Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Wu Assassin’s Lawrence Kao

Lawrence Kao is delivering a knockout performance as Tommy Wah in Netflix’s action-packed new series Wu Assassins. His character is a struggling heroin addict looking to turn his life around. It’s a role that Lawrence hopes will help audiences have more compassion for others, and it’s one that he hopes furthers the conversation for greater representation on screen. Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Lawrence about Wu Assassins and the lessons he’s learned in the industry.

Wu Assassins Questions

PC: Tell us about Wu Assassins, your character, and what drew you to this project.
Lawrence: I play a heroin addict named Tommy Wah. Throughout the series, people have assumptions about who he is as a person. As a result, he starts to believe them and begins to spiral down the wrong path. People’s beliefs about him are so strong that he believes it himself. In season one, he’s struggling to find redemption, but at the same time, he’s got an addiction, and there are things that he needs to fix within himself before he can figure out who he is. That’s part of the overall story, which is focused on Kai, a chef who is endowed with this specific power, and his journey to stop evil things from happening in San Francisco.

I was drawn to this project because I love playing characters who aren’t normally looked upon in a good light by society. Tommy’s one of those characters. If you were to meet someone like this in everyday life, you probably wouldn’t look at them in a positive light. I love bringing out the humanity in these characters, so as a society, we can empathize with all types of people.

PC: Like you said, Tommy is a complicated character with a lot of different layers. How did you prepare to tackle his journey?
Lawrence: I did a lot of research into what it’s like to be an addict. I learned that it doesn’t necessarily have to do with their desire to do the drug; there are underlying things that need to be worked out. Addicts want to feel nothing. That’s how it is for Tommy—he’d rather be numb. I worked on how he feels about his life and everything that’s going on. There are ounces of good things that come around and he feels instant gratitude and appreciation, but then, all of a sudden, it can be taken away by one stupid mistake.

PC: This is your first role as a series regular. Did anything surprise you about the experience? What was the biggest takeaway?
Lawrence: The biggest takeaway for me was to trust my instincts as an actor. In other roles, most of them being guest spots, I was afraid to take more risks. With Tommy, I wanted to jump right in and go for it without any regrets. I wanted to let all the preparation I did come out. With this role, I found more freedom as an actor. It’s something that I’ll take with me to future projects.

PC: This is a really groundbreaking series for many different reasons. What has being a part of Wu Assassins meant for you, both personally and professionally?
Lawrence: It’s amazing to be a part of Wu Assassins. The majority of the actors are Asian Americans. It’s amazing to see characters like this on screen, especially for Asian Americans who didn’t grow up around other Asian Americans or see themselves represented on screen. It’s cool for them to watch this group of friends grow up together. You don’t realize that you’re missing something until you see it portrayed on screen. It’s an entirely different experience to be able to culturally connect with someone that you have similarities with. To be part of that and to push this narrative forward, it’s indescribable.

PC: Does that add an extra layer of pressure?
Lawrence: Whenever you’re on a show, there are going to be a lot of eyes. We wanted to make sure we were putting our best foot forward and pushing the conversation. Our show runner was very open to suggestions. He wanted to know how he could adjust the story so that it was appropriate to our culture, so we chimed in and gave our best two cents. It was a huge collaborative effort.

PC: If the series is picked up for a second season, where would you like to see your character’s story arc head?
Lawrence: I think it’d be fun to dive even deeper into Tommy’s struggles with overcoming an addiction and to see whether he relapses, and how he deals with that. I’d like to see him rekindle friendships that dwindled in his life. It’d also be fun if Tommy got clean and was able to throw down. He didn’t really get a chance to do that in the first season. A love interest would be fun, too! Before the drugs, Tommy was an artist; he plays piano. There’s a potential for him to be this other person. There are a lot of endless possibilities!

Photo Credit: Vince Trupsin

Career Questions

PC: You’re an actor and a dancer. How did you discover your passion for each, and is there one that you naturally gravitate towards?
Lawrence: I started acting when I was a junior in high school. Then, I started doing these after school sketches in high school, which led me to doing a Shakespeare play called A Midsummer Night’s Dream. That really skyrocketed my passion into acting. When I went to college, I studied theatre.

I found dance while I was in college at UC Irvine, and I really enjoyed doing it. I wanted to find another outlet to express myself. In a sense, the two go hand-in-hand—both are expressions of story and telling a story. I would say I gravitate towards acting. That’s my baby. But, I love dancing and it’s always been a passion of mine, and I still do it. I’ve been able to throw that into the series, and I feel like it’s added more character to Tommy.

PC: Who or what would you say had the biggest influence on your career?
Lawrence: It has to be my parents and how they raised me. My mom pushed me to play piano. Even though she refuses to acknowledge it, she pushed me towards the arts. Both of my parents fostered my imagination and they’ve made so many sacrifices so that I could be where I am today. They’ve been a driving force in allowing me to do what I love and what I’m passionate about. The hope that it’ll motivate others and convince them that they can do it as well.

PC: On your official website, you state that you were being groomed to be a doctor. Was it a challenge to shift your focus to pursuing a career in the arts?
Lawrence: Definitely! It caught them off guard; they didn’t expect that. They always thought it was a “phase”. They were like, “He’ll get over it. Just let him do it until it dissolves.” But, it never did. It was difficult at first, but once they weren’t afraid about my future, that’s when they relaxed.

PC: There have been a lot of conversations about diversity and representation in Hollywood. As an Asian American actor, what has your experience been like? Have you felt the slow progress that’s being made?
Lawrence: Yeah, man. There’s been huge progress, and we’re just at the beginning. There’s still a lot of progress to be made. At the same time, it’s fun to navigate this. If things were easy, the journey would be less exciting. With all the things that are going on to push representation, it’s cool to be a part of that.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Lawrence: PEN15

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Lawrence: Princess Bride

PC: Favorite book?
Lawrence: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Lawrence: Hamilton

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Lawrence: Carly Rae Jepsen

PC: Hidden talent?
Lawrence: I can spit bubbles out of my mouth.

To keep up with Lawrence, follow him on Twitter and Instagram, and binge-watch Wu Assassins on Netflix today.

Photo Credit: Vince Trupsin