Today we’d like to introduce you to Yuchi Chiu.
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?
Thank you for having me! I was born in Montebello and raised in the east suburbs of LA; after thirteen years away, it’s good to be back.
My upbringing in SoCal is filled with some fond memories, most of which involved finding and trying the newest food spots off the 60 with friends. I got used to regularly commuting pretty far, from school in Orange County to orchestra in South Pasadena to frequent trips down to San Diego to see my brother. I think that instilled in me an appreciation for travel, no matter how far, to see and learn new things wherever I go.
After high school, I left the warm winter weather and moved to the Midwest to study at Northwestern University. I then taught high school special education in Chicago for five years. As a teacher, I worked at performing arts and social justice-centered schools, giving me the opportunity to meet and learn from dedicated and passionate students and teachers. It is through my time at Northwestern and in the classroom that I developed an affinity for identity development and equity, diversity, and inclusion work.
Knowing that I had a background in the arts as well, my students were my biggest supporters as I made the decision to transition into acting. After four years of working professionally as an actor in Chicago, I am excited to come back to LA and immerse myself in the scene here!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
During a family vacation to Hawai’i in 2012, my father drowned in a freak accident on our last day there. Witnessing my father’s death as a teenager definitely shifted the trajectory of my life. The lessons I had already been learning about staying true to my values and building intentional relationships only became more solidified when I saw how quickly life could be taken away. I have allowed this loss to affect my humanity and artistry by finding passion from pain and using vulnerability as a way to build deeper community. I am grateful for the past decade, and as I continue to grow in honor of his legacy, I remind myself that my father would be proud to see where I am today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Though acting is my primary artistic outlet, I like to say that I’m an actor who writes and directs projects I’m passionate about. For example, during the pandemic, I wrote, produced, composed for, and acted in a short film about my father. After assembling a team of individuals mostly coming from underrepresented communities, I realized that my proudest moment from this production was hearing one of our youngest crew members say that they had never thought being in a professional space like this was possible. I aim to continue my advocacy work for equity and inclusion through expressive means. I can’t wait for whatever project comes next – you can find me working on a script at a cafe in Silverlake or Echo Park!
At the core of my work, I am guided by the experiences I had while teaching in Chicago as well as my own social identities. I firmly believe that my background in education makes me the artist I am today. My students were my greatest source of motivation inside the classroom, and they continue to be some of my greatest cheerleaders outside, long after we’ve “graduated together.” They instilled in me the importance of building honest relationships as humans, something I know will only fuel my work as an actor.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I can clearly pinpoint the individuals who have walked with me at every twist and turn of my life, from my family and chosen family members to my students and former coworkers to my agents, the artist community, and every acting teacher/coach I’ve worked with. They all deserve credit for making me who I am today. THANK YOU!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @yuchidchiu
Image Credits
Joe Mazza at [email protected] or 617-818-6040 has their personal/primary photo (and one other), Other credits: Kerri Pang, John Gifford
