Meet Arnold Setiadi of Los Angeles

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Arnold Setiadi

Hi Arnold, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
For sure! I grew up in Bridgeport, CT as the second oldest of six kids in a lovely, rambunctious Chinese-Indonesian immigrant family. My parents came to the US with little to no education, money, or connections. When I was 9, I moved to Indonesia for a few years before returning to Bridgeport at 12. Navigating the cultural shifts in both places was tough but incredibly formative and fulfilling.

As a kid, I was shy yet active, always drawn to storytelling. I feel like I was always an entertainer in some shape or form: I recorded skits with my cousins, danced and sang for my Indonesian and church groups, and even made my own Pokémon YouTube videos (which I hope you never find). High school was amazing but also incredibly challenging due to my intense involvement in classes and extracurriculars, but the highlight was definitely my passion for theater – shoutout to Mitch and the Central Players! At 16, I was thrilled to receive a full ride to Yale as a QuestBridge Scholar, where I really dove into storytelling.

Throughout my journey in the field, I’ve often been the only Asian American in the room, even in my school’s theater program. I double-majored in Theater & Performance Studies and Political Science and was fortunate to receive scholarships for many opportunities such as studying acting/writing in England, learning Mandarin in China, and training with world-renowned Yale School of Drama professors.

My love for storytelling led me to juggle various student jobs and roles, including TEDxYale, Yale Model United Nations, and many research positions, while performing, writing, and producing countless plays, musicals, and films. One of my proudest moments was my senior thesis, where I wrote, acted in, and produced a full-length play called “Pancasila,” exploring Asian American experiences around love, family, and dreams. I also wrote a thesis on the bioethics, politics, and economics of my underprivileged hometown, Bridgeport, CT.

After graduation, I moved to LA to further pursue my acting career, where I’ve been blessed enough to be represented by Luber Roklin Entertainment, auditioning for fun projects and being the lead in several festival-qualifying films. I also landed a position in Strategy & Research at NBCUniversal (Focus Features), where I merge my love for storytelling with a business edge. It’s been quite the adventure so far, and I’m incredibly grateful for every step along the way!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I grew up as the second oldest in a big family where my parents left their countries to escape ethnic and religious persecution. I spent my childhood in the culturally diverse but economically disadvantaged and “dangerous” city of Bridgeport, CT, sharing a small room with my family up until moving to LA last year.

My parents separated when I first moved to Indonesia as a kid, where I was dubbed “too American”. When I returned to the States at 12, I faced bullying for being one of the very few Asians in town. I juggled financial insecurity, temporary homelessness, community violence, and immigration challenges – all of this while stepping into a caregiver role for my siblings and just trying to be a kid. With my dad working 6-7 days/week to support my family domestically and overseas, we had little for our immediate needs – there were even days where I’d walk over an hour back from school to pursue extracurriculars since we didn’t have a car. Nevertheless, I tried my best taking hard classes, being involved in my community, working part-time at a restaurant to make end meets, and just trying to spread positivity one day at a time.

All of these past issues continued to affect my life, such as navigating college as a first-generation, low-income student. Moving to LA with no connections to pursue the “ever stable” profession of entertainment was also daunting but fueled my determination to carve out a space in the industry. There aren’t many people from my background in this field, so I hope to be somewhat of a trailblazer.

I’ve learned to channel my hardships into storytelling because real talk, trauma can make for some good narratives. Having a strong support system has been a game-changer as well (love you, Yassi). Despite it all, I’m extremely thankful for the strong values my parents instilled upon me to keep me grounded. These experiences shaped me who I am and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At the risk of sounding pretentious, I like to think of myself as a multi-hyphenate in the entertainment industry, primarily focused on acting. Most of the work in this industry happens behind the scenes. Fortunately, I’m auditioning and getting close to some exciting opportunities through my reps (shoutout to Brian and Mara). Recent highlights include playing the lead in “Heading to the East,” an Indie Drama from an award-winning USC graduate filmmaker; “Glodok ‘98,” a Chinese-Indonesian Period Piece (CSUN Senior Thesis) screening at the Academy Museum Theater; and “Snooze,” one of the first Chin-American Feature Films, produced by the David Stanley Foundation. These projects will be hitting the festival circuit soon, so stay tuned! After spending years honing my craft in Yale’s acting program, whether studying abroad in England or training under Yale School of Drama Professors (and of course you can’t forget when I was the lead in my cousin’s YouTube skits at age 8), I’m still keeping up the training at studios such as East West Players and Ivana Chubbuck Studios, to name a few.

At NBCUniversal (Focus Features), I’m able to explore both the creative and business sides of the film industry. I was able to get this job through my years of experience in Film/TV Production/Development at places like UTA, Gotham EDU, Watt Pictures, and the New York Film & Music Foundation. At Focus Features, I’ve had the privilege of being one of the youngest contributors to various film campaigns, including working on the research and marketing for Dìdi by Sean Wang.

On the side, I try my best to work on other passion projects, such as writing and producing a short film. I’m also trying to get back into content creation, but don’t quote me on that! As long as I’m creating art, I’m happy. When people see their stories reflected in art, it inspires collaboration and connection. The power of diversity isn’t just about meeting quotas; it’s about spreading the beauty of art to those who didn’t even know they were part of it.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Ahh, so this is the emotional closer, eh? Well, I’d say to just be a good person. Have faith. Be gritty and curious, but also show humility and love. Love what you do, and do what you love… with people you love. Also, don’t forget to enjoy life, not take things so seriously, and never lose sight of who you are. At the end of the day, I’m able to celebrate my wins and losses with my partner, family, friends, and slightly naughty but oh-so lovely 6-month Cocker Spaniel pup, Cody (who is chomping on me right now as we speak).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14221668/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asianarnold/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@asianarnold