Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Phuong.
Hi Ryan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started dancing at the age of 6 at my local dance studio; I mostly stuck to hip-hop because it was where I felt comfortable. But as I got more serious about dancing, I became curious about other styles like ballet, contemporary, modern, Dunham, and African dance. That’s when I moved to a new place, the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and started training there every day after school from 4 to 8.
Slowly, I found myself drawn to acting. I got an agent, took classes, and began going to auditions. It was tough at first – tons of auditions and a whole lot of rejection about 90% of the time. But I didn’t give up. Eventually, I landed my first big role during high school in “Young Sheldon” as a recurring guest, playing Tam. That’s when I had to leave traditional school and switch to homeschooling. From there, I always knew that I wanted to go to college, but I wasn’t certain.
Deciding between work and college wasn’t easy. I sought advice from my parents, mentors, cousins, and friends. I realized the importance of getting a good education, especially in dance, where time’s a bit limited. That’s why I auditioned for USC Kaufman School of Dance and got accepted. And well, you know the rest – that’s where my journey took off.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
You know, things are never a smooth road. There’s always obstacles that we have to overcome and for me, it was finding a balance between my work life and my personal life. Starting my professional career at such a young age, my mind has always been in work mode, and I did get to have fun and be a kid, but your mind is different when you’re exposed to the industry at a young age; you think differently, and at least for me if I felt a disconnect between the people around me because it was hard to relate to other kids growing up you know, especially if I’m the only person that is dancing or acting in the entire school, I just felt alone. When I transitioned to a home school program in high school that is when I had the biggest obstacle to face. I was alone, and when you are alone, you start to think thoughts that are not kind, and I had to find myself. I think that this was my biggest breakthrough because, through isolation, I found who I was, and it has made me stronger. Looking back, I am so grateful to have been home-schooled because it shaped who I am today.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Where to begin? I do all sorts of things, but I specialize in dance mainly, but I also do acting in Cinematography. What’s funny is that what I’m known for mainly is for my role in Young Sheldon as Tam. It’s really funny to see people comment on my social media saying that “Tam can dance,” and I find it funny because a lot of people don’t see that side of me or know that I’m also a dancer. What am I most proud of? That’s hard to say because, you know I’m I’ve always been the type of person to keep moving forward even after a project just ends. I immediately move on to the next thing, and I don’t really know. Look back. What sets me apart from others? I think the one thing that sets me apart from others is my ability to adapt into whatever field I’m in and at a young age, I have always had that ability, but over the years, I’ve been honing my craft and dabbling in multiple fields, such as acting dancing in Cinematography, and I think being a diverse individual in general will make you have an edge.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I definitely see more opportunities for Asian actors to hit the big screen, and I cannot wait for that to happen.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: ryan_phuong
