Section 1
prof . dr . kathrin g . kind
interviews
Interview by Kamil Grund Osric Chau Osric: For me it’s the people and the relationships. There are so many trials and tribulations to get anything done and once you put it all together you’re stuck with this group for a long time. If you can’t stand them, that’s not the way anyone should live their life. The stories of course have to resonate with me, something I want to put into the world, but for me it’s the people first, story second.
Kamil: From martial arts champion to screen actor and producer — how has your early training in Wing Chun and Wushu influenced both your approach to physical roles and your mindset on set? Osric: I certainly welcome any kind of physicality if a role calls for it. But the foundation of training, improving your knowledge and skillset, and then applying what you’ve learned through combat or competition, those principles have stuck with me through my entire life and every endeavor that I’ve been apart of. Kamil: You’ve played iconic characters like Kevin Tran on Supernatural and Ryan Choi in the Arrowverse — what’s a role that surprised you personally, and why? Osric: Kevin really surprised me. I originally turned down the role as it was by far the most stereotypically Asian character I had ever seen and I didn’t want to perpetuate harmful stereotypes. But they didn’t kill him off, and it taught me a very important lesson. Stereotypes all come from some grain of truth, so rather than avoiding them all together, it’s more helpful to go in deeper, and take the time and effort to understand people beyond that. Kevin Tran is an amalgamation of so many common tropes yes, but Supernatural gave us enough time to get to know him beyond those stereotypes and I will always be grateful to the writers for doing that. Kamil: As someone who has transitioned into producing with projects like Empty by Design and Superhost, how do you decide which stories are worth championing behind the camera?
I’m not one to wait and see what happens, so I took it upon myself to dive deep into this new technology and find ways to create tools that can help creatives. Turns out, building a company shares practically the same steps as making a movie, so it still feels like I’m doing the same thing, just in a different field. Kamil: Your Instagram reflects both your work and personal passions, from cosplay to community engagement. How do you balance sharing your authentic self with the public expectations of a celebrity presence? Osric: I’ve taken a big step back from the public life and sharing everything I do. While the creator economy is booming, I just don’t feel that it was a great fit for my personality and it was quite a chore to post as frequently as you need to. That being said, I always want to be true to myself and to everyone out there, I never want to promote or share anything that I don’t have my own conviction in. It’s the same approach I take with the stories I tell or the companies I’m building. Kamil: Looking forward, are there any genres or types of characters you haven’t explored yet but are eager to take on or even write into existence yourself? Osric: Characters exist as a means to tell a story. There are so many stories that I would like to tell that aren’t possible in the current business models that exist in film. So that means that the role I give to myself is one where I create those business models where it can happen. Currently that next step looks like being
Kamil: You’re now stepping into the AI space — what sparked that shift for you? Was it curiosity, opportunity, creative control, or something deeper about where you see the future of storytelling going? Osric: Most of my friends in the creative field are quite scared or angry about AI.
10
DAVOS CLUB
Powered by FlippingBook