Henry Lau's Journey To Hollywood: It's A 'Really Important' Time For Asian Representation

Henry Lau doesn't know what time it is. Nevertheless to be truthful, who could blame him? The 29-year-old performer has been living and working across numerous timezones — in Canada, South Korea, China, and the U.S. — Since 2007, as soon as the then-teenage Chinese-Canadian singer/violinist debuted as segment of Super Junior-M. And soon after leaving his longtime label, Korea's SM Entertainment, early last year, he's added another region to his busy international schedule: Hollywood.


Lau makes his Hollywood debut in A Dog's Journey, the schmaltzy sequel to 2017's A Dog's Purpose. And between promoting the film, auditioning for more big-screen possibilities, and working on new music — he most recently dropped his first independent single, titled "Untitled Love Song" — the ambitious artist is just taking things one day at a time. Any more than that and it also gets confusing, especially whenever you have a schedule as jam-packed as his.


MTV News caught up with Lau during a recent press day for the film, where he discussed about his own journey to Hollywood, combining classical music with dance, and the significance of seeing yourself represented in music and on screen.


MTV News: Where are you based? Are you splitting your time between continents?


Henry Lau: That's a complex question because I sort of fly around everywhere. Although most of the times I'm based in Korea, China, and right now I'm spending a lot more time in the U.S.


MTV News: How do you ever know what time it is?


Lau: I actually have the world clock. Because I have to communicate with everybody from everywhere. It's pretty crazy.


MTV News: Your body just regulates itself at this point.


Lau: I can just sleep as soon as now.


MTV News: Do you like that, though? Do you do like being everywhere, all of the time? 


Lau: Yeah, it's actually unthinkable because I never thought that I would one day be here, filming a movie in Hollywood. Never thought that there'd be such a crazy K-pop craze here, all over the world. I've Been almost everywhere. And then in some of the craziest places where you wouldn't imagine anybody knowing you. There's people at the airport. There's people everywhere. So it's actually amazing.


MTV News: I also saw that you can perform Ariana Grande's "7 Rings" on your violin, which sounds incredible by the way.


Lau: I did a cover of that on my Instagram, nevertheless I'd never expected such a crazy reaction. I don't think they expected that melody on a violin. It's pretty.


MTV News: you are a multi-instrumentalist and that's a really fascinating piece of your story. Do you remember your first music memory? 


Lau: I first began playing the violin at 6. And then at 7, it was piano. So from then it was just classical music like daily. And then I got to high school. You know how in high school you have those like the B-boys and the poppers, and all that? While in our school talent shows, I would perform classical music, and then immediately after me you'd have B-boys and all of the people doing the pop and lock. And I realized that all of the ladies were like going crazy for them. The parents could be going crazy for me, and then all my companions and everybody were going crazy for them. So I was like, "Oh man, I'm doing the incorrect thing." So then I began to learn to dance and sing.


MTV News: And then you sort of combined your love of classical music with your newfound love of dance.


Lau: I was actually the head of the violin after-school club. And then I was also the head of the dance club, the popping club. So one day, just by coincidence, we had to hold the two clubs at the same time. I had to go back and forth. And that's once the idea came up for dancing and playing violin at the same time.


MTV News: I'm sure your parents were thrilled. 


Lau: So where they sort of didn't agree with me on was If I told them I wanted to go Korea to be a K-pop star. This was before K-pop was big. So my parents, they've been living in Toronto for like the longest time. They didn't know what was going on in Asia. So Whenever I told them I went to this audition and that [SM Entertainment] had picked me out of like thousands of people, my dad was like, "No, you're not going." He was against the entire thing, like any parent could be. At the time it just sounded crazy. Like, "I'm going to be a Korean pop star!" Nevertheless we went to Korea, my mom and I. We checked it out, and then it all seemed really, really cool. My mom supported me the entire time. It took some convincing for my dad. Right now he's cool with everything.


MTV News: Why was it crucial to you to take this chance and move to South Korea? 


Lau: At the time I was applying to colleges for classical music. So I was looking at the applications for Julliard and preparing for my college auditions. And then this came up. I love dancing and singing, just as identically. I thought to myself, if I do the classical thing, if I go down the classical road, I'll have to give up dancing and singing. Although then if I go down the K-pop road, I'll be dancing and singing, however that doesn't mean I won't have the ability to play the violin anymore or piano. I determined that I had to go down this road because that was the only way I might do pretty much everything.


MTV News: Did you ever wish to pursue singing and dancing at residence in Canada, or in the U.S.? 


Lau: Back then it didn't even cross my mind that I could, that any Asian could have the ability to do anything in the States. Or anywhere outdoors of Asia. I'd never even thought about it.


MTV News: Nevertheless right now there's more possibility for representation. 


Lau: I think that's why this film is such a key thing. Not only for me, however just for the complete Asian community. Hollywood needs more diversity.


MTV News: Once did you determine that you wanted to try acting as well? 


Lau: It order kind of noticed me. I was in a really well known categorize in Asia [Super Junior-M], however I wasn't necessarily that prominent. Because we had a lot of people in the order. I was just some kid in the categorize. And then this director wanted to film a movie with me. I don't know how she noticed out about me, yet I met with her and instructed her, straight up, "Hey, I don't act. I've never acted before. I don't think I can do it." Then she's like, nevertheless you're brilliant for the role." So I ended up filming that movie, it was called Final Recipe, by Gina Kim, and yes it was with Michelle Yeoh from Crazy Wealthy Asians. Michelle, she really helped me out a lot during that film. She sort of took me under her wing, and she taught me all of those things about acting, and she was actually the one that sort of got me really into acting. From then on, possibilities just kept coming up.


MTV News: As music and culture become more global, is it a really exhilarating time for you to be releasing music and to be in the industry? Do you feel that energy? 


Lau: Certainly. I think now is a really critical time for any Asian in the world because it's all happening. I have more confidence that people will listen to the music that I, as a Asian artist, will put out, and right now, I have more confidence in myself. I'm in casting rooms right now. Before, Hollywood wouldn't even be looking at guys like me. And right now it's like, hey, maybe I can be the guy that's not just like flying around and doing karate on the big screen. Maybe I can be the passion interest. Maybe I can just be viewed as a person alternatively opposed to just being Asian.