coat. LOEWE
blazer. Dries Van Noten
shirt + tie. Bottega Veneta
trousers. King & Tuckfield
With a career spanning across genres and continents, Brian Tee has established himself as a versatile and captivating presence in the world of entertainment. From donning scrubs as Dr. Ethan Choi in the acclaimed medical drama Chicago Med to revving engines as the iconic ‘King of Drift’ in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Tee’s on-screen charisma and dedication to his craft are unmistakable.
In each new venture, Tee delves deep into the intricacies of his characters, drawing inspiration from real-life experiences and immersing himself in the world of his roles. And now, with his latest endeavour, Expats, the actor explores a deeply personal narrative set against the vibrant backdrop of Hong Kong’s bustling streets. Directed by the renowned Lulu Wang, the limited series is only comparable to a living painting filled with raw emotions and moments that will leave you questioning why the world is like it is — still. Expats is a perfect blend of evocative cinematography and compelling narrative, offering a story that can touch the most fragile part of our minds. And trust me, it will — even if you don’t have children.
Inspired by Janice Y.K. Lee’s novel, The Expatriates, the series sees Tee as Clarke, a father who goes through a parent’s worst nightmare whilst trying to hold his family together amidst the trauma. And if that’s not enough, there’s a multitude of underlying social themes that surround the lives of the main protagonists, namely Margaret [Nicole Kidman], Hilary [Sarayu Blue] and Mercy [Ji-young Yoo].
Gushing over Lulu Wang and Nicole Kidman, Tee joins Schön! in a lively conversation about his experience on the set of Expats, the challenges of becoming Clarke, his thoughts on Asian representation in the industry, and much more.
jacket. CELINE
shirt. Bottega Veneta
trousers. Balenciaga
opposite
full look. Valentino
Brian, I always like to start an interview with a fun question: what’s currently on your watchlist?
There’s so much I haven’t gotten to see yet, but there is one recently, I was blown away by Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Yes, my wife is in it [Mirelly Taylor]. She plays Verdugo, the head of Monarch and she’s amazing! But the show is truly fantastic. The writers did such a great job with the depth of the story. And you have Kurt Russell and Godzilla? Two of my childhood favourites!
What initially inspired you to pursue a career in acting, and how did you get started in the industry?
Well, I didn’t find acting until college. Or maybe acting found me? In college, I didn’t quite have a career path. Freshman year, I was basically skating by. But I had a unit left to fulfill, so I was looking through the catalogue and found a class called “Acting for Non-Majors,” and I thought to myself “easy A!.” But in reality, that class changed my life. I fell in love with acting. I found my passion and knew
this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. It was a gift. It was grace. I believe, from time to time, life puts something in front of you and gives you that overwhelming, undeniable feeling, that sparks you to the core. I’ve only been gifted with grace twice in my life, when I found acting and when I found my wife. Now, what you do with it, that’s on you. Because, even though you found acting, it doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy and I learned that the hard way. Unfortunately, roles for “my type” were very few and far between. The struggle was not just getting the opportunities, but understanding that they would be very limited. I knew early on that in order for me to progress, I just had to take what I could get and grind harder — so I did.
Getting started, I did everything and anything to learn, to grow, to pave my way. I went to plays (that I could afford) read books, took classes, workshops, did student films, and non-union independent bit parts and drove around town dropping off submissions to every casting director and agency I could get into the door with. I remember, I would pretend to be a mail service company and make my own fake business placard so that I could drive onto studio lots to drop off my headshots. I even worked as an extra to get my SAG card. It was the school of hard knocks — not for everyone. But it made me who I am today.
jacket. CELINE
shirt. Bottega Veneta
trousers. Balenciaga
shoes. Valentino Garavani
You’ve portrayed characters in a variety of genres, from medical dramas like Chicago Med to action films like The Wolverine and Jurassic World. How do you approach preparing for different types of roles?
For me, it boils down to the role itself and what’s needed. I’m a believer in putting in the work and I tend to consume, live and feel as much as I can. With any role, I’ll start with the details of the script of course. I also like to get any and all input from the creatives, collaborators and especially the director. I then do my research of the character. It really is a journey of discovery. You’re learning about this person, his past, present, future, what he does, how he thinks, who he is. You’re learning to understand him. If he’s a doctor, politician or ex-military, I enjoy the experimental process of finding him by exploring their real-world experiences, if I can, to see how they interact and live in that world. I would shadow doctors at Cook County Hospital in Chicago or talk to ex-military and train with them at their facility — minus the dinosaurs [laughs]. I want to be comfortable in their skin, to eventually help create my own version.
Most people will recognise you for your role as Dr. Ethan Choi in Chicago Med, which has grown a loyal following throughout the years. How did you prepare for such a role? Were you expecting such success?
I kinda think that depends on who you ask. Because to this day, especially in another demo, I will forever be known as “D.K” the Drift King [laughs]. For Dr. Choi, what’s funny is (and he may not know this) that he was loosely based on my brother who works in medicine. Choi’s demeanour and mannerisms on the job, were a reflection of what I saw when I shadowed my brother. There is an
unwavering approach, that I completely respect when duty calls with emergency life and death stakes at hand, that was very appropriate for the character. I think with any show, I try to enjoy the journey because you don’t know what can happen as far as success is concerned. But I will say, that when joining a spinoff of another popular Dick Wolf show, the expectation of success are pretty high.
knit. King & Tuckfield
trousers. J. Lindberg
boots. Berluti
bracelet. Tten
opposite
cardigan. Lemaire
shirt. LOEWE
trousers. Maison Margiela
boots. Berluti
tie. Bottega Veneta
Expats, your latest project, was a beautifully written piece of work that kept me hooked from beginning to end. I felt as if I was reading the book from which it was inspired, and that’s a rare event for a limited series. I read somewhere that you were excited to work with Lulu Wang as a longtime fan. What made you want to join the cast? Did you read the original book?
Thank you for saying that. It is a work of art, in my opinion. It’s such an elevated piece of cinematic storytelling that I am so proud to be a part of. And yes, first and foremost, I wanted to be cast because I was such a fan of Lulu Wang. Watching The Farewell, was an incredibly moving experience for me. You see, I had lived and took care of my grandmother for 10 years, just her and I until she passed. She really influenced the soul of who I am today. So, watching The Farewell, was a very personal and cathartic experience for me. I’ve never been so touched, so moved by a movie. So yes, just the idea of working with Lulu was beyond exciting for me. I actually read the book after I got the role of Clarke. Janice Y.K. Lee wrote such a beautiful book, that gave us this brilliant foundation to elevate off of.
If you could describe the story in three words, which ones would you pick?
Powerful. Elevated. Cinematic.
knit. King & Tuckfield
Fatherhood is another theme explored in the series and your portrayal of Clarke is heart-wrenching in a way. As a father yourself, how did it feel to shoot such emotionally charged scenes? What was the most challenging aspect?
As a father, the story and circumstances are your worst nightmares. So, taking on this role was obviously a very challenging experience. But as an actor, you had to commit and connect to it so deeply, to make it feel authentic and real, and I lived for this opportunity. The subject matter and what the character is going through is arguably the hardest thing anyone can ever face, and that was the challenge that I knew I couldn’t be afraid of. I had to face it head-on. I had to let it live in me to become the character. Because inevitably the two go hand in hand. It was scary, challenging and real. I loved it.
Although we follow the all-female trio’s individual events — Margaret, Hilary and Mercy — both David and Clarke are essential pieces that make up the complex mosaic of this drama. What attracted you to Clarke as a character?
The attraction to Clarke was so many things. It’s to work with Lulu. It’s to play opposite Nicole [Kidman]. It’s the writing. It’s the show. But in the end, it’s the character. It is very rare to get such moving and powerful material with the depth and range of this full, three-dimensional character, especially for people of colour — let alone an Asian one.
cardigan. Lemaire
shirt. LOEWE
trousers. Maison Margiela
boots. Berluti
tie. Bottega Veneta
opposite
full look. Valentino
Your on-screen wife, Margaret, was portrayed by the one and only Nicole Kidman. How was your relationship with her on set?
Quite sincerely, when we first met each other, there was this sense of comfort and connection. I think Nic and I are similar in that we both have a very high standard of commitment. We are committed to the craft. We are committed to our spouses. We are committed to our children. When you feel that commitment is equalled, respect is earned and trust is created. That trust was the foundation to our relationship on set. There was a real comfort there between the two of us that allowed us to be truly free in our characters. And I think you can tell from our on-screen chemistry that the relationship feels seamless. It feels lived in and very real.
Following the sudden family trauma, both Margaret and Clarke have their own way of coping. Clarke gets closer to religion and finds relief from his grief with his faith. Do you think that was an additional motive to the dysfunctional nature of Clarke’s family?
I’m not sure Clarke ever finds relief from this faith. I think you have to have belief, in order to have faith. And I’m not sure Clarke truly believes yet. But what I do feel is that I don’t think they are dysfunctional. Because I’m not sure how one should normally be or properly act after a tragedy such as this? I think this family loves each other. They are falling apart, yet truly trying to hold each other together, going through the unimaginable. I’m totally being a Dad right now! Still being protective of the family and especially the children, I guess I haven’t shaken it off yet. But trauma is dealt with in so many different ways. They are doing the best they can, with what they are going through, in the moment — says Me/Clarke. Story-wise yes, the motive of the religious aspect was to show that people deal with grief and trauma in different ways. People tend to search for hope even in places they don’t necessarily believe. And for Clarke and Margaret, religion is definitely something that would put them at odds.
full look. Valentino
Among the many themes of the series, there’s a clear representation of racism and classism. Mercy, for instance, tends to be judged a lot for her Korean/American roots to the point that she has to mention it in every conversation. The same could be said about the rest of the characters. As an Asian actor with diverse roles, how do you see the industry evolving in terms of inclusivity, and what changes would you like to see?
That’s a hard question to answer. I wrote an Op-Ed for Deadline about this topic a few years ago during the height of COVID-19 and the despicable slew of Asian Hate Crimes. Has the industry evolved years later? I would have to say, yes. It definitely has from when I started. But is there still more work to do? That is a resounding, YES. As Asians in the industry, we’ve made great leaps and made many firsts. We’ve created number-one shows, and number-one movies, and had first wins in many Oscar and Emmy categories — we’ve reached the highest bar of excellence. Being the first of things, as a diverse community, means you hit an incredible milestone, which should be celebrated.
But also, that the road has been long, even uphill, and that we must continue to move forward to find our place in the industry. So, there is still much more work to be done. I would like to see a continuous movement toward change, not only just for Asians but for all walks of life. It’s about the embrace of everyone, in every facet of what we do. Inclusivity isn’t about letting a few in at a time, but about letting everyone in, till the end of time. Because for me, the goal is to never have to answer this question again, nor do you have to ask it. Imagine that!
Hong Kong is the backdrop of this story but it feels incredibly tied to its events. What was shooting in the busy streets of Hong Kong like?
I loved Hong Kong. The city, the food and especially the people. It’s such a lively place, especially at the popular places where we filmed, like the night market. Shooting in Hong Kong was great because as a foreigner, I got to experience a glimpse of what it feels like to be a true expat. Being in Hong Kong allowed us to get into our characters, who are all trying to assimilate into and build community in this new environment. For me as an actor, the experience of being there really helped ground my performance into something relatable and genuine.
blazer. Dries Van Noten
shirt + tie. Bottega Veneta
trousers. King & Tuckfield
boots. Berluti
opposite
coat. LOEWE
blazer. Dries Van Noten
shirt + tie. Bottega Veneta
trousers. King & Tuckfield
boots. Berluti
Are there any specific types of roles or genres that you haven’t explored yet but would like to in the future?
There are a lot. I consider myself a character-leading man, but the opportunities over my career have been limiting. And as I’ve progressed, the roles have opened up a little more and I’m hoping after Expats, the scope of opportunities, in all genres, are as wide as can be. So, I want to explore every role in every genre and see what’s out there.
Looking back at your career, is there a specific role or project that you feel had a profound impact on you personally or professionally?
Honestly, it would have to be this one. This project is something I could only dream about, through my entire career. It’s so powerful nuances, speaking on so many levels. Done with the highest caliber of artistry and talent, especially with the likes of Lulu Wang and Nicole Kidman, whom I get to play opposite. It’s a dream come true. Though the show is just releasing, I already feel it will have a profound impact on me professionally. But the experience itself has already impacted me personally. I’m so proud and honoured to be a part of this show.
What’s next for you?
I wish I could tell you, but what I can say is that I’m currently filming a project that I’m really excited about. And while I can’t quite reveal what it is yet, I’m really looking forward to when I can share the news — because it’s pretty awesome [winks].
knit. Paris Laundry
trousers. King & Tuckfield
shoes. Bruno Magli
belt. Loewe
Expats is streaming now on Amazon Prime.
photography. Ben Duggan
fashion. Douglas VanLaningham @ The Rex Agency
talent. Brian Tee
grooming. Hee Soo Kwon @ The Rex Agency
location. The Ivory Space
interview. Gennaro Costanzo
