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AT&T Community Ports
Quick Hits Interview
A true young star on the rise, Archie Kao has begun to make a name for himself on CBS' Emmy Award winning drama CSI, the nations top-rated program. He will also star in two independent features in 2003, Local Boys and My Daughter's Tears. In addition, he has recently joined the cast of the independent thriller Hail Mary that will begin lensing in mid-January.
Archie is probably best known as Kai Chen, the blue Power Ranger, on the top-rated children's show, Power Rangers Lost Galaxy. Archie appeared on the series from 1998-1999. Some of Archie's other television credits include the ABC pilot The Player, and other alphabet network shows, Maybe This Time, and the critically acclaimed drama Once and Again.
When offered the opportunity to join the cast of top-rated drama, Archie jumped at the chance. In addition to the obvious professional merits of being affiliated with such a high-profile show, the benefits have been two-fold and this summer; Archie's long-lost biological father found him when his daughter, Archie's half-sister Stephanie, spotted him in the credits for CSI while vacationing in Asia. The sighting led to contacting Archie through his representatives over the Internet. Archie is looking forward to finally reuniting with his father sometime in the near future.
Archie is also slated to star in a number of independent films in the early part of 2003, Local Boys, a surf movie about friends in the southern California surf culture that will also star Mark Harmon and Eric Christian Olsen. My Daughter's Tears with Nina Petri (Run Lola Run) is a courtroom drama that spans two continents, and the college murder mystery Hail Mary opposite Jamie Presley. Some of Archie's past movie roles include Jet Li's The One and Purpose opposite Mia Farrow and Paul Reisner.
Besides acting and modeling, Archie is also a skilled athlete. An accomplished surfer and snowboarder Archie believes in keeping a sound perspective and balance when it comes to his life and his career. He believes that life is a journey, not a destination.
How is it working on a show like CSI? Have you been freaked out by any of the story lines?
It's been on a rocket ship to the moon. It's really great to be part of that. And, frankly as far as the caliber of work that's done each week, it astounds me. It really does. The writers come up with what they do every week. You know, some of them are gorier than others for sure, but they're really not raising the bar.
We understand you have quite a story about your biological father locating you. Will you share it with us?
It's a result of the exposure of the show. My biological father, who I haven't seen since I was maybe 3 months old, found me. Actually, more accurately, one of my sisters found me. I have a few sisters that, well more than a few. I have seven sisters. I found them again through the show.
Quite a transformation from CSI to "Local Boys," an independent film you have coming up. What research did you do for this surf culture picture?
I didn't. I trained for a few months before. We were cast a few months before. I swear I was the only person in the permanent cast who didn't surf. So, I was out there everyday sitting in the morning with surf goats. So, it wasn't the worst thing in the world I could do. The learning curve for learning how to surf is pretty long. So, it took a little while, but I love it now. In fact, I went with my buddies on a surfing trip last month. I went to Hawaii and I'm thinking about doing it again next month. It's a become part of my life now.
Another independent film being released in 2003 is My Daughter's Tears. Tell us about this drama.
That's a murder mystery. It's a courtroom drama. It takes place in Los Angeles and in Berlin. I don't know how to explain it. It's a courtroom murder mystery. I play the reporter that basically cracks the case; that stumbles upon the information, reveals that the mother is not the killer when it looks like she is the whole time.
Ok, we have to ask. You were a Power Ranger. Blue, right? How was that? Have you ever used it as a pickup line?
Yeah. It was quite an adventure. If you could imagine, I was so happy to be part of it. I didn't really think I wanted to at first but it's really hard to take yourself too seriously when you're running around saving the world in blue spandex. But, it was great. I got to do some amazing things as a result of that I would probably never have gotten to do. I got my own action figure now and stuff like that. I treasure that. (About the pickup line) (Laughing) I'm not going to say I haven't. If there's any trouble, I'm here to help.
Your resume is very impressive, including President of the Student Body at George Mason University. What are you most proud of accomplishing in that role?
Oh, thank you. Well, the university is a relatively new university. It's probably 15 years old, so I'm part of the first homecoming. So, the school had been such a large commuter school and hadn't really been old enough to know any such tradition or any sort of allegiance or alumni. We did a lot of things. We did a thing called "Witch Watch", which was a neighborhood program where we assembled the student body to watch over the kids as they went trick or treating and stuff like that. I was Vice-President before I was President and we started it that year and it tripled and then quadrupled in popularity.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan did pretty well going from acting to public service. Is politics in your future?
I think I would. If I were ever to get back into politics I might be one of the guys that supports one of the guys. I mean as a Hollywood actor. I guess at that point I might have too many skeletons in my closet.
You were student body president, homecoming king, a model, an actor, and a skilled athlete. Is there anything that you haven't done yet?
Um, astronaut, I think. That N'Sync kid is going to beat me to it.
What's your favorite movie of all-time and name the last great movie you've seen?
My favorite movie of all time in all the right sentimental ways is Dead Poet's Society. It's a terrific movie. And the best movie I've seen recently is Adaptation. It's the new Meryl Streep, Nicholas Cage, Chris Cooper movie. Chris Cooper won a Golden Globe for it. It's written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Spike Jonze, the same team that did Being John Malkovich. You have to check that out, it's amazing. It's really complicated actually. It chronicles the journey of an orchid thief and how it comes into screenplay form.
What is your most embarrassing moment as an actor?
As an actor, well you know what's ironic before I actually started as a power ranger, before I started working as an actor, my roommate at the time did children's parties where you dressed up as cartoons characters and so forth, entertaining the kids, blowing up balloons and stuff like that. He would do like Barney and all that stuff. And one day he was sick and he was supposed to do a huge children's party as the red power ranger. He was asking me if I could fill in, I mean he desperately needed me to fill in. I was like "I can't do this", "I've never done this". I said, "I'd love to help you but, I can't do that." He would beg and beg and beg and this was his livelihood and it was on the line and I had to jump in and help. He had like a 106-degree temperature, so you know, he loads me up in the car with the costume and everything, gives me these directions and is explicit about telling me that I have to be there on time because it's in this big park where there's like at least a dozen kid parties. Probably a thousand kids in this park. It was a huge thing, of course. I'm in my frantic haze. I was trying to find which party I'm at and trying to pull on my spandex at the same time. So I'm running down the hill to this thing and now I don't know which party I'm going to. As I was trying to target one of the parties, I start hearing a trampoline behind me. I turn around and I forget that I'm wearing a Power Rangers outfit now. I turn around and there's like a hundred kids chasing me down this hill. That was my first foray into being a power ranger. So it was so funny that I actually became one.
What's the best thing that has happened to you in the past 30 days?
In the past 30 days? My mom gave me news that she's moving to California. That's really exciting for me. She wants to be an actor now, just kidding.
If you could have a meal with anyone in history, who would it be and why?
Anyone, anytime? I would have to say, Abraham Lincoln. Yeah, I think he is just the ultimate lesson in perseverance. He's absolutely brilliant. You know and I think about the feats he suffered before he emerged as our President. And of course, had one the most significant presidential terms in history. So, um, I suppose it would have to be him.
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