Today we’d like to introduce you to Sky Liam Patterson.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was a fan of Marvel before it was cool – I read lots of comic book back issues and had VHS copies of stuff like the straight-to-video Captain America starring JD Salinger’s son. In reality I was getting picked last at recess every day, so when I first saw Enter the Dragon I received a blueprint for becoming a real-life superhero: the martial arts.
I signed up at a place called The Chinese Kung Fu Association and immediately became the worst student in my class. I felt humiliated but something wouldn’t let me quit. I practiced afternoons in my back yard, and Friday nights would be spent in my room doing punches and kicks while watching Van Damme movies.
My other passion was acting in and creating films; I did a lot of theater in school and starred in my own amateur movies. I ended up receiving admission to film school at USC based on some work I did through a filmmaking apprenticeship at Wieden+Kennedy advertising firm. Meanwhile I really wanted to train martial arts in China and the only path I felt I had to get over there was through study abroad. The program at SC required at least three semesters of Mandarin, and I ended up liking those classes better than film school so I switched majors to Chinese with a minor in Theatre.
My idea was I’d have a window in my 20s to reach the highest level I could as an athlete, so after graduation I moved to Beijing for a year to train full time at a sports university with a scholarship I received from the Chinese government. I set the goal of competing in an international tournament and shooting two movies. I ended up competing and medaling in two tournaments, and shooting a pretty big picture called “Tai Chi Zero” as well as another one called “The Kung Fu Master” which was a super fun experience.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
In college I competed in a lot of tournaments and lost every single one. I’m 6’2” which was a big hindrance in Chinese martial arts, so I tried to stand out any way I could. I wore garish custom uniforms and in Beijing I learned this style called di tang where every jump and flip lands flat on your back or side. I also competed with the Shaolin bullwhip, which was a big attention grabber. My goal was always to show the audience and judges something they’d never quite seen, and I ended up racking up quite a few Grand Championship titles at tournaments in Southern California.
I felt I’d gotten about as far as I could with my frame and athleticism, so I enrolled in acting classes again but was still dividing my attention between that and martial arts until I suffered a major knee injury. I took it as a sign to really switch gears in my life, and I started applying the mindset I’d used for martial arts tournaments to develop more as an actor.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
When I first got back to LA, no one in the entertainment industry really cared that I’d done films in China. I worked my way up doing music videos and crime reenactment shows until I got into SAG with a film called “The Amityville Murders.” The industry in LA can feel like kind of a gated community and I’ve mostly used networking and a lot of persistence to unearth opportunities in various films and TV shows. I focused mostly on non-martial arts roles in order to establish myself as purely an actor, but of course a lot of my roles have drawn on my physicality. I think it’s every actor’s dream – certainly mine – to tell a story that touches on human truths rather than just present a physical package to ogle over (or revile, depending on the story – I’ve certainly played both).
In addition to acting, to make ends meet I ended up becoming an MC for live events in the Chinese community. It’s a bit of a novelty to see a tall white guy on stage speaking Mandarin and I kind of lead this dual existence with my American and Chinese worlds now. I’ve hosted beauty pageants, talent shows, corporate galas, and LOTS of Chinese New Year shows.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I recently got back from a 48 hour film competition sponsored by Marriott in Marco Island, Florida. It was a great opportunity because I actually served as the writer on my team and we made a really fun romantic comedy short which won three awards. My not-so-secret dream is to write feature films that provide opportunities for myself and the other talented but underemployed actors who’ve been working hard for any chance they can get. I have several ideas for films that I’m very high on and I’m excited to pitch them once the scripts are completed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.skypatterson.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @skyliam
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skyliampatterson/
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