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HOLLYWOOD INSISDER

Sharon-Gabby movies inspired ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Fil-Am actor Nico Santos to become an actor


Los Angeles — Nico Santos just couldn’t believe what happened to him: Two big Hollywood projects for someone whose professor in college told him he did not have a future in acting.

“I am still pinching myself,” he admitted when we talked to him in an exclusive interview with Hollywood Insider. “I still could not believe that this kid who watched Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion movies is now working in Hollywood and have two big Hollywood gigs.”

Nico, who was born in the Philippines and moved to Gresham, Oregon with his family when he was 16 years old, is in both the box-office comedy hit “Crazy Rich Asians” as Constance Wu’s friend, Oliver T’sien and the NBC hit series, “Superstore” as sales associate Mateo Liwanag.

Below are excerpts of our conversation with him.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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You did a marvelous job in “Crazy Rich Asians.” How did you get that role?

Well, a good friend of mine was meeting with the director of the movie and after her meeting she gave me a call and she was like, “have you heard of this book as being turned into a movie? There's a part a named Oliver that will be perfect for you.”

So I was like, “Oh my God, let me look into this.” I grabbed the book and I immediately devoured it in two days because the book was so amazing. I was reading at a part where they introduced Oliver in the book and I was like, “oh my God, this part sounds like exactly perfect for me.”

So I kept bugging my agents for an audition and they we're like, “We're not sure, and maybe they're casting a lot of these parts from Asia as well so we're not sure.” But eventually they got me an audition and then that kind of just went from there.

RELATED:  8 things about 'Crazy Rich Asians' we need to talk about

What were your memorable moments while filming this?

Honestly, a lot of memorable moments happened off screen, when we were bonding as a cast. From day one we sort of knew how special the project was, so we were all really happy to be there and it felt really special.

You could really feel it when we were working that this was going to be something amazing. But you know, there was a lot of eating and karaoke so all the time that we spent hanging out like when we weren’t filming was really, really special.

Do you think Filipinos are now being more recognized in Hollywood?

I think so. I feel like we've always been sort of under the radar. I think it speaks to the fact that we assimilate very easily to American culture. I feel like everybody knows about Filipino people even though we’re not really represented in the media that much. But you keep hearing stories and we are making strides in the industry and hopefully it will be a chance that will just keep growing and growing.

What do you think are the challenges of being Asian-Filipino in the entertainment industry?

I think one of the main challenges is, there is so many different aspects to Asian culture and usually we just get lumped together as Asian and what most people don't realize is that there are so many aspects to it. And I think that's the biggest challenge. That while we are striving for representation and visibility, that we also want to work towards authenticity and telling our own stories as well. So a balance on a fine line between those two things. I think that's the biggest challenge.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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What are your thoughts on diversity in American programming TV?

It's definitely gotten a lot better. I certainly don't think that I would have the career that I have now if I had started 10 years ago. It’s a very different landscape now. Things are changing for the better and hopefully all these obstacles are slowly going to be out of the way and we won’t have to really deal with these things anymore.

Do you remember any Filipino actress or actor you admire?

When I was growing up in the Philippines I remember being a huge Sharon Cuneta fan. I do love romantic comedies and I remember, as a kid, my mom was like, “Oh, you love watching Sharon and Gabby." I also remember watching Roderick Paulate movies. But I think Sharon Cuneta really stuck in my head as a kid.

Why?

I thought she was really pretty and I love her singing and I love her movies. I love when Sharon and Gabby Concepcion were a couple, I just thought they were such a cool couple.

Would you consider performing in Filipino program or show?

Oh, I definitely would. I think it would be fun project. It certainly who would have to be the right time. My schedule on “Superstore” keeps me plenty busy, but yeah, any opportunity that I would get to go back to the Philippines would be amazing.

I went back for the first time in 21 years last year when I was filming “Crazy Rich Asians” because I had time in-between my scenes. It was really a special sort of emotional homecoming because it had been so long. I had forgotten how much I was missing my homeland.

 

 

What places did you visit?

I was just in Manila because I knew I had a very small amount of time. So I spent 10 days in Manila and I went to visit my Tito and Tita and my cousins. I also got reunited with my yaya, who I hadn’t seen in 21 years. She was basically my second mom.

And I saw some old school friends and we got the chance to reconnect, rebond, and eat a lot of foods that I haven't had in so long, like Philippine mangoes. Honestly, the first thing I asked my friend, I'm like, “we need to get some mangoes because it's been 21 years since I've had a Philippine mango." Oh my God, it was so good.

“Crazy Rich Asians” is a big hit in the Philippines. Where do you think, would your kababayans see you in the next one, what kind of projects would you be doing in the future? Theater or film?

I would love to do more movies. I love “Superstore,” the show that I'm on right now, which is also airing in the Philippines. I love working with the cast and crew. If I could do that show forever, I would. Hopefully it will run forever and ever. But in the meantime I would love to do more movies during my off time.

Where were you born and raised?

Born and raised in Manila. I lived in a Parañaque‎, UPS 2. And then I went to Colegio San Agustín in Makati.

Can you speak fluent Tagalog?

Oo, marunong naman.

How was it growing up here in America as a Filipino?

I moved to Oregon, which was very challenging to say the least. Oregon is a predominantly white state, so a lot of people didn't really know what to make of me because I kind of looked Chinese, but my last name is like Spanish. They were confused.

I had to give them some lesson on the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. It definitely had its challenges. I really worked hard on trying to fit in. I lost my accent fairly quickly because I had to find a way to fit in or else it was going to be a very difficult transition. There weren't a lot of Filipinos in Oregon. There was me, my older brother and like maybe one other person.

That was hard; to leave the Philippines, be in this new country, in this new state, and not have a connection back to the Philippines. In my dad's home, in Oregon, they didn't have the Filipino channel.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I'm going to be 10,000 lbs by the time I come home...eating all the foods here in Manila and I've barely scratched the surface. Scroll thru for my food coma, also some food pics in my Instagram stories. Pic1) Bibingka- a rice flour cake with salted egg that's cooked by placing charcoal on top of it, served with shredded coconut and muscovado sugar Pic2) Puto Bumbong- milled purple rice that's been steamed in bamboo tube, served with butter, cheese, coconut and sugar. Pic3) Pusit- Baby Squid cooked in garlic and squid ink. Pic4) Caldereta-beef stew, Tortang Talong-eggplant omelet, Sinangag with Dilis- garlic fried rice with crispy fried anchovies. Pic5) Sisig-bunch of pork and pig parts chopped up and sautéed til crispy and sizzling, Sinuglaw-cheviche with coconut milk topped with grilled pork belly. Lechon Kawali na binagoongan- crispy pork sautéed in fermented shrimp paste.

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I was really removed from the Philippines and the only connection I had to my culture was the food and the little bit of the language. When I moved here it was like quitting cold Turkey. I wasn't watching Filipino programming anymore, I wasn't exposed to Filipino movies, or Filipino television. I was suddenly immersed in all this American culture and had to assimilate pretty quickly.

But do you know how to cook Adobo and everything?

I do! That's my specialty. My favorite thing to cook is Adobo, I also like to make Kaldereta.

So when you went into the entertainment business, did you make friends with other Filipino Americans like Reggie Lee and others?

I knew of them but I wasn't close to a lot of the Filipino or the other Asian performers and actors until I did “Crazy Rich Asians.” My background is in stand-up comedy and so really the friends and connections that I made were just all the comedians.

In comedy, the only common denominator is that you're all funny but you come from all different backgrounds. So my core group of people was all these different people — gay, straight, white, black, Latino, and then a little bit of Asian.

It wasn't until I started acting that I slowly was introduced to the Asian community in entertainment. And it wasn't until I filmed the movie that I really had a group of Asian brothers and sisters that I really could count on and call friends.

Right now we have a WhatsApp group for “Crazy Rich Asians.” We really became close. So it was really a special experience.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Missing my #CrazyRichAsians ??

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What kind of activities do you usually do as a group? As a clique?

Kain! A lot of eating.

You’ve exposed them to Filipino food?

Yeah, yeah. We also do a lot of karaoke. If we're here in LA, we'll do a lot of Hot Bar Korean barbecue because Korean food in LA is really good. But yeah, whenever we get together we just like to eat. Filipinos just love to, so that's what we do all the time.

When you went to America, did you realize you were so different from the others? What made you feel so different?

I would have to say, coming from the Philippines, it's a little more conservative. Definitely when I moved to America and going to an American public school. I had come from a private Catholic school in the Philippines where it's a little stricter and then going into American public school system where you have a lot of freedom. That was a little bit of a shock. It wasn't so regimented. It was really about finding a place where I had a little more freedom.

Can you give me five signs to detect or know immediately that that's a Filipino?

I listen. If they have an accent. They point with their mouth or lips. There are lots of Catholic religious paraphernalia in their car aside from having lots of groceries.

Do you identify yourself as a non-Filipino or are you always proud of your heritage?

I am always proud of my Filipino heritage. I am definitely a Filipino. I was born and raised there. Coming to San Francisco and Los Angeles where there are huge Filipino communities have helped me not miss a lot from the Philippines.

What was the reaction of your parents when you told them that you wanted to become an actor?

My mom was very supportive of me being an actor. My dad wanted me to become a doctor or a lawyer. I told him how about a comedian? My mom supported me all the time and went to my stand-up comedy acts or even an open mike performance. She knows I was very passionate about it. She always believed I was going to be successful. When I get discouraged she would say, “You spent a lot of time already so don’t give up now!”

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Please respect my privacy as I go thru this difficult time.

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So did you include some of your family antics in your stand up comedies?

Yes, especially my mom. My mom is crazy so she is always part of the comedy act. Yeah most Filipino families are loud and boisterous so when my American friends drop by at our house they enjoy the Filipino gatherings where it is always loud, happy and there’s so much food. So they will say, “Wow! We will come every year! This is amazing!”

When did you realize you wanted to become an actor?

When I was in high school, I realized I wanted to become an actor because there was a very good theater and music program in that school. They had an awesome choir and theater program. So I said to myself, this is what I wanted to do.

I majored in Theater in college, but then one of my professors discouraged me and said I will never make it in acting. He said I was not talented enough. So I changed my major to costume designing and gave up on the idea of performing. But then one of my colleagues told me that I should try to do stand-up comedy because I was really funny. So that started my stand-up comedy act in San Francisco. Then they said I should audition in LA because there are a lot of shows in LA and one role led to another from "Superstore" to "Crazy Rich Asians." I really never thought I would be acting again.

So you have a background in fashion and "Crazy Rich Asians" has a lot of fashion. Did you make any suggestions to the costume designers?

Oh yes. I also have a background in retail sales and I used to work in Neiman Marcus, Dior, and others and I did stand-up comedy at night. So I had awesome discussions with the costume designer in "Crazy Rich Asians" and we collaborated on the color and the look of my character and some characters.

 

Nico and Constance Wu in a 'Crazy Rich Asians' scene
Nico and Constance Wu in one of the fashionable scenes in 'Crazy Rich Asians' 

So if you did not turn into an actor, would you have been a fashion designer?

Yes that was my back up plan. I would have loved to be a fashion designer.

What kind of advice would you give to your 13-year-old self?

I would have told him to relax and tell him that everything will be okay. Have faith and everything will work out. Persevere. Work hard. Take it easy.

What advice would you give to a 13-year-old kid in the US who wants to be like you when he grew up?

I would say to him to be true to yourself because he is unique and being unique and true to one’s self is your greatest asset especially in this type of career. Be honest to yourself because it goes a long way in this industry. Be true to yourself because it takes a lot of hard work and guts.

What would you tell to your teacher who said you cannot make it as an actor?

Bye! That’s all I have to say

What gems of wisdom did your parents give to you?

My mom would always say have faith, enjoy what you are doing because if you are not happy with what you are doing why stay in that career. Why be miserable in your life. You only have one life so choose to be happy in your life. You owe it to yourself to be happy.

So what’s next for you?

We are working on Season 4 of Superstore and I pretty have the whole year scheduled already. Then we have Crazy Rich Asians 2 next and hopefully, I will be back.

 

 

Do you have a one-man show coming up?

Yes I have a one-man show coming up at the Laugh Factory and there is one also at the Comedy Club.

How was your experience working on Superstore?

The best people are in Superstore. We get along so well. We are like one happy family. The crew members and the cast are all great and there is chemistry among the cast. Hopefully, we will have more seasons coming up.

Have you ever imagined yourself in this position in your life right now?

Never in a million years. Gulat na gulat nga ako especially from one coming from the Philippines. It does not happen to people like me. It’s a dream. I dream about Sharon Cuneta movies. But I never imagined I would be acting in a Hollywood movie. It is a huge leap in my life from Manila. I sometimes pinch myself because I still cannot believe I have two big projects --- “Superstore” and “Crazy Rich Asians.” I am proud to be a Filipino and an Asian working in Hollywood. — LA, GMA News

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