The Performer
Zedrick Restauro on his career trajectory in the performing arts
Zedrick Restauro is an actor who has starred in multiple TV shows, commercials, and films. His past roles have included How To Get Away With Murder, Teen Wolf, and Modern Family. We had the unique opportunity to speak with Zedrick about his experiences as an Asian American actor and how culture and heritage have shaped his work.
Tell us about the community you grew up in. What led you to your path as an actor?
I grew up in Biñan, Philippines, about an hour south of Manila. My neighborhood was pretty suburban, and since Filipino culture is very strong when it comes to community, my neighborhood felt like a little small town. Everyone knew everyone and what everyone was up to, haha! But I loved it, my friends lived across the street, and growing up in the 90’s you could just go and play outside, and the grown-ups didn’t care as long we were back home by dinner.
My path as an actor didn’t really materialize until I was 17. Having just moved to Vancouver, Canada, I sort of stumbled into it. A girl I had a crush on told me she was auditioning for the school play, to which I immediately replied that I was too! It helped that a couple other classmates I had started talking to were auditioning as well, and since I was the new kid in my last year of high school, I needed friends. So it was following my crush and the need of friends that inadvertently led me to my path as an actor. That was when I caught the acting bug and have been sick ever since.
What was your favorite project that you were a part of? Why?
I’m going to give you two answers, one for theater and one for film. My favorite theater project was a production of the comedy Beyond Therapy by Christopher Durang, where I played the lead role of Bruce. My favorite film project was this coming-of-age feature film Hickey from writer/director Alex Grossman playing one of the leads, Jeremy. These are my favorite projects because they’re the largest roles I’ve played so far. Most of my career thus far is being a guest on TV shows in small roles, so the larger, meatier roles are still quite rare for me. Also the characters I played in these projects weren’t stereotypical Asian roles and I loved that. They were three-dimensional characters whose race or ethnicity was one of many factors that made up who they were, instead of their sole defining factor as we’ve seen in many unfortunate stereotypical portrayals of Asians in film and TV. This has finally begun to change within the last few years as representation has gotten better, but there’s still a ton of work that needs to be done.
In your opinion, what’s the best part about being a performer?
It’s connecting with others through our shared humanity. Acting allows the audience to see themselves in me, and I love that process as a performer. It’s holding up a mirror to the audience telling them this is “who you are,” and whether that makes them laugh, or cry, or whatever in between, they feel that way because they see specific aspects of themselves in my performance. And that human connection between performer and audience is the absolute best part, it’s incredibly rewarding, and I’m so, so grateful I get to do it.
What has been a challenge you have faced and how did you overcome it?
The continuous rejection that is just the norm in this career, has definitely been the number one challenge. It’s consistent and unrelenting. And when I have bad days, the weight of it can be difficult to bear. I overcome it by leaning on my friends, my community of actors.
Because they go through it too and they understand, and reminding myself that I’m not alone helps a ton. I also overcome it by reminding myself that it isn’t personal. A role I don’t get was a decision made that did not go in my direction, and that’s it. That really shouldn’t even be called rejection, because the word rejection implies something personal, as if a direct action against you has been purposefully made, and that is just not what happens at all. It’s a matter of perspective because yes, even though an actor’s life is a constant influx of rejection, it is equally a constant influx of so much opportunity. Each audition is a chance to play, a chance to be an actor and do what I love. So I make it a point to be grateful for each opportunity, and the more I’m in the practice of being grateful, the easier it gets to brush off rejection, and move onwards.
How has culture and identity played a role in shaping your perspective and work?
I’m big on creating backstory for my characters, so even though not all my characters directly acknowledge or address out loud being Filipino, being Asian American or being an immigrant, I incorporate those identities into every character I play. So that means characters with a history of being othered, feeling like an outsider, feeling like they don’t belong. But also characters who have a strong sense of purpose, a strong kinship with their community, and a unique perspective on the American dream. My culture and my identity brings a particular depth to my artistry, and even though it isn’t readily apparent or obvious in all the characters I play, it’s in the work nonetheless. I like to think that’s why I keep getting cast, because I embrace my culture and identity, and that kind of specificity bleeds into other aspects of my work, which I hope improves its quality.
To aspiring Asian American actors and actresses, what is your advice to them?
Own your identity, embrace your culture, and don’t hold back. As actors, sometimes we forget that we are fellow filmmakers, creatives, and storytellers in our own right. And right now, the specificity of who you are as Asian Americans, is what is needed. There is a demand for our stories and the doors are finally starting to open for us to be able to tell these stories ourselves, on our own terms. So keep acting, and continue honing your craft, because there are a ton of things about this career that are out of our control, but the quality and consistency of your craft, are very much in your control. Godspeed, and I’ll see you on set.
