BY IRVIN RIVERA, EDITOR: CLARA SEELY-KATZ

Eddie Liu is one of those actors whose quirky and goofy nature can be seen across his social media and comes through in every character he takes on. Liu is on a mission to normalize BIPOC representation in popular media, and he's doing it one role at a time. Most recently, he has been making his mark in the world of television with his role as Steve on Never Have I Ever and Henry Yan in the heartfelt and action-packed drama Kung Fu which recently aired its third season on the CW. Read on to learn more about the actor and his journey to martial arts, the CW, and self-care.

Hi Eddie, how are you? What’s keeping you busy aside from filming KUNG FU?

I’m getting ready to travel to Southeast Asia. Looking forward to visiting some hawker stalls and enjoying some actual downtime and seeing new places. 

Tell us more about your character Henry Yan in the show. How was Henry’s character evolution throughout the seasons of the show?

When we first meet Henry he’s pretty self-assured in life doing what he’s passionate about. He falls in love with Nicky and eagerly fights by her side. He’s happy to be amidst the adventure and chaos. Then we start to see Henry begin to go through an emotional journey and step into his own power as a member of the team. I’d say his biggest growth though is in season 3. He goes through this trauma gauntlet of finally reconnecting with his estranged father only to lose him in the battle to save the city from the Tans. That motivates him to make the difficult choice to leave Nicky and all his friends behind to look for the Compass. His journey becomes uncovering the truth about the Compass. Everything collides; his mission and his father’s, the secret of his past and his destiny, uncovering the truth of the Compass’ power. It’s a struggle of self belief. We see his journey to learn if he can be the Compass - especially when it matters most.

What’s the best part about playing Henry’s character?

Henry is so multi-faceted. He gets to be capable, cool under pressure, nerdy. We see him struggle with leveling up when he gains his powers. So we see his struggles and his pain. It’s a gift as an actor to play many colors. And I love getting in on the action and training in martial arts and fight choreography. Fight scene days are some of my favorite days on set.

What are the challenges and the highs that you experienced during filming?

Early on our biggest challenges were trying to make a TV show at the height of the pandemic during a scary time; politically, socially. The surge in anti-Asian hate crimes really put things into perspective for me. Thankfully in a way, later on my challenges revolved around the work. I go through a rotation of challenges like dealing with fear of failure, insecurities, trying to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Oddly, my struggles in season 3 were reflecting Henry’s. There were times I was excited for what was to come in the story and episodes for the character but like Henry I’d asked myself “Wait, could I pull this off?” Like “okay how do I not suck and not let everyone down?” Which led me to some truly memorable highs. I could lean on my castmates and the writers and producers. It was a great opportunity to remember to focus on doing the work and let everything else beyond my control unfold. Each season has felt rewarding in their own ways. And with a lot of help and support I can walk away feeling like I’ve grown each year. One of the greatest highs from filming is being in the trenches with the cast and crew and making it through a difficult scene or fight or just a long, hard day. And we can say “We did that, together” and we had fun doing it.

What’s the most memorable moment for you throughout the whole process of making the series?

To name one of many, a bunch of us screen tested at the network together back in early 2020. The energy in the CW waiting room was amazing and supportive. Strangers became new friends and old friends were pumped to be there to experience a network screen test together. After it was finished we all got lunch together. A few of them were there when I got the call that I had been cast as Henry. It feels like that whole day set the tone for our friendship which helped become the chemistry that our show is celebrated for. Our cast laser tag games are pretty epic too.

Congratulations on KUNG FU’s 3rd season. What can the fans expect now that it’s close to the season finale?

It’s been a privilege to be on this side of things and to make a season like this. The fans can expect emotional damage. Sorry in advance. You’ll see the entire Shoobie gang and the entire Shen family fighting on all frontlines. There’s magic, and action, and heartbreak, oh my. But there’s also a lot of love of family and a sense of closure.

As a part of a show with a huge Asian cast, how do you feel about the state of representation and diversity in Hollywood? How do you think shows like KUNG FU can help shape the industry?

I’m grateful to see the change in real time so far. And it feels good seeing the embrace of so many talented artists, who happen to be POC, get fairer opportunities to work in front of and behind the camera. The next great frontier for real progress is having much more diversity at the executive level. I hear a lot of conversations from peers throughout the industry about how frustrating it is when they see things are not changing and when they’re having to work with members of their teams either at executive and creative levels who just “don’t get it”.  We need to see more decision makers who have a better understanding about how to champion and execute progress in the media. Or be willing to hire and work with those who know what’s what. Real progress happens when more people - particularly the executives take more risks. 

I hope Kung Fu is the end of a beginning of a time when it’s not radical to see Asians on the screen. I think one of our show’s strengths is that it exemplifies what it is to have not one or two dimensional characters of Asian descent being tokenized, hitting a ceiling as just secondary characters. In Kung Fu we’re the leads, the villains - we are throughout the fabric of the cast that you see. These are fully fleshed out characters who happen to be Asian. Our show isn’t this heavy-handed lesson in how to be Asian American or Chinese or something. Kung Fu’s stories and themes are about so much more than that. So hopefully we’re just another checkpoint on the way to progress to future projects.

What’s your creative process? Can you walk us through your creative process whenever you go and film a scene?

For me it varies on the scene or the episode. Usually I try to make it about serving the story and the scene partners I have. One of my priorities in my work is finding specificity to the work and getting past what’s general. It helps me connect to what’s going on and uncover more in the scene. There’s a multitude of questions an actor can ask themselves when beginning to work on something. Like how do I feel about who I’m talking to? What do I want in this scene? Who’s gained or lost something by the end of the scene? The trick is figuring out when to add more layers and depth to the work without overcomplicating things. And then on set I try to treat it like a contact sport where I’m taking in what’s around me and staying as open as possible to my scene partners, the set and environment around me, and the collaboration with the team.

What’s your dream project?

Maybe an action spy film with lavish locations and big action pieces. I don’t think anyone’s ever done that before...I would really love to do a smart single-cam comedy with a great ensemble. Or whatever the Daniels are directing next...Greg Daniels as well, while we're at it. Throw in Jeff Daniels too.

Out of all the roles that you’ve played, is there any role/character that resonated with you the most and why?

Steve in Never Have I Ever was a bit of a vessel for my inner quirky, lovable dumb dumb self. I had so much fun playing him. But as far as who I resonate with the most it would have to be Henry. I feel like I have a lot in common with him to begin with. It’s truly a gift to have been able to play him for 3 seasons. That’s been a lot of time where I can ask myself what else I can bring to the character. There have been a lot of times where I’m just bringing myself to the character. 

Aside from acting, what else keeps you busy?

I'm actually working on getting better at self care, resting, and avoiding burnout. I’ve had a hard time these last few years allowing myself to switch off and enjoy any down time, whenever I have any. So for me that just looks like doing more things I enjoy and are good for me like gym recovery and booking my check up appointments while I’m home. Last summer I was training at a martial arts academy. It was for the show but it filled my soul as well. It definitely didn’t feel like I was just doing it for work. I’m visiting more martial arts schools this year too. I love that process of learning and growing.

What are you most excited about this year?

I’m working on a new project this spring. It’s an indie feature called Chopin. I love my job getting to work in TV and now I’m excited to change things up with a smaller scale, more intimate story about connecting with your roots, your family, and finding a sense of identity. It’s a different pace and energy. 

What’s a valuable lesson that you’ve learned that you always carry with you?

To stay open to possibility and not rush to judgment. I see so much of that; people projecting their own issues onto others and it usually doesn’t feel good, especially in this digital era. I try to remember that there is usually always a bigger picture and more context than what I can see right in front of me. It keeps me open to new information in a situation and it’s less baggage to carry from not rushing to snap judgments on someone or a situation. 

If you were a book, what book would you be and why? 

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu. It’s self-aware, observant, hilarious, and poignant. My brain is all over the place sometimes and that book discusses so many relevant issues and topics that I connect to in a way that feels cathartic and on point. It’s a great book (I’m not calling myself a great book by the way, I’m just saying that it’s a great book.)