What if you’re an artist who hasn’t quite “made it” yet? What if it’s taking longer than you hoped? How would you keep your faith, especially if you believe that God has given you these talents and this calling?
In our next installment of “Artists in Motion,” SOLA Network interviews actor Jo Sung. He has been a working actor for the last two decades with roles in shows like Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum P.I. . Jo Sung has been a working actor for more than 15 years, but he isn’t exactly a household name. But while he hasn’t had his big break, he has become a leader in the Asian American Christian acting community. Jo is the guy everyone loves to talk to because he loves his craft, he loves people, and most of all, he loves Jesus.
This conversation is made for people who feel pressured to “make it” in any creative field. We hope you are encouraged to learn to love your art and craft, no matter what the outcome, as long as it brings God glory and gives you joy.
Our “Artists in Motion” series hopes to platform Asian American Christian artists, as well as encourage all artists to root their identities in Christ and use their callings to share art and truth with the world. Find our previous installment here.
Editor’s Note: Below is an automated transcript of their conversation with very light editing. There may be typos and other discrepancies from the video. You can listen to the audio here.
SOLA Network: Welcome to the SOLA Network. I’m sitting here with my friend for the last four or five years, Jo Sung.
Jo Sung is a working actor. He’s been here, he’s been there. But one of the main reasons why I wanted to talk to him is, in my travels in the industry, especially with actors, I have met so many people that know, Jo, that speak highly of Jo, that talk about how he’s encouraged them and how he’s really like helped them to keep going not just with their careers, but with following God. So I wanted to hear your story. How did you come to know Christ?
Jo Sung: First of all, thanks for having me. I don’t get to do a lot of these. And just the opportunity to share my story and my faith, and also this journey that I’m on and have been on for a long time as it’s cathartic. And at the same time, I’m very honored that you would choose me, so thanks. Thanks for that.
Well, yeah, it’s been quite a journey. And I guess, my mom started taking me to church when I was young, but never really kind of fully realized what it was until I transferred high schools in my senior year. And yeah, it was a really tough time that I really felt like a fish out of water at that, in that new neighborhood. The only thing that really, really kind of helped me was I was a decent basketball player, and we had a decent basketball team. Actually, we won the championship. We had a good basketball team.
SOLA Network: What city and state was this?
Jo Sung: So this is a small town outside of Vancouver, British Columbia called Langley. So I grew up right in the city at the West End of Vancouver, and then moved out to the suburbs. It’s like an hour away. You’re going from like r&b, hip hop to heavy metal and country, really, I’m going to make like, a comparison that way.
So when I say like, I’m a bit of a fish out of water, then that’s kind of what it was. There wasn’t a lot of people that looked like me. Also, being kind of a bigger Asian guy and an athlete, I think I was an anomaly to them as well. Like, I feel like I broke some stereotypes from them, as well. But but it still was tough. It was tough.
But I was first really introduced to Christ by my friend Brian Moon. His name is Brian Moon, but he was a White dude. He was a White dude, with long hair back then. And you know, the thing with him, he was the guy that can recognize what I was going through. I mean, I think he had that gift. And he just asked the right questions. And him and his then-girlfriend now-wife were very strong in the Lord and would always invite me out to a youth group things. I realized that was something that I could really hang on to during these tough times because I was having it tough at home and then having it tough at school, at times as well. But it really gave me a sense of peace, really learning more about Jesus at that time.
So I said the prayer, accepting Jesus in high school during my senior year. But then you go off to college, learn how to party a little bit.
SOLA Network: Where did you go to school?
Jo Sung: I went to a school called Simon Fraser University. That’s in Vancouver. I graduated in communications and criminology. And yeah, that kind of, to not very lucrative.
But in any case, I didn’t go to church again for a long time, but it wasn’t till one of my childhood friends I learned was murdered. So yeah at such a young age I was like, 22 at the time. You know, just really carefree. You know, you just want to go to the next party and so forth. But when you learn about a friend’s death, and it was pretty brutal. I mean, he was in the drug trade. And he sort of had it coming
And I just felt my soul. There was just an introspection of my soul. I just felt very, very dark, very rotten. I realized, my thoughts were very violent, or they were very sexual. And I knew there was something wrong.
So there was a guy that I knew since elementary school. His name is Isaac Lee. And he was a very strong Christian. And I asked my mom to get his number. So I actually hunted him down, and I called him out of nowhere. And I asked him if he could help me find a church, a place where I can kind of fit into better than some of the places I went to.
There was a second-generation church that they just started up. And I just started attending there. And this is when I really started reading the Bible, not just listening to sermons, and I think it really helped. I didn’t know what the word grace was all about. I thought it was just be a good Christian. You know, don’t drink don’t smoke, don’t swear, walk that fine line. Be very disciplined, be a good person. I thought that’s what being a Christian man throughout this whole time.
But at the time, what I was learning was that, hey, because God died for you, or, Jesus, the Son of God died for you on that cross, all that stuff is forgiven, and that you are a whole new being, and that you are just loved and you’re beautiful, just the way you are even with all your imperfections. And that’s what I was just that was the beginning of learning what grace is and what Christ really died for. For us, for me, for you.
So it was in until that point, and then I immediately moved to Korea.
SOLA Network: Wow. What was that move for?
Jo Sung: I decided to go to grad school. So I was there previously as an exchange student that actually wanted to play professional basketball in Korea. But you find out really fast that Koreans they’re pretty good at basketball. (Both laugh) I wasn’t good enough to play basketball.
SOLA Network: So you’re in Korea, you’ve rediscovered the joy of the Lord. You’re not gonna play basketball. What was that time of your life like?
Jo Sung: It was great pursuing my academic pursuits. Going back to my first time in Korea, I would say it was just complete debauchery if I’m being honest, if you’re 20. In Korea, you drink a lot. And back then there wasn’t as many English-speaking what they called “kyopo” overseas Koreans. So yeah, you, you had a lot of fun.
But the second time around, like this time after I rededicated my life to Christ and also being baptized, I had a very different attitude and learning more about grace and reading the Bible more. I had a different understanding, and I wanted to pursue it more while I was in Korea. So I made sure that I got involved with the church there. So there was a big English ministry so I made sure that you know that I was kept accountable. That didn’t mean like, I wasn’t going out having fun meeting friends, but there were definitely boundaries. I wasn’t what I was before. I’m sure I slipped up. There were a lot of times I slipped up, for sure. But yeah, that there was definitely a different end goal.
SOLA Network: How did then did you fall into or get led into acting? It seems like that wasn’t something really on your radar, right for most of your younger life. What brought you in and said, “Wow, I love this art form.”
Jo Sung: That’s funny you say that because I think it was always in me, but I never pursued it. And I’ll give you an example, I have a friend who became a very successful actress in Vancouver. And I remember she would always tell me about getting into character and the different stories that she got to work on it. And I was just immediately fascinated and immediately curious.
I remember just picking her brain all the time, all the time. And then she would just go, Hey, just go take some classes, why don’t you just go do it? But at that time, I was just like, No. I didn’t have very high self-esteem, I guess. So it just seemed like a pipe dream. You know, it’s like, oh, no, I can’t, I can’t. Now, that’s not me. You know, it’s only for beautiful people, right. And also I’m Asian, you didn’t see a lot of guys like me on TV to really inspire me at that time.
So but what happened was, I happened to become a political analyst on English television in Korea while I was going to grad school. So I’m in front of the camera all the time now, at least once a week. And I was absolutely terrible. I was just embarrassed, being on TV. And then when someone would say, Hey, I saw you, and I will say, oh, man.
But I said to myself okay, either get better at this or stop doing it. Because it was just like, kind of eating at you a little bit. So I thought, Hey I’m going to take some acting classes, I think that will help my screen presence. And this is something I’ve always wanted to do. So I took private acting classes, but this is an incredible story. This is incredible. So the person my very first acting coach, is she played the housekeeper comparison. That was my very first acting coach was younger. Wow. Yeah. How crazy is that? And, and she just had this love for the craft.
And I just remember my very first class, she made me cry. And I just felt this release of it, because I just felt like I had all these like, walls growing up, and you had to protect yourself. But that day, she just released something out of me. And I was just like, wow. And, and, and I kept taking classes from her. I mean, it was like, off and on for two, three years. And the, the love that she has for acting, and his craft and his artistry was so infectious. I just kept researching and asking her to teach me about like the old classical artists cuz she was like A true, true true actor.
She was classically trained. And even though she was Korean Korean like it, that’s a rare, you don’t see a lot of that. So here I was just learning about the Stanislavski technique, like just calling like, classic. Anton Chekhov plays here and there, like just little monologues and, and also it would help my Korean because like the monologues were in Korean.
So I would look forward to these once a week classes every week. And also he would help me become a better media personality as well. But it was one of those things I never even at that point as much as I loved acting. I never thought it was something I wanted to pursue. It was, but again, there was that self esteem quotient saying, no, it’s only for beautiful people, or it’s such an unrealistic path to go on. But it wasn’t until so after Seoul. I moved to New York. I wanted to be a broadcast journalist, really, that that was my goal going into New York, but it looks like there were other plans, because I just started working at a restaurant.
SOLA Network: Like many New Yorkers.
Jo Sung: I’ve kind of lived a crazy Forrest Gump life. This is kind of crazy too. My very first job in New York? I’m supposed to be a line cook at this fancy restaurants through a friend. And the chef goes, Hey, we could really use you on the grill over there in our new hamburger restaurant, a burger restaurant, like a specialty burger restaurant. And I’m just like, Oh, my God. I’m coming out of grad school here. I kind of had a good in Korea. I’ve never had to flip burgers in my life. But here I am.
Yeah, New York’s a very expensive place. I was like yeah I’ll only do this for a little while. But that burger place ended up being the Shake Shack. So yeah, it was in Madison Square Park. And I didn’t know what I was getting into. So there was like, two grill cooks. And it was me and this guy, he friend. And I’m just looking outside the window. And there’s the lineup is like, blocks and blocks. There’s like TV, camera crews and stuff. And I’m like, What is happening here? So that was, that was my very first New York experience.
But then I started serving tables, and then you’re working with other actors. And I just remember this one guy, Tracy would always talk to me about acting, and we were kind of talking about the same thing. And then he was again, what why don’t you just do it? Why don’t you just just keep doing it.
So I just got myself an agent. And then I booked my first role. But still, it was just a hobby. And but then, I, the big turning point for me was, I had a sit down with my pastor at the time. Pastor Koo, and we were on 16th Street, there was a Starbucks there. And we were just catching up.
And I was studying for the LSAT at the time. This is what happens when you’re pursuing things that society says you should pursue. And I feel like I was very blessed that I, I can learn very well. I was very blessed that there’s God gave me a lot of capabilities to do.
I remember the pastor asking me, so what do you want to do? And I said, Hey I’m, I’m studying for the LSAT. So this is an old school career guy. And he just had this look of disappointment on his face. And I’m just like, I’ll say confused, I’ll say, hey, Pastor, I thought he’d be happy for me I finally am going to pursue something. And I just feel like maybe God just wants me to provide for my family maybe just supposed to make money and just live a comfortable life.
And he just shook his head now, because, hey, if I asked every single one of your friends, what is your true passion? They could tell me exactly what it is. And he said, your face like so. Any time we’ve talked about filming acting, that is your true passion. And he said, If you hide your passion, and if you don’t pursue your passion, that is a lack of faith on your part. And you know, I’m just like, Oh, my God.
SOLA Network: For an old-school Korean guy to say that…
Jo Sung: Right? Like, conviction is just searing through me at that time. So I’m just say, Oh, my goodness. But then I’m pushing back at him. I don’t know if my parents would accept that. And they’re like you just have to have faith that you just have to go with it. You know, and I’m like, I don’t know if I can make a living doing this. Well, it’s like a you don’t need to make a living off of right away, but you should actually do something about it.
The very next day like, I must of new headshots. I enrolled in some pretty expensive acting classes and proceeded ever since. I mean, off and on. I mean, it’s it’s a tough journey. Yeah, it really is. It’s so humbling. I tell you, man, especially being here in Los Angeles. I mean, yeah, well, nobody watching this is going to recognize me. Right? You know, I haven’t exactly made it.
SOLA Network: But, you know I, I mean, I would love to hear how you came to LA, but just hearing your story about that, that need for like community and that need for belief like belief in yourself, knowing somebody else believes in you, knowing like God has place this within you and really allowing that. I feel like for us as Asian Americans, or Asian Canadians, right we have that line there. We have that double difficulty, right? Because not only that shame culture, but that performance culture, and saying like, hey, yeah it’s not about following your passions. It’s about right, like making money and, and fulfilling societal norms.
To hear like your pastor being that voice piece for you. Right. I just, I mean, I, the first time I met you, and I think like, we had a conversation, I felt that from you, right. And having talked to other people that know you like that is something that exudes from you. And I think it’s something that as a Christian, and as an Asian American Christian is so powerful to hear, right? Like for somebody to say, Hey, I believe in you. I believe that God has gifted you, you know have faith and then pursue it. So yeah, what, what then took you out here to LA was it like, Okay, this acting thing, I’m gonna follow it.
Jo Sung: Yeah, this time around, but I came here being having the goal of being the next Denzel Washington. There’s already Denzel Washington. He’s still doing quite well. So I’m not the next one.
It’s okay, if I’m not really. Yeah, that’s, that’s, I wanted to finally really pursue it here. But Wow, what a very humbling experience. It really isn’t it, I would say, it definitely got me closer to God. In my fate, for sure, because New York’s a tough city, they really is. And I had my pastor and everything, but there wasn’t like a community of actors of faith that that I really had over there. So my faith was definitely slipping at that, at that point.
And it was really my pastor friend, Steven Brown, who actually kind of shepherd my, my faith while I was here. So I can say that I was here to pursue my my acting dreams. But I think a lot of times when people say that, they’re really looking for themselves. When I say when people are looking for themselves, in my experience, you’re looking for God, is what you’re looking for is love. That’s, that’s how I looked at it.
And when I see other actors, especially younger actors, or any actors that are just kind of struggling, in, in life in general, because this industry can just beat you down. It just beats you down mentally, emotionally. I mean, if you can imagine, every, every interview for a job is your dream job. And can change your life. But you’re, you’re getting a no each time. So you’re really, really and then you question why you’re even here. You even question your existence at times.
So like you said, that support group is is very important. Especially in such a tough industry as it is, I mean, people always see like the great stories of you know, they made it or series regular, or they’re movie stars, but you know, there’s a there’s more guys like me, just trying to make it up the mountain. And it really is important for me to pay that forward and just be a light in people’s lives in no matter what walk of life and just really coming from that position of humility. Just really happy. Helps just to really connect with, with people. And at the end of the day, you just go where God sends you.
SOLA Network: Well coming then to LA what was your kind of church journey? Like were you involved in Asian American churches? Were you involved in more like white churches?
Jo Sung: So, one of the biggest discoveries here are home churches for me. And there was kiteboard church without walls. So the one I was involved with when I first came was something called GBS. And there was a lot of people in entertainment that was part of GBS. And it really was a community because it was a small group, community, very like minded and very much pursued God. And everything was just straight, straight from the Bible. And it was just very interactive. And again, the people there were just amazing. And I’m still friends with him now. And the format of GBS is very similar to the the Bible study that you attended, that we founded five years ago in 2015, with my friends, Teddy z, and Carl Choi. So yeah, I thought that was that that was where that faith journey just sort of found that an inflection point.
SOLA Network: And kind of like from that I’ve been thinking a lot. And I’d love to ask you, right you know, you’re kind of traditional Asian American churches in Southern California, right I’m part of one at All Nations Community Church a lot of our SOLA Network followers are part of Living Hope and Sarang.
These kind of places, we’re not real good at supporting artists I think that’s something that we can be very frank about, you know and I’m wondering, from your experience what does it mean for you, for Asian Americans, second generation churches to support artists in their community?
Jo Sung: That’s a really good question. You know, as I was alluding to, a lot of it is mental health for us. Because it’s not like, you can help me with the scene study, right? It’s a for helping me grow in my skills as an actor, but outside of all that, because, like I said knowing and reminding each other that, hey, God’s got your back, and that your identity is not in this profession. It’s not in this industry. That needs to be really drilled into each and every one of us. And to know that, hey, we’re here for you. We’re a body of Christ, we’re here for you. And it could just be one individual doing that for each other email. It could be the whole church.
I mean, my church is not a it’s not a I mean, it’s it’s very multicultural church, multi ethnic church. And they’ve given me so much support let’s like, they’ll, they’ll put on shows where I’ll be like, part of the show, or whatever. I mean, they let me use the space all the time. You know, if I need to practice my skills with somebody or do an audition, I have a key to the church. So that that helps tremendously because it’s a big space. If If I ever need to put on a show or do something like that. My Church, shout out to house Los Angeles, they will, they will always support me 100% if I’m on any sort of TV show or anything, they’re like the first people to rush to it, when’s it on? Let’s have a viewing party. That kind of support is great.
But it’s just, it’s, it’s a time in between that time that journey, and really to support us, obviously, through prayer, but I think just even you just interviewing me and learning about our journey, that it’s not an easy road and knowing that there are a lot of like mental and emotional Spiritual issues that come come through this maybe to kind of get in front of those things for the acting community. I think that’s good. I mean, at the end of the day, it’s just just all about speaking truth, right. It’s all about speaking truth.
And one thing that a lot of actors fall into, is that superstar mentality. I think you know, what I’m alluding to, but you know, people think that they can just walk on screen or someone’s going to discover them, and all of a sudden, they’re going to be just like famous. Believe it or not, that happens a lot. But as a body as a church, someone needs to speak truth.
It all comes down to identity, it all comes down to who you are if anything, let’s say for example, like overnight I’m, I’m like the superstar, right? But I think you and my friends and my family will all know that I’m pretty grounded. Like, I’m not gonna go do a bunch of drugs and just get crazy wild and stuff. Plus, I’m in my 40s.
SOLA Network: Our bodies can’t handle it at some point.
Jo Sung: But you know, I think because I’m grounded in my faith, that I know what I would be using my, my found faith or fame, and wealth would be used.
SOLA Network: Yeah. So and it’s funny, because I feel like that superstar mentality, right? With acting is very revelatory. I think of sometimes the superstar culture within church, right? I’ve had times where it’s like, hey can you pray? And they’re like, Oh, I can’t I’m not a pastor. And I’m like, prayer is not exclusive for like pastors like Bible studies. Only seeing people like on their mountain tops, and not seeing them, like in their valleys and seeing people like in their journeys that’s something where, as an artist, right it’s so difficult. I’d love to hear as you’ve kind of discovered more of your craft, as you’ve had opportunities to perform and to act, what are some ways in which, being an actor has helped you to kind of understand the heart of God deeper?
Jo Sung: Oh, my God, that is such an awesome question. And if you’re not vulnerable, and if you’re not seeking relationship, and if you’re not listening to the other person, you’re not going to be a good actor. Just you’re not. Because that’s, that’s because at the end of the day as an actor, and as a Christian, you’re putting your heart out there, for people to see.
For you to show that to Jesus, and to show how broken you are there have to have that like genuine vulnerability every day to say, I’m a sinner, I’m a sinner, and I need you to, to fix me and then also, having that love and being able to share that love, but at first, you need to build relationships, you need to what you just did hear my story, you know. You really need to have that empathy.
I can spit out lines on a monologue any day; we can all we can all memorize, right? And that that’s the same as the preacher who goes out and is just spitting Bible verses at you, and is not even they’re getting to know you. I’m saying there’s no heart than that. And when it comes to acting, you have to show your heart first, even though it might get crushed. That that’s really how to, to build relationships because you you show your heart; they may show you their heart. They made sure you’re there. And that’s where we all connect. And as an actor, you’re you’re kind of doing that with the audience. You’re showing your heart and hoping that they feel something with their heart too. So that’s really the key and to get there is empathy and vulnerability number one.
That’s one of the key problems here, in this industry and the city in general, it’s so competitive. And it’s so hard that you do lose this, you do lose your imagination, you do lose your childlike faith, because in a way, as an actor, and as a Christian, you have to be in wonderment all the time, you have to be wondering all the time, God, wonder about the amazement of the world, and you have to wonder about this fictional world as well, right? It’s really all about that curiosity and the childlike faith.
And once you start losing that, because you have bills to pay, you’re competitive. You know, it’s like, oh, I need to get this, I need to get this, I’m not going to pay rent you start building up walls. And that’s, that’s, that’s when you you sort of lose what you’re really in love with. And I would say the same thing with your love of your faith as well. And again, it’s a journey. There’s, I mean, there’s COVID, this pandemic COVID period, it took me hit on my faith, it really did, you really did close a lot of things for me, but just learning to reopen it again, through a lot of prayer and fellowships.
SOLA Network: Yeah, yeah, I definitely felt that too. In COVID, I think a lot of walls were kind of kind of rebuilding those walls. And through fellowship, through prayer, through support that’s really been broken down.
You’ve been in this industry for a while, and, and that’s one of the things like for your vulnerability, again, I can remember when I was starting to network in the industry trying to find other major Asian American Christians, because when I was in college, there was zero. It was like trying to find la a black bear in the middle of the ocean, right? It’s not gonna have a lot of success.
But, as the landscape has changed where there are now an increasing number of roles and opportunities for Asian Americans there is I do feel like in my interactions, kind of a more acceptance of people who want to tell stories that have depth, whether that be religious depth, philosophical anything I even have felt a lot less pushback when I say like, Oh, I’m a Christian, or I go to church, there’s not quite that same stigma as maybe, like 10-11 years ago.
What’s your hope? And like, how do you see like, sort of maybe how not only the film community in the industry community is changing and moving, but also the church community how is that changing and growing? What are kind of your hopes for the future?
Jo Sung: Wow, that’s, that’s quite a loaded, open-ended question. However, yeah, we’re going from the film industry, to church and how things move in society if we look at church, film, and, and so forth, it can be a reflection of society. Being Asian American, and my heartbreaking almost every time I look at social media, or the news that our elderly and our helpless are being beat up. I mean, that hurts, because there’s just so much evil in society, and it’s really hitting close to home.
For us, as Asian Americans right now, because we’re visibly Asian American. And to see that going on, it just breaks my heart. And I can’t help but think, well, this is why they don’t want to see us on TV. This is why our voices aren’t being heard: They hate us. They hate us, you know.
But at the same token, they also noticed us. There’s also good people out there too, that know our stories, and want to give us room to grow for telling those stories. You know, it’s incredible how many talented Asian Americans or Asian diaspora all over the world that just are so talented, but never got that kind of big shot. They’re still doing okay, they’re still doing okay. But they should have been elevated higher. That’s what I think.
But I do think there’s there’s definitely a lot of improvement for sure. Like I’m not completely stereotyped anymore you know when I go when they just clump us in as all Asians and they’ll see us as just one type of Asian, right? They’ll see us as like the the nerdy asian guy, you know the asexual, Asian or whatever, right? And then they see a guy like me, and they’re not sure what to do with me. Oh, North Korean spy. Okay, perfect gangster. I’ll happily take the money and do it, but I think I’m a lot more capable of doing other things. So it is definitely improving.
As far as church I think it’s a really interesting time for the church. There definitely a vibe. I feel the vibe. The last presidency, I’m glad it’s exposing the ugly. It really is on every side. Because if you don’t see the ugly, how can you fix it? How does God fix? How does God and His people fix this ugly? But the problem is, is there’s a lot of people who claim that they’re their godly people, but they’re not fixing their ugly, they’re not they’re not letting God fix their hearts.
And I think a lot of it is because there’s, there’s a lot at stake. You know, there, there’s a lot of stake. When you you ask for forgiveness, when you repent in front of people repented from there, there is a price to pay, there is a price to pay. So it is a it’s difficult. It’s a difficult time.
So, uh no matter what your beliefs, politically or, or whatever, I just think that we need to carry out more love. We need to carry out more love for one another at the end of the day, that’s that’s what we need to focus on is, is knowing that we’re loved, and that we need to carry out the love, especially to those that are not in the most. Yeah, not not in the best positions. Blessed are the poor in spirit, right?
SOLA Network: And I think that’s for both of us as artists, right it is almost like a part of, I think, to be a good artist, that has to be a part of your job, right? To look at the places where you don’t think that there is love, you don’t think there is light, you don’t think there is hope. Right and to to find it right. And to share those stories is my passion is your passion. And I look forward to pursuing that together again. And so Jo, Jo Stein, I want to just thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it. I know I was blessed in this and I know that a lot of other people are going to be blessed too. And so thank you once again.