DIVERSITY SPOTLIGHT: LAP PHAN
Three decades since escaping war-ravaged Vietnam, actor and podcaster Lap Phan tells Joy Hopwood he is enjoying the opportunities afforded to him by his parents, who “risked life and limb on a Hail Mary and a one-way ticket through the blue abyss” to bring him to Australia where he fortuitously fell into acting. In his most recent role in SBS miniseries Hungry Ghosts, he drew on his real life experience to play Dr Tran, who also escaped from war-ravaged Vietnam at an early age.
What is your biggest breakthrough role?
I’d say Hungry Ghosts would be my biggest role. Hungry Ghosts on SBS is about families grappling to stay together when the past comes back to haunt them. It delves into themes of inherited trauma, identity, the secrets that burden us in our daily lives and how to go about exorcising them.
What made you choose a career in acting?
I really just stumbled onto it. I was doing a diploma in Business and was about four subjects from away from graduating when I presented a mock presentation in class and the tutor just happened to be an actress — the Meadow Lea lady — and she suggested I join an agency. She gave me a phone number to ring which I did and was invited to read for them. They pretty much signed me immediately and the next week or so I was on the set of Heartbreak High hanging out with Drazic, or Callan Mulvey to be precise.
It was quite a fortuitous start to my acting career as I somehow quickly scored roles on big productions without any training. One week I would play a delinquent on the ABC series Wildside and another week I would be on the set of The Quiet American with Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser. Right time, right place I guess. I think I ended that year with a 33 percent audition strike rate, a feat I have never been able to repeat again given the amount to training I undertook after that initial purple patch.
Who were your role models growing up?
Growing up in western Sydney in the ’90s, I didn’t have many positive role models to aspire to. I was fortunate to have loving and trusting parents who lay enough solid foundations to steer me back on the right path after I found myself idolising the wrong people, people with very misguided values. I guess I was drawn to these people because of their charisma and power and that sense of belonging which I felt, especially when you’re young and trying to find where you fit into the world, was intoxicating.
How do you feel about the diversity landscape in Australian film and TV and theatre? How do you think we can improve?
Personally, I feel there has been a large correction in recent years. We can see it recent shows such as Unlisted on ABC, The Family Law on SBS and Hungry Ghosts. These projects would not have existed 10 years ago but they are still the exception and roles for POC are still grossly underrepresented in today’s media. But representation isn’t just about seeing yourself on screen. Unless changes are made to include more diversity up and down the production line from script writers to department heads or to borrow the US term, studio heads, the same stories will be told over and over again.
Like I said earlier, I didn’t have many role models on screen when I grew up which is why representation means so much to me being a new dad. I want my child to grow up to have positive role models and to see himself represented and to feel the sense that his external world reflects his internal world. I am hopeful this will be the case.
What have you been doing during Covid?
I am a podcast producer for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age so that keeps me busy. I produce a weekly show called The Televisionaries podcast, a show where TV critics chat about the best TV and streaming have to offer. I also help produce other podcasts such as Flight of Fancy and Good Weekend Talks. As a result, I have been fortunate to be nice and busy during this period and I feel very grateful as I know this is not the case for many of my contemporaries.
Who are your favourite actors and why?
I love anyone who can traverse drama and comedy. I find those kinds of actors the most engaging. Randall Park comes to mind. He’s so versatile and hilarious. I also love people who create their own work. Micheala Coel springs to mind. What she is doing at the moment is brilliant. Closer to home, I would say creators like Matt Okine and Ronny Chieng are people I admire.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
I hope that I will be in a position where I can create material that creates real change which medium it may be in. I was just reminded by my Hungry Ghosts co-star Susan Ling Young recently that the real power of storytelling is to make meaningful change the daily lives of everyday people. Wise words that ring true to me.
What is the motto you live by and why?
My motto is basically to make everyone I meet laugh or at least smile. An old drama coach of mine used to say, “energy creates energy”, I’m not sure of the scientific integrity of that mantra is but it has always stuck with me. I guess to me it means positivity begets positivity and that’s something that I try to live by.
Where do you hope to see the industry in 10 years’ time?
I hope we have a thriving industry where networks and production companies really embrace our country as rich, diverse and multifaceted instead of a homogeneous block of one type of person. That antiquated casting doesn’t reflect who we are and nor is it interesting.
What advice do you have for upcoming actors wanting to break into the industry?
Diversify and relinquish the title of Actor. It’s so limiting and doesn’t do you the artist justice. I would say to think of yourself as a storyteller or a creator of sorts. The creative juices will start to permeate and multiply through every part of your being and it’ll inevitably find a way to pour itself out of you and surprise you in the process.
Interview by Joy Hopwood. Joy Hopwood is writer/producer of features The Casting Game, The Script of Life and Rhapsody of Love, and founder/artistic director of The Joy House Film Festival.
