Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Utopia Falls’ Mickeey Nguyen

Hollywood triple threat Mickeey Nguyen has experienced nothing short of a remarkable rise to stardom. First bursting onto the scene in 2016 as Alex Phan in Nickelodeon’s Make It Pop, Mickeey has continued his climb to the top with projects that include TVOkids Bookaneers, Z-O-M-B-I-E-S, and October Faction. Next, he’ll be seen leading the cast of the genre-bending dystopian drama Utopia Falls. Pop Culturalist caught up with Mickeey to chat about the series.

Career

PC: You’re an actor, dancer, and singer. How did you discover your passion for the arts? Is there one that you naturally gravitate towards?
Mickeey: I actually started off dancing. I didn’t find that until later on in my life, but it was the initial career that I was pursuing. For a period of time, I was going full force with dance.

As far as acting, it wasn’t until I landed my first role on TV, which was Nickelodeon’s Make It Pop. It was my first acting experience that dance was an asset. Right in that moment, I was like, “Oh my gosh. I love doing this.”

This whole industry is a bit of a gamble. Your life and path often veers off into completely different directions. For me, it veered off into acting. It’s been a wild ride. It’s become such a big passion of mine. I’ve been lucky enough to integrate all three into my career. I got to utilize dance and singing into projects like Z-O-M-B-I-E-S and now Utopia Falls.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Mickeey: There are a few people. The first would be my parents, as cliché as it is. [laughs] They’ve created such a future for me. They built a foundation where I can pursue what I love doing. They’re so incredibly supportive of that. I know everyone is like, “My family is my rock. They’re the people who I have to thank.” But it’s so true. They’ve created this life for me, and they’ve inspired me in so many ways to be a better person and do the best that I can. Sometimes in this industry, things can get pretty cutthroat. With their support, I never felt that.

My second answer would be Constance Wu. I’m such a big fan girl of hers. She stands for everything that I love as a person and artist. She’s so inspiring. I really admire her. Hopefully, one day, if the stars align, I’ll get to tell her that in person. She really inspired me. I would have to say those two.

PC: Great answer. You’ve touched upon this a bit already, but you’ve had a lot of success already in your young career with Z-O-M-B-I-E-S and Make It Pop. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Mickeey: Oh man. I have to say Utopia Falls. It’s really made me more appreciative of the journey that I’ve had. There are times in your career when you think a certain project is as big as it’ll get for you. When I did Make It Pop, I didn’t think I’d be capable of doing anything bigger. But as life progresses and we face different challenges, I ended up surprising myself.

Each and every step along the way, in anyone’s career, you look back and you appreciate the building blocks that you’ve created for yourself. I would say the moment when I finished Utopia Falls, it shined a light on my appreciation for all the things that I did prior to that. As many ups and downs as I’ve faced, it all paid off. I’m really happy with where I am and where I’m going. So I don’t think there’s one particular moment that stands out to me because everything has contributed to where I am now.

PC: Speaking of your personal journey, what’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started your career?
Mickeey: If I could go back and talk to past Mickeey, I would slap him. [laughs] I’d be like, “Listen. When one door closes, it’s not the end of the world, especially in this industry.” There are so many times when you’re so close to getting something, you’re one person away from booking the role, and you come up short. It’s something that we should celebrate, knowing that you put your best foot forward.

When I started in this industry, I never fully understood or respected that. I was always so hard on myself. I was like, “I could have done this. I should have done this.” I would beat myself up about it. As I become more and more experienced and familiar with the industry, I’ve developed self-love that I’m happy with what I do and what I show. Even when it doesn’t work out in my favor, I’m happy that it’s a stepping-stone for something else. Followed by a slap in the face. [laughs]

Utopia Falls

PC: Tell us about Utopia Falls and your character.
Mickeey: Utopia Falls is one of a kind. It’s the first performance-based sci-fi series. R.T. [Thorne], our director, really wanted it to appeal to a modern audience of diverse, multicultural, socially-minded viewers.

Utopia Falls, as crazy and unique as it sounds, stands for so much more. There’s so much depth to it. Right when people hear, “performance-based sci-fi,” they’re like, “Whoa! I’ve never heard the two together.” It’s a world that’s crafted to be ahead of our time, where everyone is accepted no matter what they believe in or what they look like. It’s made in such a perfect humanity. People think having such a cookie-cutter life in this dystopian city would be perfect. But in actuality, there are so many limitations. Throughout the series, we’ll explore those limitations.

One of the characters that you’ll get introduced to is Mags, your homeboy. [laughs] He’s someone who throughout this journey has a lot of self-discovery. He’s such a comedian and very family-oriented. He cares for those around him. When people have someone like that in their life, it shines a light in those dark places. He’s such a light. You get to see him blossom into such a multilayered character. You’ll realize he’s more than just the comedic relief. He’s actually there to be the support and rock for everyone.

PC: What drew you to this project?
Mickeey: I’ve never seen a series like this before. Also, I relate so much to Mags. Despite his hunger for fame, glory, and being a celebrity, he’s pretty spot on with who I am. When I saw the character description for him, I was like, “Oh my god. They’re literally describing me.” [laughs] Every single word! He’s bright, he’s colorful, he’s a comedian, he likes to joke around, but when he needs to buckle down, he will.

PC: Is there an episode or particular scene that you’re excited for your fans to see?
Mickeey: Oh man! There’s so much stuff happening in every single episode. When it’s released, I’m ready to sit down and have ten hours to myself to binge it. Everyone in this cast delivers. Our preparation for it, our love for it, our integrity to craft to bring this vision to life, has been phenomenal. Everyone really stepped up their game. I’m not looking for a specific moment for myself but rather for the cast! When you have a group of people who share the same purpose in crafting this project to life, it really shows on screen. You see this family being born. It’s been such a crazy ride, and we’re all so appreciative of each other. We’re basically each other’s brothers and sisters. There’s something in each episode that I’m looking forward to.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Mickeey: I’m into deep dark thrillers. I just finished Servant, and I was fully invested. I love TV shows that make you really think deep.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Mickeey: I’m such a horror fanatic. I love anything that’s horror, so The Conjuring or Final Destination. I’m a sucker for gore. On first impression, people are like Mickeey’s so Disney, but nope, I like gore. [laughs]

PC: Favorite book?
Mickeey: The Harry Potter series.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Mickeey: Oh my god! No, don’t do this to me! Recently, I just watched Wicked, and I was bawling my eyes out. I wasn’t able to see it on Broadway, but when it came to Toronto, I was blown away. Once upon a time back in middle school, our teacher was like, “We’re going to sing ‘For Good’ as our graduation song from Wicked.” I was like, “What’s Wicked?” I never knew the story and when I finally saw it, I was like, “This is what people are raving about!”

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Mickeey: My top three are Ariana Grande because she’s queen, BTS—I would love to choreograph or dance for them—and Billie Eilish. I don’t see Billie using dancers, but if she did, I would volunteer as tribute.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Mickeey: Jacob Tremblay has so much artistry. He’s done so much at such a young age. I’m a fan girl of him.

To keep up with Mickeey, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Binge-watch Season 1 of Utopia Falls on Hulu today.

Photo Credit: Denise Grant