Actor Sam Song Li takes the cover story of DSCENE Magazine‘s March 2024 edition lensed by fashion photographer David Urbanke. In an engaging interview with Nikola Bajovic, Sam Song Li discusses his role as Bruce Sun in “The Brothers Sun,” a college student torn between his dream of improv comedy and his family’s expectations. Li prepared for the role by creating a detailed character biography, emphasizing the importance of understanding Bruce’s worldview. The character has resonated with the AAPI community, sparking conversations about cultural expectations and individuality.
Li’s collaboration with Michelle Yeoh was a highlight, enhancing the show’s dynamic and his performance. “The Brothers Sun” is praised for its unique blend of humor, drama, and action, challenging traditional storytelling norms. Reflecting on the success, Li sees his role as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and looks forward to exploring new challenges in his career, particularly in the romance genre. He also shares insights into his social media content and advice for aspiring actors, highlighting confidence and open-mindedness in their pursuits.
Working alongside an Oscar winner actress like Michelle Yeoh must be a great experience. How did this collaboration influence your performances on the show? – Michelle is the best! In a lot of ways, acting is like a team sport, you really can’t do it all by yourself. I think team chemistry is very real, and Michelle is a certified pro at building chemistry. From the very first moment I met her at Sunday morning dim sum, prior to production starting, I felt like I was treated as if I was her own son. She has such strong maternal instincts and a fantastic scene partner. She is so generous with her acting and I feel like so many of our best performances were with her and when she’s around.
Would you share any interesting behind-the-scenes moments or challenges faced during the filming, perhaps involving any cast members? – There was one time where I had to share an emotional moment with Michelle. I was teary-eyed and totally lost in the moment. I’m pouring my heart out in the scene. Suddenly, she burst into tears of LAUGHTER and I was like, “what the heck is going on? Was this supposed to be funny??” I was so confused. Later we watched the playback of what she saw while acting with me in the scene. I had a trail of snot coming out of my nose that reached all the way down to my elbows. It was honestly impressive how long that trail of snot was. And then to top it off, I sniffled and the long trail of snot shot all the way back up into my nose. Honestly, I would have lost it too if I saw that happen in real time haha.
Your Instagram and TikTok videos are so entertaining and relatable in many ways. Where do you find inspiration for them? – Thank you! As a storyteller, I love sharing my relatable experiences online. So much of my content these days is dating related. It’s a big part of my life that I’m trying to figure out. It’s just so cursed, haha. A lot of my inspiration is based on real experiences, or experiences I hear from friends. Sometimes I’ll look online too. But I think there’s just something very unhinged about dating in 2024. Especially in big cities like New York or Los Angeles. You really have a lot of larger than life personalities there, and it’s fun to see how many people seem to be relating to my experiences.
READ FULL INTERVIEW WITH SAM SONG LI HERE.
Photographer David Urbanke – @davidurbanke
Stylist Andrew Gelwicks at The Only Agency – @andrewgelwicks @theonly.agency
Grooming Michael Moreno at The Only Agency – @michaelmorenohair
Talent Sam Song Li – @thesamlitv
Interview Nikola Bajovic – @nikolabajovic
adore Sam song li 🥰