiring. The two leads on the show, Constance Zimmer and Shiri Appleby, are amazing. They also directed a lot of the episodes. That was one of my bigger roles at that point in my career. That whole experience was definitely a standout for me.

PC: Of all the characters that you’ve played, which has been your favorite? Which has been the most challenging?
Alli: Great question. That’s hard. One of the most challenging roles I’ve had was in a smaller indie film. It was a short film called Mariner, which actually went to the Toronto International Film Festival and Cannes Shorts. That was a challenging role for me because it was different from who I am in real life, and it was more of an artistic representation of a character. That was definitely challenging for me as an actor. I guess that’s also one of my favorite roles. That was a really fun character to become. It was an over-the-top, super-hyped version of myself. That was fun to be all out there and dressed to the nines every day on set.

PC: You’ve used your platform to bring awareness to causes and issues that you’re incredibly passionate about. How did you discover your voice as an advocate?
Alli: That’s a great question as well. I’ve spent a lot of time working in schools and with children. I was a teacher before I became an actor. I’ve worked a lot with the indigenous community within Toronto as well. Part of my core involves protecting children and minorities. I’m a person of color. I have to say something and be an advocate for those who can’t advocate for themselves. If I have this platform, I’m going to use it to do good in the world and help people. If I can help one person, that’s a win. If I can raise somebody higher or bring attention to something that somebody might not have wanted to talk about, that’s a role that I will gladly take on.

PC: You were saying earlier that you didn’t see yourself represented on screen. Have you had time to reflect on the impact that you have had on future generations who won’t have to experience something similar?
Alli: I have actually. I very much hope to further my career by representing women I believe should be represented in society: these strong, layered women with complex stories.

I realize that someone may watch me as a woman of color on screen and say, “Hey, I relate to that girl. That could be me.” That’s really important to me because I didn’t see that growing up. It’s really important, especially with everything that’s going on right now. Every race needs to be reflected in TV and film. TV and film need to be a better reflection of our world because currently they aren’t. That causes a lot of problems for people, both personally and in society. If I can play a part in expanding that real-life representation, then that’s what I’m going to work towards.

PC: There have been a lot of conversations about diversity and representation in this industry. As a woman of color, what has your experience been like? Have you felt the slow progress being made?
Alli: It’s been an interesting advancement over the past five or so years. There are stereotypes of course. I have had to turn down some auditions for certain things because I didn’t want to contribute to those stereotypes. It’s hard because you also want to work as an actor. But I do see the change. It’s moving slowly, but it’s happening. That is a good thing. Even you asking these questions and us talking about this is progress. People are interested in it. Though it still does need to change at a higher level—at an executive level, at a network level—and having people of color and women in these positions within all productions will help that. It’s important to have other stories told and have other people involved in the telling of them.

PC: You’ve got a lot of exciting projects that are in the works. Any that you’re able to chat about at this time?
Alli: Yeah, I have been working on a few films and TV series. I can definitely talk about The Hardy Boys on Hulu. I play Jesse Hooper on the show. I am the Chief of Bridgeport, which is great. It’s very exciting to be in that position within the community and also to be a new cast member. The Hardy Boys is a classic. It’s been around for ages. This franchise is so cool. I’m excited to share this character because there are so many layers to this woman. She’s got a great position within the community. She’s got a mother-daughter relationship. Being the chief of the town, she has a very complex and layered relationship with the Hardy Boys. But of course, the Hardy Boys are detectives in training themselves. They get involved in all the mysteries that are happening in Bridgeport. There are some surprises which I can’t talk about, but it’ll be a really exciting season.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Alli: Love Island UK. It’s absolute trash, but I can’t stop watching it.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Alli: There’s a movie that I can watch over and over again. It annoys my partner so much. I’ve loved Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes since back in the day. It’s a masterpiece. Every time I watch it, I find something new. The cast is amazing. The acting is amazing. The music is off the charts. The way they translated the Shakespearean language and made it so modern was fantastic and genius.

PC: Favorite book?
Alli: It’s called The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Alli: I love The Phantom of the Opera. It’s a bit of an oldie.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Alli: I’m sure everybody would probably be surprised to know that I am obsessed with Radiohead. Their music is a bit sad. It’s like weird, sad indie music, but I’ve just always been obsessed with them. They’re so unique, and they have such a weird, not mainstream sound that they somehow made mainstream. They’re super talented and cool.

PC: Dream role?
Alli: My dream role would be a character on a show called Kevin Can F**k Himself. It’s really great because it has a social commentary. They’ve filmed it half like a sitcom comedy and half like a drama. That’s honestly my ideal role.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Alli: That’s a great question. I’ll have to put this out there only because a million people have said this to me. I’ve been in auditions where casting directors and cameramen will ask, “Has anyone told you that you look like Meghan Markle?” We’re not even the same. She’s half-black and I’m half-Chinese. But she’s gorgeous. I’ll take it. [laughs]

To keep up with Alli, follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Photo Credit: RebeccaRobertsStudio