Hong Chau Quotes

Powerful Hong Chau for Daily Growth

About Hong Chau

Hong Chau is a Vietnamese-American actress known for her captivating performances and unique ability to bring depth and nuance to her characters. Born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 1982, she fled with her family during the Khmer Rouge regime and spent her early childhood as a refugee in a Thai camp before settling in the United States. Her experiences as a refugee have significantly influenced her work, often choosing roles that highlight the stories of marginalized communities. Chau began her acting career in theater, performing with the Theatre de la Jeune Lune in Minneapolis. In 2016, she made her film debut in the critically acclaimed film "The Whispering Wall," but it was her breakout role as Ngoc Lan Tran in the HBO series "Treme" that brought her widespread recognition. Her portrayal of a strong-willed Vietnamese woman navigating post-Katrina New Orleans garnered her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Chau's most notable film role came in 2017 when she played the character of Li Fen in "Downsizing," directed by Alexander Payne. Her performance earned her a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, solidifying her place as a rising talent in Hollywood. Chau continues to choose roles that challenge and inspire, using her platform to bring attention to the issues faced by refugees and marginalized communities. Her unique background and powerful performances make her a compelling figure in the world of acting.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I'm just here for the albacore."

This quote by Hong Chau suggests a casual, lighthearted attitude or motivation towards a situation, where one is present only because there is something specific (in this case, albacore) that they find appealing or desirable. It could imply that the person is not deeply invested in the broader context but rather focused on a particular aspect of it. In a more metaphorical sense, it might suggest that the individual has found something valuable or interesting within an otherwise ordinary circumstance.


"Don't be afraid of people who are different from you."

This quote by Hong Chau emphasizes the importance of embracing diversity and avoiding fear or prejudice towards individuals who may appear to be different from oneself. By doing so, we foster understanding, empathy, and unity among people, enriching our shared experiences and expanding our perspectives. It's a call to action for all of us to challenge our biases and learn from one another in order to build a more inclusive and compassionate society.


"We're all looking for a way out."

This quote suggests that everyone, regardless of background or circumstances, seeks a solution or escape from difficult situations, challenges, or dissatisfactions in their lives. It highlights the universal human desire to improve our conditions, overcome obstacles, and find fulfillment, happiness, or freedom, whether it's on a personal, professional, or societal level.


"I think it's important to make stories about people who aren't always the heroes."

This quote emphasizes the value in telling stories that feature diverse characters, not just traditional "heroes." It encourages representation of individuals outside the norm, acknowledging the richness and depth that these stories can bring to our understanding of humanity. By exploring a broader spectrum of characters, we foster empathy, promote inclusivity, and deepen our collective narrative as a society.


"In order to tell a story, there has to be conflict."

This quote emphasizes the importance of conflict in storytelling. Conflict provides the necessary tension and drama that drives a narrative forward, making it engaging and compelling for an audience. It's through overcoming obstacles and resolving disputes that characters grow, and it's their transformation that keeps us invested in their journey. Without conflict, there would be no story to tell.


My parents are Vietnamese refugees; they left Vietnam after the war. They were part of the boat people, and they ended up in a refugee camp in Thailand after being on the water for three days, and I was born at that refugee camp in Thailand.

- Hong Chau

Three, Part, Refugees, Thailand

Growing up the way I did, being an actor in Hollywood was definitely never a plausible career choice at all.

- Hong Chau

Career, Hollywood, Being, Plausible

I think one in five Americans has a disability of some sort. That's 20% of the population, and yet we rarely ever see people with disabilities on-screen, and their stories and their resilience and their zest for life and their humor and their humanity.

- Hong Chau

Disability, Some, I Think, On-Screen

I love Chicago for several reasons, but one of the best is that I was so intrigued that you have wild rabbits running around in the city. I never had seen bunnies in such a large urban environment before.

- Hong Chau

Love, City, Reasons, Intrigued

With 'Downsizing,' a lot of the discussion hasn't been about the film itself, but about cultural and political conversations happening outside of it. It's being digested in the context of the time.

- Hong Chau

Political, Been, About, Context

I don't want to put on any gimmicky layers just to give the character more definition. I just want to play good characters. It doesn't matter to me if it's 'open ethnicity' or 'specifically Asian.'

- Hong Chau

Play, Give, Ethnicity, Specifically

The first time I went to Chicago was on a family road trip. We had our dog with us, and when we hit Chicago, I couldn't believe how many people kept coming up to us, telling us how handsome our dog was! He's a Rottweiler-Australian Shepherd mix, and he is a good-looking dog, but obviously Chicago is very dog-friendly.

- Hong Chau

Handsome, Very, Telling, Shepherd

On 'Downsizing,' I had a trailer, and I got to bring my dog to work, and I thought, 'I've made it: I'm bringing my dog to work.'

- Hong Chau

Work, Thought, Made, Trailer

I love public transportation! Who wants to sit in a car and be angry at other drivers for eight hours? I'd rather sit on a bus or train and read a book.

- Hong Chau

Love, Bus, Other, Train

I love films that aren't just speaking to certain moments in the culture but are something that people can revisit.

- Hong Chau

Love, People, Films, Revisit

I appreciate people who sway to the beat of their own tambourine, like Iris Apfel and Helena Bonham Carter.

- Hong Chau

People, Own, Like, Sway

I fell into acting because I was really shy, and so at night after work, I took public speaking and improv classes, and I started going to auditions sort of as a dare. That was my version of 'Fear Factor.'

- Hong Chau

Shy, Auditions, Classes, Factor

I really want to work on characters that have a lot of complexity and you don't always get that in comic book movies because they're not character explorations. I have nothing against movies like that, but I do see them as kind of like a cheeseburger.

- Hong Chau

Book, Against, Complexity, Comic Book

I grew up around Vietnamese refugees, around people who don't speak English as a first language.

- Hong Chau

Language, Refugees, Grew, Vietnamese

I grew up speaking Vietnamese - that was my first language because my parents didn't speak any English, and I didn't learn English until I started school.

- Hong Chau

Language, Learn, Started, Vietnamese

If anyone has to leave their homeland by boat, they all have difficult stories. But my parents had a difficult journey, and their story always seems like a movie to me.

- Hong Chau

Journey, Always, Stories, Boat

We are surrounded by people with accents because America is a nation of immigrants. Beyond that, the people who made your iPhone and the shirt on your back are probably Asians, and we're really not that disconnected from each other; we have very intimate relationships with the world, whether or not we realize it.

- Hong Chau

Other, Surrounded, Very, Disconnected

I think that a lot of actors of color have said that it's a wonderful thing to play a role that doesn't have a race and that is kind of open to any sort of interpretation. I completely understand that, but at the same time, I just want Asian characters that are well-written.

- Hong Chau

Play, Role, I Think, Well-Written

I never like to sit and discuss my character, the other character, our relationship, or anything like that. I feel like if I did my job and I trust that the other person has done theirs, you just go on set, play around with it, chew the scene for a little bit; then we roll, and that's it.

- Hong Chau

Trust, Play, Other, Discuss

Giving people the opportunity to sit in a dark theater together and have emotions in public, whether they're laughing or crying - that's what makes me happy.

- Hong Chau

Happy, Emotions, Makes, Laughing

I don't want anyone to think I took this role in 'Downsizing' because it was the only role available to me. I'm not a passive participant in it.

- Hong Chau

Think, Role, Took, Passive

For me, I do my best work when I feel completely relaxed and not being judged.

- Hong Chau

Work, Feel, Being Judged, Best Work

I don't have any special skills or any hidden talents. I don't.

- Hong Chau

Skills, Special, Hidden, Talents

I'm really into ghost towns. I've driven cross-country the past few summers, and I would stop at some ghost towns along the way. They're like a microcosm of America as a whole.

- Hong Chau

Some, Like, Summers, Ghost

That's what I want to continue to do: really odd films, with interesting filmmakers.

- Hong Chau

Want, Continue, Films, Odd

My parents speak with an accent. A lot of people that I know speak with an accent. I have friends who speak with an accent. Accents in a vacuum aren't a problem; it's how you portray those characters and how well they're served in a script.

- Hong Chau

People, Accents, Portray, Accent

When British or Australian actors perform American characters, we laud them and talk about how great it is they are able to do this other accent that is not their own. Americans have different relationships with other accents.

- Hong Chau

Own, Other, Accents, Accent

My first job out of college was at PBS as an administrative assistant. I thought I would be on the production side of things.

- Hong Chau

College, Side, PBS, First Job

I like to be very simple in my lifestyle. My only extravagance is... I buy lots of toys and meats for my dog.

- Hong Chau

Toys, Very, Extravagance, Lifestyle

I walk on eggshells, and I care too much about what people think, and I'm afraid to ask for things.

- Hong Chau

Too Much, Think, About, I Care

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.