With the release of Crazy Rich Asians in theaters and To All the Boys I've Loved Before on Netflix, the Asian-American experience is getting its long-overdue moment in the pop culture spotlight, and one film that looks to benefit from a higher profile is Screen Gems' hyper-modern cyberthriller Searching, which debuted at Sundance to raves from critics and audiences alike.
The film stars John Cho as David Kim, a father searching for his missing teenage daughter, whose laptop may hold the key to her disappearance. While director Aneesh Chaganty deserves credit for expanding the language of cinema with Searching, the film only works as well as it does because you care about its young star, Michelle La, who plays David's somewhat mysterious daughter, Margot.
La makes her feature debut with Searching and the actress has a remarkable story, having worked as a scientist in a lab (analyzing wastewater for the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts) just a few years ago, before a Groupon offer inspired her to take an acting class. She may not have faced the years of rejection that many Asian-American actors suffered through while waiting for (and working towards) this moment, but you can't chalk her rise up to sheer luck. She clearly has the talent and work ethic to carve out a career for herself in this industry, and thanks to the success of Crazy Rich Asians, she should have even more opportunities to shine onscreen.
Born in Orange County and raised in Glendale, California, La booked small roles on CBS' Mom and Netflix's Gilmore Girls revival before landing the co-lead in Searching, which arrives in select theaters this Friday before expanding to more cities next weekend. We spoke about the unique audition process for the film and Asian-American representation in Hollywood, so enjoy our chat, and keep your eye on La, because she's certainly one to watch.
What sparked your passion for acting and made you decide to get into this crazy business?
MICHELLE LA: I studied science in college. I was a biochemistry major. I went to Biola University. I still love science. It's just fun for me. I like to learn and I’m super curious. I spent most of my college years cooped up in the library, just reading. When I graduated, my first job out of college was as a water quality analystL
Yes, analyzing "poop water," according to the bio I read.
LA: Yeah, so I worked there for three and a half years, and it's kind of just a weird story, but it's actually how it happened. The week after I got married, I just had this crazy thought that I wanted to try acting, and I knew it was just, like, weird. I remember lying down on the bed at my apartment with my husband Frank and I was like, 'I think I want to try acting,' and my husband was like, 'um, you sound crazy. I mean, that's like me telling you I want to be a professional golfer even though I've never tried it before. I don't know why, I just want to try professional golfing.' And then I understood. I actually bought a Groupon for an acting class, and that's how I took my first acting class, and that's how I fell in love. So I saved up for a year, and then after a year, I decided to make the transition, because I really felt that my passion had just kind of switched. It's not that I don't like science anymore, but I just found something that was worth pursuing. What inspired me about acting was just understanding somebody else who has experiences that might not be the same as yours -- just putting yourself in someone else's shoes and walking a mile in them. I really just vibed with that plight, I guess. I don't know, it's crazy. Searching is my first feature film, and I think my career is just taking off...
How did you go about finding your manager and getting signed?
LA: Well, in my acting class from Groupon, I was really motivated by the teacher to basically be in or out. It's funny, because so many of my friends have asked me, 'how did you get into it?' or 'how do I start?' and I think that with acting, it's just allowing your curiosity to kind of take over and be obsessed. Read articles, look it up, ask people, go watch interviews. I just became, like, obsessed. I think my curiosity about science and the world and nature just really translated right over to acting, but it was this whole new world. The business of acting, all this stuff I'd just never thought about in my life, I immersed myself. I try not to go too into detail about my own story, only because I don't want people who are trying to break in to compare their journey with mine. Everyone's is so unique and different. But at least for myself, I pretty much cold-called agents. I think the first marketing tool is your headshot, so get headshots from a good photographer and just roll with it. Just put yourself out there. That's how I got my first agent.
Are there any actors who you admire, or whose careers you’d like to emulate?
LA: I personally grew up loving Reese Witherspoon. I thought she was hilarious in Legally Blonde. I loved her character, and just thought she was so quirky and cute, and in later years, I watched her as Tracy Flick in Election. I like Zooey Deschanel in New Girl. I just like female actors who are quirky and cute.
Tell me about the audition process for Searching and how Aneesh discovered you for this role.
LA: I got pulled in for the first audition by the casting director Lindsey Weissmueller, who set up the audition with a DVR-type home camera system. They'd sent us the proof-of-concept short film, but it was different from every audition. The sides, which are the part of the script you audition with, were totally different. It was just me and a camera, me talking to the camera, and a bunch of scenes. I thought, 'okay, this is weird.' I’m supposed to be on a computer screen right now. I was first to go in for the audition. There were like 20 other girls in the room, but I had come first, so I just signed in, and went in and I didn't know what to expect. Nobody else knew what to expect. But Lindsey had flipped the screen on the camcorder so you could see yourself. So that in itself right there was completely different, but in conjunction with how the movie was shot, and how it was gonna be portrayed, it was perfect. So I just went with it. I knew I was first, and in a lot of ways, that's daunting because they're going to give adjustments based on the first audition, but I just decided to be free and do what I wanted, and I was super in the zone. I actually prepared for the audition using my MacBook. I opened Photo Booth and I just saw myself on the screen and did my lines. I was like, 'alright, I guess this is what I’m gonna do, because I don't know what else to do to really prepare.'
I feel like you get to set the tone in the room when you go first.
LA: Yeah, and it's funny, because I walked out of the audition and all the girls were like, 'how was it?' and 'what was it like?' And I was like, 'you just do it. There's a camcorder and you can see yourself and just be free. Just go with it.' I just remember running around. I would see myself on the screen, and I would step off the screen, because she had given me freedom in my blocking, and then I would just do each scene. It was really comfortable. She gave me as many takes as I needed to nail it, and then I got a callback audition, which was with the producer and the director, Sev [Ohanian] and Aneesh [Chaganty]. I just did it again for them, and then I booked it the next week.
Did you have to read with John Cho during that callback?
LA: I didn’t even know John was attached to the project until the first introductory lunch meeting at Bazelevs, the production company. So I had no idea he was involved until I saw the schedule for the next day that I was supposed to come in and I saw John Cho. I was like 'oh my god, this is nuts!'
So you get the call that you've been cast in the movie. What is that like? How do you celebrate and who do you celebrate with? What's the reaction?
LA: You know, to be honest, I was thrilled, but at the same time, skeptical. Just because I knew it was an indie film, low-budget, a first-time director. So I thought, like, okay, it's great that I booked this, it's going to be a really fun role for me, it's my first feature film, but I don’t know if it's going to end up anywhere. I did have that thought. I thought, 'manage your expectations, Michelle. It's just an indie film. Just do your best and then, maybe the next one.' So I just went to Pizzeria Mozza with my husband and we got some pizza and wine, and we were stoked.
So now you end up going to Sundance, and the reception is through the roof. What was that like for you?
LA: Sundance was, my gosh... it's like Disneyland for filmmakers. Everyone's just, like, on another level of excitement. Leading up to the experience, I was only thinking about myself. I thought, 'oh my gosh, I’m gonna watch myself on the big screen for the first time and it's gonna be so weird.' But even more than that, what was more surprising and exhilarating was the crowd's reaction to the movie, and then me joining in that experience, watching it for the first time at its world premiere. There's just really nothing like it. I don't really know what to say about it other than, it was the world premiere of my first feature film, it can never be repeated, and that's it.
What is your take on social media and the dangers it presents? I'm just curious about your personal stance, in terms of using it to connect with fans, but keeping a barrier up to maintain some sense of privacy.
LA: It's funny, before the movie, and I would even say it still now, I’m pretty open. Like, I share myself. I’m pretty honest. I share my thoughts on my Facebook statuses. Like, I've been told I overshare. My mother tells me 'stop oversharing, people don’t need to know that!' And this was before I was even an actor. I just like engaging my community and engaging my friends on Facebook. I really do. I feel like they can continue to get to know me, even though I might not have time to spend time with each and every one of them. But I think it's fun. And I think it's a tool that I use to connect with people. So I really spare no expense when it comes to being on social media. Though I will say, the movie has caused me to be more mindful of what I post, and more importantly, who I connect with.
So the movie has made you worry about catfishing, in a sense?
LA: It has, in a sense. I don't know. It's interesting. There's just so much to say about social media, I could probably talk for an hour about it.
Can you talk about expanding the language of cinema with this film? I think I've heard you call it a traditional thriller told in an unconventional way...
LA: It's funny, because when people have asked me what my movie's about, when I say it's a thriller that takes place on screens, it's really hard for them to understand, because there really isn’t much out there like Searching. I've more commonly described the movie as, 'it's kind of like Taken, and I’m the daughter who goes missing, but it takes place on screens. You’ll see, just go watch it.' And the reason I explain it like that is that it's so hard to do justice to the filmmaking of this movie. It's a regular story, but it's like nothing you’ve ever seen. You watch it and it's so intuitive -- because of the devices, and the apps, and the social media that we use on a daily basis, we can follow the story. I’ve said this in other interviews, but you finish the film and you’re just in awe of everything you’ve absorbed and it makes you go home and keep thinking about the movie. And you're like, 'wow, why was that resonating so much with my life?' And it's because it's told so well. It has expanded the language of cinema because it's a regular story told in a completely different way, and it's an experience that I think millennials or whoever watches it have never experienced before.
What has been the biggest pinch-me moment of your career so far?
LA: I think it was Sundance, just because never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd go to Sundance to watch a movie that I'm in. Ever. I just never thought about it. It's just crazy. I was working science in a lab. How was I supposed to know that a year and a half later, I'd be at Sundance watching my movie?
Do you have a dream role? Is there a part you’re dying to play?
LA: I've been asked that question so many times, I wonder... I still think to myself, 'what is my dream role?' Until I played Margot, I would've said she was my dream role, but I'd say that after playing Margot, I'm just really thinking along the lines of dream career. I want to be able to immerse myself into every role that I get, and understand that character, and just let myself fall into it.
What’s next for you? Do you have any aspirations to write or direct or produce?
LA: As of right now, no. I don't necessarily have a strong desire to write or produce or direct at this moment. I just really want to focus on acting, so I have been auditioning and there are a couple things in the works, but they're not set in stone so I can't talk about them yet.
As a young Asian actress, do you feel there are more opportunities for you in Hollywood these days, or does the industry simply pay lip service to diversity issues without really addressing the underlying problem?
LA: It's so tough to say. I’ve only been in this industry for three years now, total. Not that I can't identify at all with the plight of being an Asian-American in Hollywood, because I think there are challenges that we face with the whole diversity thing, but at the same time, I guess I don't have enough experience to really speak to that plight, because I haven't been in Hollywood long enough. I don't think I can really say much, because I have to experience it first, I guess. But I do think it's an exciting time. I think there's a lot of movement towards progress and diversity in casting and onscreen, and I think that's a good thing. I think moving towards painting a picture and telling stories that are reflective about our society is a good thing.
