Life & Work with Harrison Tran

Today we’d like to introduce you to Harrison Tran.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

Howdy! I am a 2nd generation Vietnamese-American actor and food content creator from Texas. In another life, I progressed as a walk-on to being voted Captain of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Swim Team (D1) and competing at the US Olympic Trials. Following my swimming career, I now work in finance by day and pursue my passion for storytelling through the human experience through acting and food content.

While these spheres of my life contrast greatly, they have all led me to where I am today. Letting go of my 16-year passion in swimming was difficult, then two years ago, several family members had health issues and I hit rock bottom. It was here that I realized that storytelling helped me through my hardest times and taught me many lessons for the better, whether it was Rocky before championship season or K-Dramas that gave me perspective on life. Above all, I realized that personal storytelling through our experience as humans is what touches me most, and that led me to acting.

I moved to Los Angeles in 2022 and have been training at several acting studios and gaining experience as an actor in short films. In March 2023, I also began telling short stories alongside the fusion of Texas BBQ and Asian flavors so as to hone my craft as an actor. I enjoy breaking down barriers using food as a medium. Passion for food runs in my blood – my family once owned a restaurant in New Orleans, my uncle is an executive chef, and I spent most of the pandemic mastering the art of Texas BBQ.

The process and the people involved are two things that I love the most. As an actor, I train to connect with others by tuning into and openly expressing emotion. Similarly, as a food content creator, my goal is to craft poignant content that infuses relatable memories with fusion food – recipes that are either easy to replicate or serve as gateways to encourage viewers to explore unfamiliar flavors. Examples of this are my crispy rice paper twists on traditional recipes for the former and Việt-Texas comfort food fusion recipes for the latter.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would definitely not call it a smooth road. For one, I completely pivoted from my main focus as a competitive swimmer to a financial analyst, and now to a creative. Moving across the country alone with almost no experience was also difficult, both personally and in terms of my path as an actor.

When I struggle, I look at my dog’s face on my lock screen (my parents are taking care of him as I am very busy) and remember why I am here. As for navigating the entertainment industry, I only knew one person from Dallas that gave me some tips, but I had zero industry knowledge or experience, having spent my entire life focused on traditional career paths as the son of Vietnamese refugees.

I started small with my acting class and focused on my passion for the craft, and that allowed me to find people with shared interests that I can rely on. Being able to connect with others in person, as is necessary in the practice of acting, naturally helped me find a community, learn, and take steps in my career.

For this same but opposite reason, my path as a food content creator was difficult at first. Content lives on the internet, and I was isolated without being plugged into a community. For months, I created in a vacuum with only my recipes, stories, and passion – nobody else, until this past August. Through sheer luck and the kindness of a friend, I was introduced to a community of food content creators, all unique and special in what they each can do, and this reinvigorated my spirit.

At this moment, my challenge as both an actor and a creator is to hone my focus in each sphere. As an actor, I have held off on search for representation because I would like to utilize and showcase more of my comedic and high energy strengths in future projects and in my theatrical reel – I want to showcase my full range so that I can find representation that fully understands my talents and goals. As a creator, I’m focusing on cementing my three styles: 30-40 second fusion food storytelling, 20-30 second ASMR food, and YouTube long-form serialized content.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As an actor, I have only scratched the surface of what I can do, both in terms of roles I’ve lived out and in honing my craft. My credits are on my website – I have starred in a handful of student short films, though I would like to utilize my comedic and high energy strengths more in future projects. As a developing actor, I hone myself as an instrument every week in class, am constantly auditioning, and find ways in everyday life to push out of my comfort zone and live fresh experiences.

As a food content creator, my early content focused on the fusion of two cuisines dear to me: Texas BBQ and Vietnamese food. I have expanded from there, but the heart of my content remains. It will always be an expression of the lens that I view food through – cuisine without borders and the underlying stories and emotions behind food.

In terms of the three styles that I hope to expand upon, 30-40 second fusion food storytelling will continue to be important – I was inspired by three creators: @doobydobap, @cafemaddy, and @nutritionbykylie. As a viewer, their content provided bites of solace for me, was healing, and helped me reflect. I hope to do the same for my viewers and, of course, provide inspiration to play in the kitchen.

My 20-30 second ASMR food content stems from my “longer” short-form content in that it takes cuisine without borders but shifts the focus toward the visually and audibly pleasing presentation of fresh fusion recipes that up the ante, either by simplifying recipes for home cooks or providing amplified flavors and textures. Examples of this are my Supercrunch rice paper kit and McDonald’s apple pie recipes.

Lastly, I have shot several long-form YouTube videos that I hope to release this fall to kickstart serialized content. One series will involve smoking meats (Texas BBQ) and fusing them with traditional recipes, while another involves cooking strictly traditional recipes and having friends try them for the first time for comedic conversation and reactions.

Contact Info:

• Website: harrisondtran.com/apps
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrisondtran/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091499093516&mibextid=cejktS
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@harrisondtran?si=HwHmksacLr9bkCgx

Image Credits
Green shirt + shirtless one = @paulsmithphotography (Instagram)