Today we’d like to introduce you to Luna Tieu.
Hi Luna, 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?
So, rewind to the beginning – San Francisco, Vietnamese immigrant parents, and my dad’s wild dream of turning me into a tennis sensation at the tender age of seven. School became this balancing act with tennis, and surprise, surprise, something had to give. Spoiler: it was school. But hey, I managed not to flunk, and I went all-in on the dream of getting recruited for college. Ended up at UC Davis, rocking a double major in Psychology and Communication. Oh, and guess what? As a kid, I secretly dreamt of being an actor, but that was just between us.
Fast forward to 22, and I’ve been in the full-time athlete game for 15 years, juggling school and tennis like it was my job (literally, it was my job).
Now, post-graduation, cue the existential crisis. I find myself managing at Hollister, trying to buy some time to figure out my next move. At the same time, I provided companionship for an extraordinary woman named Jane Hardester, who suggested I look into Marriage and Family Therapy. She felt I would enjoy it. So, grad school it was! To make some additional income on the side, I started working at the Cheesecake Factory. And here’s where the plot thickens – delivering a Chinese Chicken Salad at the Cheesecake Factory, and guess who’s at the table? A talent agent. Wild. She gives me the ultimate career advice: a study with Anthony Abeson.
I find Anthony, audition, and classic move; he hits me with the “come back with a bit more training” line. Challenge accepted. Audition round two, and this time, he welcomes me into the class. “You’re susceptible. There’s hope for you,” he says. And let me tell you, stepping into that class was like stumbling into a hidden treasure. I discover this community of actors, and believe it or not, they end up becoming some of my absolute best friends. And Anthony, he’s not just a mentor; he’s like the fairy godfather of acting. He takes my acting to places I never thought it could go. It’s like he sees something in all of us that we didn’t even know existed. I never ever wanted to leave that class. But, of course, reality kicks in, and Anthony, being the sensible guy he is, had to kick me out when I overstayed my welcome. Cue the waterworks – I cried a river. Leaving that class was like saying goodbye to a family you never wanted to part with. But you know what? I’m grateful. Grateful to have been a part of that magical class, those incredible friends, and the mentorship of Anthony.
And then, a new Muay Thai gym opens up in my neighborhood, and it becomes my other new obsession. Next thing I know, I’m jetting off to Thailand for three months of intense Muay Thai camp training. And because one martial art isn’t enough for me, I decided to spice things up. I added Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Tae Kwon Do, and Judo into the mix.
It’s crazy where life takes you sometimes. Who knew a Chinese Chicken Salad delivery could be the kickstart of a wild ride?
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Honestly, I had no clue where or how to even start. I mean, pursuing this without any connections or a roadmap? Also, I had to quickly learn about the harsh reality of spending the majority of your career being unemployed. Oddly enough, that didn’t faze me though. I started acting late in the game and knew I had a lot of ground to cover, but the excitement to put in the work was real.
As the self-tape requests started coming in, I soon discovered that auditioning on camera was a separate skill of its own. I was a hot mess in the beginning (still am at times) – overly self-conscious and obsessing over doing everything “right.” To make matters worse, I’d send self-tapes to casting directors for review, and all I got back was brutal feedback about my lack of charisma. I wondered, “How on earth was I supposed to fix that?”
Thankfully, my good friend stepped in to help. During a taping session, he let the camera roll long after we recorded my scene. “Look at her,” he said. Watching the footage, it hit me – there was this alive, free, and engaging version of myself that I didn’t see before. That was the lightbulb moment: I needed to ditch the self-consciousness, get over myself, and start having fun with my craft. It was a game-changer, like switching from trying to meet some external standard to simply being authentically me. The realization that I didn’t have to conform to anyone else’s expectations was liberating.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
You know how they say you never forget your first? Well, for me, it was a series of firsts – first TV role, first time working with a Hollywood legend (Naomi Watts, no less), and first time ending up on the cutting room floor. And guess what? All three happened in one go.
So, there I am, auditioning not once, not twice, but three times for a role on Gypsy. And I ended up booking it! First TV role, and it’s with a powerhouse like Naomi. It doesn’t get better than that. I was on cloud nine.
Plot twist: The role I worked so hard for ended up on the cutting room floor. I vividly remember drowning my sorrows in not one but two Seamless orders from the comfort of my bed that day.
But hey, that was a long time ago, and I bounced back, mostly. The universe had more in store for me, thank goodness. I got to be in the opening episode of the new season of Elementary, made an appearance on Blue Bloods, where I played an undercover cop opposite Donnie Wahlberg, and then, landed a recurring role on DC’s Stargirl during the pandemic.
I’ve also worked on two feature films: Ace the Case: Manhattan Mystery and In a New York Minute.
But it’s not just about screen time. I’ve got a soft spot for the stage as well. Originating the role of Tess in One White Crow was a blast, and tackling Judy Chen in Ayad Akhtar’s play, Junk was a challenge I enjoyed.
Fast forward to now, and I’m not just acting. I’m diving into the creative pool with two pilots and a feature that I’m writing. These projects are personal, close to home, and I can’t wait to see them come to life. Here’s to more auditions, Seamless orders (hopefully celebratory ones), and of course, rocking the screen and stage.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I earned my Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy and graduated with a 4.0, but it came with (surprise!) a plot twist. I failed my licensing exam by 1 point. I did end up landing a position as a Social Worker for at-risk youth for six years. During that time, I started taking acting classes on the weekends. It was always a hobby, but never something I thought of as a legit career move.
Meanwhile, I’m also in this yoga phase, thinking, “Why not throw teaching in as well?” I start small, with a few private clients, just testing the waters of yoga instruction.
Then, budget cuts hit, and the Social Work program gets completely axed. I took this as a sign that it was time to stop playing it safe and fulfill my childhood dream of being an actor.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5943935/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/lunatieu
Image Credits
Deborah Lopez, Kyle Huang, Jeffrey Chu
