Sam Song Li Talks 'Brothers Sun' Series & The Importance of Supporting New-Gen Creators
This interview is part of EDITION's "Class of Now" feature, found in our March '24 "Next Wave" Issue. Click here to subscribe.
Photo by Ziyang Wang
Sam Song Li may have jumped on the scene as a content creator, but his talent doesn’t end there. Born in Guangzhou, China and raised in Southern California, he’s gained a substantial social media following due to his self-produced comedy sketches about Gen Z and Millennial culture. And for his breakout role, he went big: starring alongside the Oscar-winning Michelle Yeoh on Netflix’s Brothers Sun. Featuring a predominantly Asian American cast, it perfectly balances a dark action tale with warm lessons about the importance of family. Li speaks with us ahead of his Marvin Is Sorry pilot premiere at South by Southwest.
I know you went to the University of California in Berkeley. Did your interest in acting originally spark then?
I think it happened a little bit before I went to college. It sort of started with me wanting to make movies and short films, and I was really interested in filmmaking. Growing up, I was very sheltered from media in a lot of ways. I think that maybe it might be an Asian family thing, but my mom prioritized education and studying and all of these things over media. So when I really discovered media, especially in my high school years, it just taught me so much about storytelling and how it made me feel emotionally. So, I was very drawn to media.
I started making my own short films and comedy sketches. At some point, I realized that maybe I wanted to be a director. And I thought, “If I want to be a director, I probably should learn acting.” Because a lot of directing is working with actors and telling stories. So I picked up acting and started reading acting books. I read one book, and then one book became two, two became five and five became 10. Before I knew it, I felt like I intellectually knew everything about being an actor. I'd just never done it.
I was auditioning for some short films for the school. There was one professor who was also there, simultaneously casting this very modern and funny little rom-com between vampires and a writer. Then there was another one that was casting for a Shakespearean play, called “Measure for Measure”. We had the option to audition for both, one or the other. I only auditioned for the film, and then the acting professor who was doing the play she reached out to me afterwards and was like, “I really want you to be a part of this play.” So that's how I got into what I think is my one true acting gig.
You have a large following on TikTok and Instagram. Was content creation an intentional part of your wanting to showcase your acting abilities?
Yes and no. I think they’re certainly platforms where I thought had huge benefits for me as an actor. But recently, I see it more as an opportunity for me to share my thoughts and my work as a writer, director and producer. I've just realized that social media, at least what I do with social media, the acting is only one part of it. When I'm working on Brothers Sun, all of my energy goes into the exploration of [my character] Bruce. But when you are doing content, so much of your brain is being diverted into all kinds of directions. I think that's a part of the brain that is very different from when you just use everything to go into a character. So I think it's more of a platform for me to exercise my talents and also share sentiments that I'm feeling and put my creative voice and my messages out into the world.
There’s so much that goes into content creation, from the planning to editing.
Absolutely. In so many ways. It’s just like making a TV show or a movie. But the difference is that based on the platform, you’re not working on one thing for one piece. But I definitely think the effort is still there. It’s just in more digestible chunks. I still spend a whole day writing, filming and editing. But I think the advantage of doing content is you get instantaneous feedback. I think you can learn a lot faster than traditional TV and film, which is why truly think modern content creators that we see today will very likely be the future filmmakers and producers of tomorrow for Hollywood in so many ways.
Photo by Ziyang Wang
Diving into Brothers Sun, you have so many parallels with your character, Bruce. I was reading an interview where you mentioned the apartment building that you were shooting in was on the route that you took to go to school. Did the directors and producers know that or did it happen by chance?
I think it happened by chance. But I do think it happened for a reason. Because of all of this, there was so much authenticity. And in my mind, maybe it gave me a boost of confidence that just made me feel very right. As an actor, you need that confidence going into any project. So I feel like that certainty really showed. Although I didn't explicitly say it, I think they all sensed that this was something I was very right for.
Speaking of confidence, I want to discuss the arc that Bruce has. He starts off a bit shy and goofy. As the series goes along, we see him blossoming into a young man. Do you feel more confident as an actor after doing this series?
150%? Yes. Somebody once said, I think it was an actor from Game of Thrones, that if you do one season of television as a series regular, you will learn everything you need to know about acting. I feel like that's very, very true. Because being on Brothers Sun, I worked practically every day for four or five months. To now see it cut together, there's a lot that you learn from what you feel as an actor filming to what now audiences are perceiving.
From the consistency, the score, the music, the editing, how it all plays into your performance, and how it all shapes what someone's supposed to feel. It's huge. You really do learn a lot. And I'm sure all of us actors, when we watch it back, especially for some of the greener ones, I definitely feel like we all sort of have moments of, “I wish we could have done this more”. But this is what we mean by learning and growing. So I'm just excited to apply what I've learned on this show and to everything else I do in the future.
I have to speak about the legendary Michelle Yeoh. Did you pick up any acting tips from her or get any advice?
I think every day was a real learning lesson. And she didn’t explicitly give us any advice. But I think she knew like, ‘You guys are young actors here. I’ve been around doing this for a while. So just watch and learn.’ It was very much that energy. She knew we were smart enough to just watch her and learn. We all really wanted to see what Michelle was like. So there was a lot that we picked up from her. Every day truly was a lesson. The biggest takeaway for me is her consistency and her curiosity about the story. She really leans into who Eileen is and who Mama Sun is. I saw an interview where she talked about having a little journal about who she is and what her life is like. And it’s just incredible, her commitment to her part. I committed the best way that I could, but what separates her from me is her ability to not only be amazing in front of the camera but also her experience with how to be a team player behind the camera. In between takes, we might be filming a really intense scene, she can go and talk to the directors and the producers. She’s making them laugh, cracking jokes and having a great time. And then, two seconds later our AD could be like, ‘Hey, Michelle, we’re ready for you here.’ She’ll go in, and then on ‘action’ instantly get into it. Oh my god, where’s the Oscar? For me to do that, I’m like, ‘No one talk to me. I need to be in my corner and just be sad.’ I think it would take me like 25 minutes of preparation to have 30 seconds of greatness.
Photo by Ziyang Wang
What are your thoughts on this new crop of creators?
It's incredible to see. I think so much of our generation of creators is a mixed bag of different kinds of talents. Because, firstly how do you define what a creator is? In so many ways anyone can be a creator. I know people who don't have any interest in film and TV, but they see content creation as a tool to showcase something they're passionate about. Maybe it's sewing or maybe it's fashion. But I do think that there was a huge generation of content creators who really wanted to break into film and TV, but didn't have the tools or maybe the connections or we just didn't want to wait.
We didn't want to follow that traditional path because, to be honest, it’s a brutal one. It's one that you can't control and one that isn't necessarily set up for new talent to win all the time. There's so much competition, and you have to work your way up. So much of it is timing: being at the right place at the right time. It's just really luck of a draw.
So why would you wait for that when you can take that power into your own hands with the democratization of technology and media? You can pick up a DSLR or your iPhone and just make your own movie. There are so many content creators who want to be filmmakers or actors, who are now finding their footing on social media and showcasing the world their talents without having to wait for a studio or a specific person to give them the opportunity. A great example that I can think of are the filmmakers behind the recent A24 horror flick from last year called Talk to Me.
They started off making YouTube videos. They actually premiered Talk to Me at VidCon and talked about their story as YouTubers and how studios were very hesitant to support them because they had that YouTuber stigma. I still think film studios are like, “If you're gonna give YouTubers the chance to make a movie, they're going to screw that up.” But no, I think we are very talented. We want to do this. And we've only just picked up social media and content creation because it's accessible and we're not going to wait. I think there's a lot of us that resonate with that feeling.
