Sam Tune Li Talks The Brothers Solar, Asian American Identification

When Sam Tune Li got here throughout the function of Bruce on “The Brothers Solar,” he felt just like the character was written uniquely for him. In Netflix’s new action-packed drama sequence, Bruce’s life is upended when his older brother, Charles (Justin Chien), who seems to be a Taiwanese gangster, involves LA to guard their mother, Eileen (Michelle Yeoh). When Li first learn the script, he rapidly realized he shared numerous “shockingly shut” similarities along with his onscreen counterpart. Like Bruce, the 27-year-old actor and content material creator was raised by a single mother within the San Gabriel Valley, CA, a predominantly Asian American group the place the sequence partially takes place. Equally, he additionally dreamed of being an actor and improv comic, regardless of his mother’s hopes that he’d turn out to be a physician. “I really feel like that particularly is simply actually relatable for lots of Asian Individuals,” he tells POPSUGAR.

That is why Bruce’s story was private to Li, who was born in Guangzhou, China. He drew from his personal experiences to authentically painting Bruce — and the character’s relationship with Mama Solar specifically. “I used to be raised by a single mother, and my mother in actual life is my hero,” he says. “She raised me and my sister all by herself. To see a single mum or dad have all the burden of the obligations of elevating a child, you are taking it without any consideration when it is occurring. I introduced that vitality and perspective into Bruce in his love for his mother.”

In opposition to his mother’s greatest needs, Li in the end determined to pursue performing. Amid creating comedic content material and racking up a following on TikTok and Instagram, he booked smaller roles on reveals like “By no means Have I Ever” and “Higher Name Saul.” When he landed “The Brothers Solar,” it was a welcome shock; he did not think about a task like this one to come back about so early on in his profession.

As if securing his first main function – and one he associated to so deeply — wasn’t thrilling sufficient, “The Brothers Solar” was additionally the primary time Li labored alongside an all Asian writers’ room and a majority Asian American forged. “Our manufacturing was uniquely Asian American in so many aspects, however I feel one factor that basically stood out to me was that we actually follow what we preach on the present,” he says. “Within the present, the household, and the way you deal with individuals as a household, is the point of interest of the story. We as a crew actually had that connection. We felt actually obsessed with what we have been doing, what was occurring in entrance of us, no matter if the present was a hit or not. I feel the one factor we have been all holding onto was that this was a really particular second.”

The forged’s sturdy connection was additionally sustained by meals — a trademark of many Asian cultures. There have been Asian snacks and meals accessible on set on a regular basis, together with boba at the very least as soon as per week. In keeping with Li, Yeoh would order meals from a distinct native Chinese language spot each week. “She would all the time shock us with one thing,” he says.

Rising up, it will’ve been troublesome for Li to think about an expertise just like the “Brothers Solar” set. Asian and Asian American illustration on display screen was few and much between. “I’ve all the time felt I used to be not Westernized sufficient for Hollywood, and never Asian sufficient to work in Asia,” Li says, describing a battle all too frequent for Asian Individuals, each out and in of the leisure business.

However with the inflow of APIA tasks in theaters and on streaming platforms prior to now three years, Li’s perspective on his future in performing has modified drastically. “I’ve realized the path that Hollywood and the world is shifting is connecting the globe in so some ways,” he explains. “Content material is now not only for a Western or American viewers proper now. Content material is for a world viewers.”

In consequence, he is been capable of search out roles which are tied to his upbringing and identification. “The one frequent thread between all the roles I gravitate in the direction of is that they’re a part of my identification, not simply primarily based on race, however actually who I’m as an individual or the experiences that I’ve had,” he says. Apart from taking part in Bruce on “The Brothers Solar,” he shot a pilot in 2023, “Marvin Is Sorry,” by which he performs a mega influencer and content material creator who will get canceled. “A number of the weather and nuances of that story I felt like I gravitated in the direction of as a result of it was simply one thing I knew very intimately,” he says.

Trying ahead to the long run, Li feels optimistic about extra cultural tasks like “The Brothers Solar.”

“That freshness, the authenticity of storytelling, is extra vital than ever,” he says. “Any time we will present new views, have a recent tackle one thing, or present the world one thing they’ve by no means seen earlier than, that’s what I feel Hollywood and international audiences are craving.”