Peter Loung Interview:I am constantly training and honing my craft through more esoteric means

Swanky Magazine Interviews the wonderfully talented individual - Peter Loung

ACTOR SPOTLIGHT | Peter Loung

We caught up with him to ask a little more about his fabulous journey, and where his career is taking him next!

Q1.Swanky Mag: Hello Peter, Can you introduce yourself to Swanky Magazine's readers? Can you tell us a little about you?

Firstly, I would like to thank the entire team over at SWANKY Magazine for this honour, it is always a humbling and, somewhat surreal, experience when others take interest in my career, work-habits and ideologies on life.
Hello Swanky Magazine readers, my name is Peter Loung and I apologize in advance for the ramblings and musings of my madness! Allow me to begin by first asserting that I have always been a performer. From the tender age of five years I started taking guitar lessons, first at the Yamaha School of Music and then at the prestigious and infamous Royal Conservatory. These humble and, somewhat pedestrian, beginnings culminated in me receiving my ARCT in guitar performance, music history and theory. This pedagogical prowess was the catalyst which then catapulted me into the world of recording, touring and composing. Alongside my musical endeavours, I was a professional circus acrobat specializing in Aerial Straps, Double Trapeze and Corde Lisse. In this arena I had the opportunity to perform internationally in myriad shows, tours and corporate events working for a litany of troupes, companies and agencies, the most noteworthy being: Zero Gravity Circus and the fabled Cirque Du Soleil. In a fairly recent venture, I have started to piece together what can only be considered a clothing line. Persona Couture celebrates Old School Rock n’ Roll and Punk sensibility, while paying homage to New School Hip Hop attitudes and rebellions. “Necessity is the Mother of invention” and my designs are birthed from that axiom. Though my clothing draws influences from the likes of Philipp Plein, John Varvatos, Pierre Balmain and Alexander McQueen, Persona Couture is unapologetically Peter Loung. Lastly, as to the true reason you have afforded me the privilege of this interview, I am an actor based out of Toronto, Canada.

Q2. How and when did you get into acting?

From a very young age I was playing concert venues and recital halls on the guitar and later on transitioned to dancing and flipping in music videos. However, with regards to “acting,” my first true experience was for the feature film “54,” then titled “Studio 54” and that was many moons ago! I remember getting the call from my former agent asking if I would like to be in a film. Up until this point I had only performed live or for aforementioned music videos, so I was both eager and intrigued by the opportunity. Once on set I was astonished by the sheer magnitude of the production and the working parts therein. From that moment on I knew that the film industry would have a lasting impression on me. Moreover, for better or for worse, the acting bug had bitten me and there was no turning back.

Actor: Peter Loung @The Characters Talent Agency
IG: @peterloung
WB: https://linkr.bio/peterloung
Photographer: Derek Chu

Q3.What attracted you to begin a career as an actor?

On September 12, 1962 John F. Kennedy boldly told a nation that, “we choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” Perhaps I have masochistic tendencies or perchance I am a bit vain, but I am attracted to the acting industry because of the crux of JKF’s assertion. I am drawn to acting because it is hard, because it goes “against-the-norm,” because to me the possible rewards far outweigh the sacrifices needed for success and because I am a performer through-and-through. I am fully cognizant of the risks involved in my career choice, the statistical rhetoric surrounding the industry and the circular hyperbole entrenched within a life-choice deemed “off-the-beaten-path,” but I don’t care. Performance is “in my blood” and it is the one thing in my life which I can say with absolute certainty that I know to be “true.”

Q4. Did you take up any training in acting?

Scene and character study is an important and intrinsic aspect to acting and to my method on the whole, however my philosophy on the topic is far from the norm. With that said, I am constantly training and honing my craft through more esoteric means. The study of acting is far-reaching, with a litany of methodologies and approaches however, for me, the study is not just confined to the hallowed halls of educational institutions or professional workshops, but surrounds us. In my humble opinion, acting is the observation, narration and commentary on the human condition and, as such, there is no greater teacher then life-experience. With that said, there are a few fundamental skills which need to be givens: memory work, a basic understanding of focal lengths, stillness, hitting marks, the choreography of a scene etc., all play a part in the performance and must be ingrained into the psyche if truth is to prevail. However, delving further into the abstraction of acting, we discover that there is a certain gravitas which surrounds outstanding performances and, more to the point, there is an abstruse separation between “good” actors and “great” ones which has very little to do with their understanding of technicality, and more to do with their sympathy towards the human condition. So, to give credence to the question posed, yes I have studied with a litany of acting coaches and have taken scene study classes and character analysis workshops, however my training is continuous and ever-evolving and I am constantly analyzing human interactions with regards to pathos, psychology, spirituality and presence to try and afford honesty in my performances.

Q5. Who are your biggest influences?

I am an enormous fan of the British system of theatre. Actors like, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Sir Kenneth Branaugh or Sir Ian McKellen have a command of the stage and a presence therein which are unrivaled. Their mastery of soliloquy and delivery are almost Angelic, transcending this “mortal coil” giving us glimpses into the “undiscovered country.” With that said, my influences are not only bound to the UK, but travel much closer to home as I am a true admirer of the American actor, Johnny Depp. Johnny’s career and job choices are both refreshing and controversial. He is an actor, in my humble opinion, who has been able to craft his career by himself and for himself and like a focused James Dean, has created characters which are both honest and flawed. Johnny Depp inspires my rebel soul by his abundance of talent and swagger but, most importantly, by staying true to himself in a culture where pandering to certain agendas is the norm. So, in short, I am influenced by the career and nonchalance of Johnny Depp.

Q6. Which role that you have played you like the most?

As aforementioned, I am a student of the human condition and if the greatest teacher of said condition is life-experience, then the greatest implementer and manipulator of those experiences is William Shakespeare. I once had the immense and daunting opportunity to play Hamlet and though looking back on the run it is clear to me now that I was far too young, naïve, cocky and underequipped to fully comprehend, or comment on, the psychological subtleties which Shakespeare wrote into the dialogue and soliloquies, it was truly a life-altering role. Just to put it out into the universe, if given the chance, I would like to live in Hamlet’s skin once more to honestly and assiduously explore the subtext and nuances written in the words with an older and, perhaps, wiser eye. So, to answer the question succinctly, Hamlet was my favourite role in which I have played.

Q7.What do you love about acting?

The admonition to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes is at the crux of what attracts me to acting. I am a student of the human condition and there is no better way to analyse and comment on said condition then to study reality through someone else’s eyes. I revel in looking outside of my own personal biases and experiences viewing a world without my own prejudices or pretenses clouding judgement, giving me a fresh and, oftentimes, frightening insight into the nature of human psychology. Furthermore, speaking for myself, I love that acting can be therapeutic due to the abstraction of taking on multiple personalities without psychologists thwarting or medicating the disposition.

Q8. What has been your most memorable session and why?

I have had the great fortune to share the screen with many wonderful, quirky and beautiful souls during my ongoing tenure, however if I had to pin-point one session it would have to be on the set of “Death to Smoochy,” directed by Danny DeVito, starring Robin Williams and Edward Norton. About halfway through the filming we were at the Maple Leaf Gardens, an infamous Hockey Arena in Toronto Canada, and I remember watching a lighting and set change when Robin, feeling a bit rambunctious and spirited, called out to Danny DeVito, “Yo Danny, I need a mic my man.” Within a few minutes a Production Assistant gave Robin a wireless handheld microphone and he proceeded to give an impromptu stand-up comedy performance for the cast, crew and background performers in attendance; he was in rare form doing what he does best. After his “scripted material” he opened up the floor to questions from the background, who mainly consisted of children ranging in ages from six to ten years. Most asked him to do impersonations, or asked him how he got started, but there was one little boy who boldly asked, “Robin Williams, are you a pedophile?!” The room went deafeningly silent as everyone was taken aback, but without hesitation Robin masterfully responded, “You’re from the National Enquirer aren’t you? I’ve heard of you guys!” This off-the-cuff return deftly diffused the situation and brought it back to the realm of light-hearted comedy. This exchange will be forever etched in my memory as the de facto standard of how to deflect an awkward question with poise, professionalism, tongue-in-cheek comedy and mastery of craft.

Q9. Can you tell us a bit about your next project?

I am currently attached to a couple films which are slated to go in the coming months, both of which feature me in the leading role. There is definite excitement and anticipation surrounding these projects coupled with a sense of urgency. Along with that I am waiting to go back to camera to reprise my role of Sammy Sun in Rising Suns. I apologize for not being able to give any solid details on these projects.

Q10. Name a character you would want to play.

There is a litany of people which whom I would like to portray or “live as,” Macbeth, Dracula and Eric Draven come to mind, however I will answer this question with a more abstruse position. I like surprising people. I learned very early on in my career to “never judge a book by its cover,” and have lived by this axiom ever since. With that said, the characters which speak to me are flawed individuals at war with their inner demons, but have to put on a façade for everyone to see and accept. This interior assault is what truly intrigues me when taking on a character. The exploration into the chasms and crannies of the human condition, all-the-while searching for truth and beauty in the struggle is of utmost importance to me. As aforementioned I like surprising people, and taking a, seemingly, two-dimensional archetype and slowly peeling back the layers of their psyche to reveal a third and fourth dimension is something magical which takes the viewer on a ride of discovery. Moreover, a character in which I would like to play will exhibit a subtle, yet crucial, subtext in the psychological makeup of his being.

Q11. What advice do you have for an artist who wants to break into acting?

Advice is something which should be taken at face value. What works for some does not always translate into actionable scenarios for others. However, with that said, the most important, and honest, piece of advice I can give someone breaking into the acting industry is to never listen to any negative rhetoric or circular hyperbole and never give credence to the “naysayers.” Ultimately, it is you who will manifest your own successes and failures. With that said, there are some technicalities in pursuing acting as a feasible career which need to be analyzed and honed, however there has never been a better, or easier, time in human history to create your own content and film, edit and release said content. Moreover, it is your career, make your mistakes, create a litany of said mistakes and scrutinize each entry to learn from them, never let anyone diminish your worth or your passion and, above all, go out there with a bold heart and create!

Closing Statements.

Once again, with utter humility, I would like to thank the entire team over at SWANKY Magazine for this interview, it has been an honour!

Instagram: @peterloung
linkr.bio/peterloung