CONGRATULATIONS FOR SURVIVING THE END OF THE WORLD!
Now that I got that piece of important business out of the way, this is my obligatory year-end blog that I’ve been posting the past three years. I’ve switched to WordPress from Blogger, but you can still check out last year’s year-in-review right HERE.
I’ll make this post a not as long-winded one as previous years, and I’ll go right into my goals that I had set from last year:
– Book more AFTRA principal work – SAG and AFTRA merged and become “One Union” as of April 1st, 2012. I have booked some SAG short films, and also, booked my first LEAD in a SAG feature film!
– Book the SAG job that “seals the deal” – Once again, due to the merger, after 18 months of being eligible for the SAG and not joining, the decision to join was already made for me.
– Get more equity auditions. Get more callbacks. BOOK – Thanks to my managers at KL Jago Talent, I got a few more equity auditions during the year, but did not book. Focusing more on film/tv right now, and that’s perfectly fine!
– Take improv at UCB – Ok, still haven’t done this one, but 2013 will be the year! I swear!
– Keep on working with amazing agents and managers – I was signed with KL Jago Talent in January, and recently, was asked to renew my contract for 2 more years! Also, thanks to my manager Kim Jago, I started freelancing with Innovative Artists Agency for commercial!
– Run a marathon as close to 4 hours as possible – Due to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the 2012 ING NYC Marathon was CANCELED on the Friday right before the race. It was honestly the best decision, but a lot of runners were disappointed in the super late notification (as they should’ve been). However, 2013 will be a great year for running!
– Try something crazy and new. Perhaps…stunt class? – Didn’t get to take a stunt class, however, I DID take SALSA and BACHATA classes! Yeah, not quite my thing, but I did it! I also took a plethora of other crazy dance classes, including breakdancing (HA!), hip hop, African dance, capoeira, and others! 2013 will be filled with more crazy and scary adventures! 🙂
In March, I attended a photo shoot for a social networking site called Badoo, which launched in the U.S., with the event being hosted by Nick Cannon. I, along with over 1,000 other New Yorkers, had our portraits taken by 4 celebrity photographers, with the hopes of being chosen as the 26 faces to be splashed onto billboards, subway stations and such all over New York City. After a lot of hustling, and AMAZING friends, I was the female Peoples’ Choice winner, with over 4,000 votes in one week! You can read my blog about Badoo HERE.
I was also one of the 4 finalists who were featured in a Badoo.com video spot! Check me out playing ukulele and singing opera, all while running!
I also wrote a RAP for Badoo! Check it out:
My mug also graced 4 out of the 5 boroughs! Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and DA BRONX! Here are a few:
Right on the corner of 16th Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan!
And right next to a STARBUCKS! AWESOME!
Rockin’ it out in Queens, baby!
Outside of Not Ray’s Pizza in my hometown of Brooklyn, NY! They gave me a free slice of AWESOME pizza because of me being a “celebrity” in town! Go eat there!!!
The merger of SAG and AFTRA also happened this year, which meant a lot less auditions for me, but it also meant getting in the pool for some AMAZING opportunities! I got to audition for my very first Hollywood studio feature film in a supporting role! I signed a non-disclosure agreement, so I can’t say what it was, but it’s a sequel to a VERY big superhero film series! Also, I recently got to audition for a day player role on Nurse Jackie, as well as more SAG commercials. Now I’m getting some good quality gigs to audition for, as opposed to a greater quantity of smaller gigs. It’s tough, but I’m looking forward to more opportunities in 2013!
As I had mentioned above in the update to last year’s goals, I booked my first LEAD in a SAG feature film! It was actually my very first time auditioning for a lead role in a feature film, so it was a wonderful surprise! I truly had a great time at the initial audition, as well as the callback, and I consider myself truly blessed to have been given such an amazing opportunity.
The film is tentatively titled “Ninastiko,” and I play a scientist with two sons. We’ve filmed in Brookhaven National Lab on Long Island, flew out to film in Fermilab in Chicago, and will be flying out to Arizona to wrap up the film earlier in 2013. I’ve been working with a truly talented cast, as well as awesome directors Daniel Schmidt and Alex Carver. Daniel has won numerous international film awards for his previous work, and this is Alex’s first feature film. What an awesome and wild ride this has been! I’ve been face-to-face with a particle accelerator, flew a plane, and hung out with some bison!
The STAR detector at Brookhaven National Lab!
Still from “Ninastiko”. Me and Jen Kim from The Bourne Legacy right in front of the STAR detector. My character is pretty awful to her, despite the smile.
Now that’s good eatin’!
And I got to fly a small plane! Well, sorta, lol. The pilot let me actually do some turns, which was pretty sweet! I felt like Tom Cruise, pre-Scientology, of course!
In January, the SAG feature film that I got my first day player role in, “That’s What She Said,” got to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival! I didn’t end up going, but I did get to go to the New York premiere at Soho International Film Festival, and attended the limited theatrical release in New York at Cinema Village. It was pretty sweet to see the film again on the big screen and see my Scissor-Happy Chinese Beautician role get some laughs in the audience! The film stars Anne Heche, Marcia DeBonis and Alia Shawkat, and was directed by the beautiful and talented Carrie Preston!
At the New York premiere of “That’s What She Said” at Soho International Film Festival. First time on the red carpet!
I’ll forever be grateful for Carrie Preston having me be a part of her film! She’s incredible!
And perhaps one of the funnest gigs I’ve gotten to do earlier this year was a music video shoot for Andrew WK’s “Time to Party”! I was directed by the very awesome and talented Shawn Caple, who is well on his way up to big, big things! Remember that name, this kid is going places! Check him out, as well as his group Underbelly. They do reviews of gaming, movies, comics and anime! Also, here’s the music video for “Time to Party”:
From the Andrew WK music video shoot. I played a laundromat girl, being directed by Shawn Caple. And that’s my pink polka-dot bra on AWK’s head.
Andrew WK, me and my now-famous pink polka-dot bra.
This year, I decided to do some more stand-up, hit a bunch of open mics, and I’ve met a great network of funny people. I auditioned for the NBC Stand-up for Diversity Showcase, which I didn’t get picked for, but I went ahead, camped out overnight outside of the Comedy Cellar, the place where lots of the comedic greats got their start, and I JUST DID IT. Nothing beats just going for things!
Also, I ended 2012 as a full-time elf in Santaland at Macy’s! Move over, David Sedaris! I was Strudel the Elf, and I even wrote a theme song:
Oh yeah, the song is in German, naturally, since Strudel IS a German name after all! One day, I’ll write my memoirs, but I must say, it was pretty magical knowing that I had made so many Christmas memories for so many families, and am now in thousands of photo albums! Working that job made me REALLY want to have ethnically ambiguous children soon-ish!
2012 has been swell, but I totally CANNOT WAIT to see what’s in store for 2013! Of course, I will have to end with my goals for 2013:
– Book more SAG-AFTRA roles!
– Take classes at UCB. For realz.
– Do more stand-up/write more comedy songs.
– Run a marathon in as close to 4 hours as possible.
– Keep on working with amazing agents and managers.
– Do something scary and challenging.
Sooo…I’m utterly grateful for all of my friends and family for being so amazingly supportive of my career! It never ever feels easy, and it’s a challenge every day, but with you guys in my life, I feel truly blessed and know that I can accomplish great things when I put my mind to it! To all of the people in my life, THANK YOU!!! 2013 is gonna ROCK!!!
PEACE. ❤
Teresa Hui 