‘The Sympathizer’ star on how he ‘never felt rooted’ to his Vietnamese heritage until landing lead role

By Rochelle Beighton, CNN

(CNN) — You know how it goes – you borrow a book from the library, get through the first three chapters, but then life intervenes, forcing you to return it unfinished.

That’s exactly what happened to Hoa Xuande when he borrowed the 2016 Pulitzer-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, “The Sympathizer.”

But fast forward years later, and he has found himself cast as the lead in HBO’s TV adaptation of the book, with none other than acclaimed director Park Chan-wook at the helm. (HBO and CNN are both part of Warner Bros. Discovery.)

“Once I put in my first audition tape, I definitely bought the book and read it cover to cover,” Xuande reassured CNN over Zoom during a recent interview.

Set in the 1970s as the Vietnam War draws to a close, Xuande embodies The Captain, an unnamed double agent for the Viet Cong operating within the American-backed South Vietnamese army.

Just like the novel, the series jumps back and forth between timelines, following The Captain’s journey as his mission leads him to the United States following the fall of Saigon.

Opportunity leading to a deeper connection

For Xuande, who was born in Sydney, Australia, portraying The Captain meant more than just taking on the role of a lifetime – it also deepened his connection to his heritage.

Ahead of filming, he honed his Vietnamese language skills to be multilingual, and delved into Vietnamese culture beyond “what is portrayed in movies and mainstream media.”

“All my friends were Australian,” he explained. “I never really felt rooted in the culture that my Vietnamese parents would explain to me, about what it was like to grow up during the time of the war.”

According to Xuande, he didn’t recognize the influence his heritage played on his identity until later in life, admitting that his involvement in this series has been instrumental in deepening his understanding.

“I’m proud to be able to do a role like this where I can be part of an ensemble cast that is majority Vietnamese and be at the forefront of a story that is about the Vietnamese experience of the war,” he said.

Xuande stars alongside Hollywood heavyweights Robert Downey Jr. (who recently won an Oscar for his performance in last year’s “Oppenheimer”) and Sandra Oh
(Emmy-winning star of “Killing Eve”), along with Vietnamese actors Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le, Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen, Alan Trong, Phanxine and Kieu Chinh.

‘It’s my life’

Chinh, known for her role in “The Joy Luck Club,” portrays a refugee mother to a South Vietnamese Major (Phanxine) who is forced to flee to the US. Drawing parallels with her own life, she was born during the Vietnam War and was forced to evacuate at the age of 15.

“It’s my life,” the 86-year-old actor said. “The evacuation, the refugee camps, the rebuild, the new life in a new country. Everything is there.”

Oh, who portrays Ms. Sofia Mori – a second-generation Japanese-American romantically involved with The Captain – said representative casting is crucial for the entertainment industry’s progress.

“It’s about who we decide to support and how we support them,” Oh said. “Most of our Vietnamese cast were first-time SAG members. You don’t necessarily know what to ask for or what the rules are.”

Having joined the production relatively “inexperienced and green,” Xuande said Oh was like a mother to him on set, offering invaluable advice and guidance during filming.

A unique casting challenge

Casting the role of The Captain was a critical and challenging task for casting director Jennifer Venditti and her team.

Xuande’s response to an international casting call immediately caught their attention with an impressive audition tape. Despite facing competition, he persevered through an eight-month audition process that required him to travel from Australia to Los Angeles as well as South Korea to meet director Park Chan-wook.

“It was kind of like torture for him,” series co-creator Don McKellar said. “But as soon as we saw him, we knew there was something special about him. He has that charisma that was evocative of a seventies Hollywood movie star, except Vietnamese.”

During the audition process, Xuande familiarized himself with Park’s filmography, excluding “Oldboy,” which “everyone knows about.” Enthralled by his attention to detail and ability to weave intricate narratives about characters with hidden depths, Xuande was acutely aware that he would be entering a set of exceptional quality.

“I just was trying to keep up,” he said, later adding, “by the end of shooting we’d developed this shorthand where, through his body language, (he) would tell me what he needed, and I would get it and I would just do it.”

Not bad for a newcomer.

With the possibility of a second season in his future – after all, Viet Thanh Nguyen did write a sequel titled “The Committed” – Xuande may find himself heading back to the library once more.

“The Sympathizer” is available to stream on HBO.

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