‘The Brothers Sun’ Star Sam Song Li Talks Inspiration And The Importance Of Asian Representation; “I Was Waiting For My Clark Kent Moment”
14.01.2024 - 19:57
/ deadline.com
In Netflix’s San Gabriel-based crime action–comedy The Brothers Sun, actor Sam Song Li plays Bruce Sun, a kind-hearted college student who dreams of being a master of improv despite his mother’s wishes for him to be a doctor. However, his life gets turned upside down upon the arrival of his long-estranged brother, Charles (Justin Chien), a cutthroat assassin who enlists the help of their mother, Mama Sun (Michelle Yeoh), to take down a dangerous crime syndicate. Throughout the eight-episode series, co-created by Byron Wu and Brad Falchuk, Bruce has to contend with learning that his family, unbeknownst to him, are major players in one of the most lucrative and dangerous gangster businesses in Taiwan.
Here, Li speaks with Deadline about reconciling his own desires against family expectations as an actor, his inspirations and similarities to his character, working with Michelle Yeoh and the importance of Asian American representation on screen.
DEADLINE: What is your relationship to San Gabriel Valley?
SAM SONG LI: I was born in Shenzhen, China, and moved to Arcadia very early on. So, my first experience in the United States was actually in San Gabriel in the 626. And I’ve kept my phone number my whole life since I was a kid. I know why my mom moved here because this town is basically Chinatown 2.0 in Los Angeles. It’s probably bigger than the Chinatown in Los Angeles. This is the real deal. If you go to San Gabriel, you go to Arcadia, Temple City, Monterey Park, that whole area–half the stores there are in Mandarin. So, I feel like I’m very familiar with the area, and it’s a very authentic part of my identity. I feel so blessed to see my childhood portrayed on screen like this. It’s awesome.
DEADLINE: Bruce’s Mandarin