Max Phyo plays detective Jack Law in Timothy Tau's short film "The Case".
When Law gets a visit from a client named Faye S. seeking help to retrieve her kidnapped twin sister from the notorious crime boss Dr. Acula, he must decide if he'll take "The Case".
The film was originally conceived as a 3-minute short for entry into YOMYOMF's "Interpretations" film intiative. To see the 3-minute version go to: http://interpretationsfilm.com/members/timtau/
The Korean-American actor recently answered a few questions for Examiner.com:
Where were you born and raised?
Born in Minneapolis, MN (My dad was getting his PhD at the University of Minnesota, in case you were wondering what the hell we were doing in those parts...) Raised mostly in Western New York.
Where'd you get your training?
I've been "training" since i was a kid watching TV shows and imitating the characters and stuff like that, but in regards to formal training, I got started relatively late with the "real" acting stuff, so I wasn't fortunate enough to be a theatre major in college or anything like that. I have, however, been working with my scene study teacher/coach, Cliff Osmond, for a number of years; since the beginning. He's really awesome at helping me to deepen my emotions and to really connect with the work. I have also trained with The Groundlings.
Tell us about your role in "The Case".
I play the role of Jack Law. He's an interesting cat in that he's an old-school gumshoe living in the far-off future. I liked this character because with it not being en vogue for men to be men these days, it was fun playing a character that was a roll-up-his-sleeves kind of unapologetic guy's guy. He meets Faye one evening when she walks into his office asking him to find her kidnapped sister, which he does, but not before encountering some problems.
How did you get involved with The Case?
I worked with Tim in the past, back when we were living in the SF Bay Area. He contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in playing a part in his film. He sent me the script and after reading it, I told him to count me in.
What did you do to prepare for the role?
I did the usual character analysis and emotional prep work. I analyzed what kind of person Jack was ... was he single? Divorced? Widowed? What was he like as a child? How was he raised? What are his goals long and short term? Why does he do what he does? Does he enjoy it? Is he tired of it? What case did he just most recently complete? What did he have for dinner that night? Where does he live? What kind of home does he have? What kind of bed? etc, etc, etc.
Once I got all of that figured out, I prepared myself on an emotional level by imagining what it was like to really be Jack. Not just Jack in the film, but Jack before and after the film.
What has been the response from audiences?
We've only had a limited screening so far, but people seem to like it. We've been told that it's beautifully shot and fun to watch, so that's all I can ask for really.
What's next for you?
World domination. Just kidding (must be the North Korean blood in me. Just kidding again). On the acting side, I'm working with an awesome agent and management team, so they get me out to meetings and auditions. On the acting/writing/producing side, I am working on completing my web series,"Top Asian" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEdvT3GP4Ic), and am also working on a horror screenplay. And of course, I am looking forward to collaborating with Tim again in the near future.
For more about Max Phyo visit his website at: www.MaxPhyo.com
or check him out on IMDb: www.imdb.com/name/ nm1670613/
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