By: Valerie Milano
Hollywood, California (The Hollwood Times) 3/2/2019 – “Most people see my handsome looks and think I only want to play the pretty boy. But I want audiences to see my depth—I love meaty roles where my character goes to the dark side,” Chen exclusively told The Hollywood Times.
Chen understands how much emphasis people place on what they look like, starring in “The Temptation of Plastic Surgery.”
Anson Chen has one of those unforgettable faces that you are drawn to, whenever he is onscreen. A versatile Chinese performer who is proficient in Mandarin and English, he is set to become one of of Hollywood’s hottest new actors.
“I played the leading actor who is a plastic surgeon, who lost his mom due to a medical situation. People do have the right to undergo these surgeries if it helps them build up the confidence, but never to an extreme,” he said.
Chen felt a strong connection to this role, because his family also means a lot to him. “I found it fascinating how the character balanced his professional moments with his soft, caring heart.”
The web series recently aired via the popular platform, Iqiyi.
Chen first came to the U.S. with his lovely family as a child and returned, years later, to get his college degree at University of California-Riverside Extension. He then enrolled into their joint program in Los Angeles Film School.
“I absolutely loved studying film and working in Hollywood. While I was living here, I participated in several local nonprofit associations, helping them to produce and host gala events and variety shows. My hope is to return soon to the area and start auditioning!” he said.
While the young actor’s family would prefer he inherit the family wine business, Chen is committed to his acting career. “It’s important to show my parents I am committed to my thespian dreams. Life is short, why not play full out for everything you want in this world?!”
The young actor is currently in pre-production on “Finding The Other Half,” a coproduction with TenCent that will air this spring on Fox China.
“I related to this beautiful character a lot; this is a romantic story with a pretty sad storyline,” Chen acknowledged. “I have some personal love experiences that made me get involved deeply with my character as we filmed the TV series. I truly hope audiences can relate to my interpretation of the role. We’ve all gotten our hearts broken at some point.”
In his spare moments, Chen is working on the annual Asian World Film Festival, (AWFF) acquiring new cinematic projects and networking with filmmakers on behalf of the nonprofit organization.
“The festival brings the very best Asian films to Hollywood so as to draw more attention to the location’s impressive wealth of filmmakers,” said Chen, who is the Outreach Liaison for China Relations. “I assist the co-founders by working towards strengthening the ties between the Asian and Hollywood film industries.”
Chen is ready to come back to the U.S. for several new coproductions he is working on. “I can’t wait to work on my new creative projects, it’s a very interesting and exciting time in my life!” he enthused.
While Chen would love to do romantic comedies or dramas, he could easily audition for action roles, similar to what Keanu Reeves does in “John Wick” or Hugh Jackman in “Wolverine. This is why the actor is incredibly fit, working out for hours each day!
“I have to exercise, I love fried food!” he quipped. “But everything in moderation!”
