Andrew Koji: A Proud Human Being

Hapa Mag - December 9, 2020

By Nathan Liu

What strikes you most about Andrew Koji when you meet him is just how thoughtful he is. Unlike his character on Cinemax’s Warrior — based on a treatment from the legendary Bruce Lee — the half-English, half-Japanese actor is always measured with his responses, particularly when it comes to issues of representation. What’s also striking is his genuine love and enthusiasm for the art of storytelling, all of which was on full display when he took the time to sit down with Hapa Mag and discuss the show, identity, and his hopes for the future.

The first question we like to ask our interviewees is, what makes you Hapa? Do you identify with this word?

I’m only familiar with the word somewhat. I think I might’ve heard it used in Japan. I mean, I am, I guess, Hapa. I’ve never really identified as it. I mean, I do kind of feel like I’m caught in between cultures, and mindsets. My dad’s Japanese. My mum’s English. They’re very contrasting cultures. Mindsets, as well. I always felt, growing up, like I didn’t quite belong in either. You know, growing up, I was bullied. Slurs were thrown at me quite a lot. So I never felt English English, and then, in Japan — I lived in Japan for a couple of years when I was 19 — I felt a connection there, but I didn’t quite fit in there either. So I’ve always felt like I never really knew where I belonged. Like Bruce Lee said, “Under the sky, we’re all human beings.” That kind of made me feel like, “Well, I’m just a person.” I don’t necessarily belong to any country or culture. I’m just me.

Something I’ve always been curious about is what the difference between being mixed-race in America and being mixed-race in other countries, like the U.K., is. What was it like for you, growing up mixed in England?

It was tough, I’d say. I mean, it wasn’t horrendous. [My hometown, Epsom] was a predominantly Caucasian town, with, I think, very small ethnic communities. It’s a very suburban English town. So I definitely felt like I didn’t look like most other people. Growing up, I did get quite a bit of racial abuse, and it did lead me to question a lot of things. But then, you know, there’s other sides to it as well, when you’ve got genuine friends who don’t care. I think, just like any Hapa — I talked to Henry Golding about this — it definitely makes you do a bit more soul searching. You could come out of those experiences very bitter. But you also end up questioning yourself, questioning the nature of identity more, questioning where you belong more. In that way, it helped me. It made me want to travel and find out about the world and explore more. I think, in the bigger picture, it’s been a beneficial thing. Obviously, growing up, you feel that pain, that feeling of isolation and loneliness at times, but it can lead to this feeling of freedom.

Two things that I find very interesting about your character in Warrior are that, one, he’s written to be mixed-race, and, two, that he has a relationship with a white woman, neither of which are very common in mainstream entertainment. Of course, we, as men with Asian fathers and white mothers, know that this kind of pairing happens all the time in real life, but Hollywood still feels uncomfortable showing it. Did these details appeal to you? Do you think it’s significant for audiences to see such things?

Aw yeah, man. Totally. I find, as an actor, you kind of see one or the other. I’m guessing, you as well. You’ve watched a lot of Asian cinema, being Hapa, and going, “Well, I’m not really there.” You either see Asian stories, or you see Western stories. It’s very rare to see a mixed-race character or couple. For Ah Sahm [my character in Warrior], specifically, at the time I was thinking, “This is a Chinese character,” but then finding out he was mixed, it kind of took some pressure off me. It made me feel like, “OK, I’m right for this role.” Because at first I thought I wasn’t the right guy for it. And the relationship with Penny [Ah Sahm’s love interest in the first season], that felt right because it also reflects Bruce Lee himself. He married Linda, who was a full American. And I think it could still be seen more. I think it sends out a message that, at the end of the day, it’s not about the color of your skin, it’s about the person. It’s about who they are. Whenever I see stories like that, or couples like that, it makes me feel good.

A big theme of the show is xenophobia, specifically toward the Chinese. And this past year with the pandemic, we’ve unfortunately seen a rise in anti-Asian sentiments in the West. Do you think real-world events have changed the show’s meaning or impact?

Yeah. I mean, they definitely didn’t have that in mind when they were writing it. I think, if anything, it highlights how, in certain ways, we haven’t changed, and that history repeats itself. I think that’s what’s kind of fascinating about the show. It’s definitely more timely than if it had been released a year ago, and I definitely think it’ll have an impact. It’s a sensitive topic. That could either work in our favor or not. But I think it’s made the deeper meaning even more significant. We’ve got to change. This show is based on fact — you know, events from a hundred or something years ago — and we’re still having these same feelings, these same words going out to us, it’s like, “OK, we can do better than this.” Yeah, it’s definitely made it more timely. Whether or not people will be open to viewing it in that way will be another thing. But as for the integrity of the show and the writing as a whole, I’m proud that we’re putting this out there. And maybe it was supposed to do that. Maybe it was supposed to come out at this time.

I read that you’ve written and produced some short films. Are you looking to make the jump to writing and producing features? If so, what sort of stories do you want to tell? As an example, would you ever write a feature or show about being mixed?

My whole goal, really, is filmmaking. That’s what I started off with, and that’s what I fell in love with. I fell in love with films and cinema and great performances. I was making films from I think 12 or 13, with a little handy cam. Tying on my CD player’s headphones to the speaker, because I didn’t know how to edit... I was making films before I really could. But my goal is to get to a point where — I’ve got all these ideas, man, and these amazing creators — I want to tell these stories. I want to make these films. I’ve got these films in my head that I want to tell and make and get greenlit. And that’s the reason why I’m doing all these Hollywood films, so that I can get to that point... The theme of being mixed, I haven’t got any film that would specifically be on that topic. I think, naturally, if I was to play the main character that would definitely be in there. I just want to make great films. I was inspired by Daniel Day-Lewis and Joaquin Phoenix: those great performances and works. I think we can do that.

On a similar, larger note, what are the kinds of Asian or Hapa-centric stories that you think should be told now? As an example, a large amount of the Asian-centric media getting made — Shang-Chi, the new Mulan, the revival of Kung Fu — are about martial arts. Do you think it’s time for other stories about our diaspora to be told?

Yeah, two thousand percent! I’m with you on that. At first I was quite hesitant before I knew anything about Warrior, Jonathan Tropper, and the story he wanted to tell. I was trying to move away from that. I’d stopped doing martial arts because I wanted to be an actor. My goal would be for us to just be treated as actors who can bring certain things with their personalities. I’m still going up for roles, alongside other Asian actors, and we're completely different people. If we had been Caucasian, we’d not be in the same room. We wouldn’t be going up for the same roles. Because we’re so different personality-wise, acting-style-wise. But we’re going up for the same thing because we’re Asian. Of course we can perform in films that have our culture there. I think that can be beautiful. I don’t necessarily have to hide from that. But I do think the end goal is to be seen as actors with our own styles and personalities, and, for certain, not having to kick ass all the time.

Finally, what’s some advice you’d offer other Asian or Hapa kids that you never got growing up?

Don’t follow the trend. Be yourself. Like Bruce Lee. Be yourself. Embrace who you are. Embrace your insecurities. If you’re interested in the arts, fall in love with the craft of storytelling. Become obsessed with all things having to do with acting, and don’t pursue the superficial aspects of the industry. Really delve deep into the love of the craft, storytelling, and people. I think that will take care of most of it.

Warrior airs Fridays at 10 PM EST on Cinemax.

Koji will next star in Paramount Pictures’ Snake Eyes, set for release October 22, 2021.

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Koji has been cast in Bullet Train, starring Brad Pitt and directed by David Leitch.