The Verge: Louis Ozawa Changchien

I heard you had to prove to the studio that you were Japanese.

It was kind of a last-minute thing. I was working three jobs at the time, and I found out on a Thursday that they were close to signing a deal, and then on a Friday I just had to quit [my jobs] on the spot. I was like, "Look, I have Fox's blessing, they want me to get on a plane on Sunday to do a costume fitting, so I really need to prove to them that I can do this." So I wrote them a little bio about how my parents met in Japan.

Does those issues matter to you as a moviegoer? If there's a Chinese person playing a Japanese person, or a Japanese person playing a Korean, does that bother you?

You know, I can't be a hater because as an Asian-American actor, I've got to be supportive. I'm glad whenever a fellow Asian gets a part, but I do think it's a big deal in Japan and Asia. They want to see that.

I hear that you just booked Kathryn Bigelow's new HBO pilot, The Miraculous Year.

Yeah, I'm a guest star, a recurring role. I play a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art who's kind of in awe of the patriarch of the series, Frank Langella, who plays this legendary painter. [In the pilot], it's a two-person scene between me and Frank Langella. I'm kind of nervous to shoot it.

Have you met Kathryn yet?

No, I haven't met Kathryn, but I have met John Logan, the writer and executive producer. They taped me, so I'm assuming she's seen it already.

You have to meet your directors ahead of time one of these days, Louis!

[Laughs] Hey, I'll take the job any way I can!

You're also in Doug Liman's upcoming Fair Game.

It's a supporting role, not quite on the level of The Miraculous Year, but it's a good role. I have about three or four scenes in the film. I'm excited that it's a completely different role from Predators, and it's a meaningful film.

I've heard that Doug is a bit of an eccentric on set. What was he like for you?

Um, as advertised. [Laughs] He's a unique fella, but I like him.

IMDb lists your role as "Nervous Analyst."

Yeah, it's kind of funny! 2009 was like my year of nervous characters. 2010, so far, has been badasses.

I have to ask you about this: you were in a Jello pudding commercial with Bill Cosby when you were little I imagine you've been using that anecdote at bars your whole life.

Oh yeah. "Oh, you were one of those cute kids?"

What do you remember about that experience?

It's imprinted in my brain forever! I will never forget that experience. I believe I was in first or second grade, at the age where I don't think I was even aware of acting. The whole concept was, like, Bill Cosby in front of a conference room full of little children who were executives in the company, and they're doing a taste test. I will say this, though: I don't like eating chocolate Jello pudding, to this day.

Were they making you stuff your face full of pudding all day?

Yeah. In my mind, this table was about sixty feet long -- although I wouldn't be surprised if it was about twenty or thirty feet long -- and it was filled with glass ramekins with perfectly swirled Jello pudding. Back then, they didn't have the same kind of child labor laws. It was definitely a twelve-hour day, and they were shooting three commercials in the studio with Bill Cosby, and ours was the last to be shot. It was three kids -- a blond-haired girl, and African American boy, and myself -- and one of them kept messing up the lines, so we had to eat Jello over and over and over and over again.

Considering that you have to take your shirt off in movies like Predators, maybe it's good that you have an aversion to Jello pudding.

[Laughs] Maybe. Maybe.

Pages: 1 2