{"id":10177,"date":"2011-08-31T22:09:53","date_gmt":"2011-08-31T22:09:53","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-10-15T14:16:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T14:16:12","slug":"interview-with-nikki-soohoo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/?p=10177","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Nikki SooHoo"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Nikki SooHoo began her acting career at the age of 15. She created an amazing team who have provided her the opportunity to work on projects such as:<\/em> <\/p>\n<p>&#8211; \u201cThe Lovely Bones,\u201d directed by Peter Jackson, where she played the role of \u201cHolly.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>&#8211; \u201cStick It,\u201d directed by Jessica Bendinger, where she became known for her balance beam hip hop routine with her role as \u201cWei Wei.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>&#8211; \u201cBring It On: Fight to the Finish,\u201d directed by Billy Woodruff, where she played the role of \u201cChristina\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nikki has also appeared on shows such as:<\/strong> No Ordinary Family, Private Practice, Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Phil of the Future, Drake and Josh, and The War at Home.<\/p>\n<div class=\"pullquote\">\n<div class=\"pullquoteTop\">\n<blockquote><p>\nI am back in school. I decided to get my MBA at Chapman University. I figured that getting my business degree would help me be a better businesswoman and that in turn would help me understand the other side of the entertainment business.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"pullquoteAttribute\">Nikki SooHoo<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Asiance: Nikki, I understand dancing is, and continues to be, something you love. How did you get started?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Nikki:<\/b> I started dancing at the age of 2, in Mommy-and-Me ballet classes. Since then, I went to OCHSA, a performing arts school, and majored in Commercial dance. Then in college, I attended UCLA in the World Arts and Cultures department with an emphasis in dance. Dance is like the engine that keeps me running. It allows me to express my thoughts, feelings, and emotions through my body.<\/p>\n<h3>Asiance: One of the roles you are best known for is Wei Wei in &#8220;Stick It&#8221; where you do a balance beam routine. Was that something you trained for or already had experience doing?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Nikki:<\/b> We trained for 3 months prior to shooting \u201cStick It\u201d in order to train our bodies to look and walk like real gymnasts. When I first auditioned for the movie, I could barely walk across the 4-inch wide beam without falling off. It took a lot of hard work and great trainers!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Watch the balance beam routine<\/strong><br \/>\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"390\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LxUZ0R00T1g\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Asiance: Now many of your roles involve both dancing and acting. How did you get first get involved in acting?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Nikki:<\/b> I was very lucky to be in the right place at the right time. I took an acting class and met the man who became my manager for the first 7-yrs of my career. He helped train me for the business, got me an agent, and we went from there! I continue to constantly train and get better at my craft to assure a long lived career.<\/p>\n<h3>Asiance: I have read that very frequently you are asked by a producer to help them define the roles you play. This is not common. For example, you were asked to make Christina in \u201cBring It On\u201d more like yourself, and you helped Holly in Peter Jackson&#8217;s \u201cThe Lovely Bones.\u201d I think it is because people love your personality. Why do you think that is?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Nikki:<\/b> Growing up with parents who always told me that I was perfect the way I was and instilled a great sense of self-confidence in me, allowed me to really be myself and not try to be something I wasn\u2019t. I tried to bring a part of me to each of my characters because I believe that it is each individual actor\u2019s own personality that distinguishes and differentiates one character from another.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Nikki as Holly in &#8220;The Lovely Bones&#8221;<\/strong><br \/>\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"390\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bqZJv6vUO14\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Asiance: On the set of &#8220;The Lovely Bones&#8221; Peter Jackson said about you, \u201cShe was fantastic. &#8230; She was full of fun.\u201d \u201cHaving those sorts of people around (made) the film set really great because they\u2019re always making jokes. &#8230; She\u2019s a great spirit to have around.\u201d That is a great compliment. How did hearing that make you feel?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Nikki:<\/b> Relieved! That means I didn\u2019t blow it! haha. I feel honored to have gotten the opportunity to work with such an amazing director like Peter. We did have a great time on set. Everyone was a pleasure to be around.<\/p>\n<h3>Asiance: We hear frequently that Asian actors are pigeonholed in the types of roles they are offered. Do you find this to be true and have you experienced it yourself?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Nikki:<\/b> I think the industry is changing and writers are starting to write different kinds of roles for Asian actors. I think there are still quite a few stereotypical roles, but I see a lot of changes happening. Changes for the better.<\/p>\n<h3>Asiance: You studied world arts and cultures at UCLA and wanted to continue your schooling studying nutrition. Are you back in school now?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Nikki:<\/b> I am back in school. I decided to get my MBA at Chapman University. I figured that getting my business degree would help me be a better businesswoman and that in turn would help me understand the other side of the entertainment business. As I grow my career in a direction of producing my own shows and films, I feel it\u2019d be helpful to understand how business works. I have my whole life to learn about nutrition! I promise I will, someday!<\/p>\n<h3>Asiance: While you were in school and after you were well known for your role, you continued to work despite your fame in places like Yogurtland, American Apparel, Apple, and Chin Chin restaurant. How did fans react seeing you there?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Nikki:<\/b> Sometimes they\u2019d say, \u201cDon\u2019t you make lots of money, why do you need to work here?\u201d My usual response is that I don\u2019t work to earn money, I work because I enjoy learning about different industries of work and I love the place I am working. I think that the more experiences you have experienced, the better actress you will be. My goal is to try and learn about everything I possibly can, because that will only make me a better actress.<\/p>\n<h3>Asiance: Can you tell us a little about one of your newest projects, Music High?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Nikki:<\/b> Music High is a fun teenage movie that focuses around a new music teacher and his students learning to work together and learning new things makes you better at what you do. I\u2019m playing a character much different than my past characters. I play the outcast, rebellious, goth-like student who doesn\u2019t care to participate or listen to the teacher and spends most of my time just doing exactly what everyone doesn\u2019t want me to do.<\/p>\n<h3>Asiance: Do you have any advice for someone who may want to follow in your footsteps?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Nikki:<\/b> Listen to your heart, and do what you want to do. Don\u2019t settle for what you think you are \u201csupposed\u201d to be doing. Do what you would love to do, and don\u2019t limit yourself to thinking you can only do one thing. Growing up, I always figured I had to go to college, get my Masters, and then get a \u201cgrown up\u201d job that provided stable income, worked 9-5, blah blah blah. You are only on this earth for so many years and you never know when you\u2019ll be gone, so don\u2019t plan on happiness in the future. Make yourself happy now and do what you want to do. You can do it.<\/p>\n<h3>Asiance: Who are your inspirations and what drives you?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Nikki:<\/b> I love Will Smith\u2019s video \u201cWill\u2019s Wisdom\u201d it is so inspiring and reminds me that I\u2019m the only one who can determine my success. If I work hard, I will succeed. I am driven by my own expectations of myself. I expect myself to be good at everything I want to do, and if I am not good, I will make myself good at it.<\/p>\n<h3>Asiance: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Nikki:<\/b> In five years I see myself married, a series regular on a prime time tv show, and the producer on multiple artistic ventures. I am really interested in creating a project that focuses on out-reach to kids in need of nutritional category_idance. Volunteer work has always been really important to me, so until I am able to get my own projects together, I will continue working with the various out-reach groups such as: <strong>Showbiz Kidz Foundation, 24 Foundation, Awakening Young Minds (AYM), Center for the Pacific Asian Family, Asian Pacific Family Center Prevention Program, and MAPS 4 College.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nikki SooHoo began her acting career at the age of 15. She created an amazing team who have provided her<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2906,"featured_media":72448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[1009,2124],"tags":[2004,2125],"class_list":["post-10177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art","category-interviews","tag-art","tag-interview"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u-113x150.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg","large":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg","colormag-highlighted-post":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg","colormag-featured-post-medium":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg","colormag-featured-post-small":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u-113x90.jpg","colormag-featured-image":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg","colormag-default-news":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u-113x150.jpg","colormag-featured-image-large":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg","colormag-elementor-block-extra-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg","colormag-elementor-grid-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg","colormag-elementor-grid-small-thumbnail":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg","colormag-elementor-grid-medium-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"miltonnkmtexdzzbware","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3527f19d7d58c365cc680435b627010b8e2bd568baa06c24c87e48f6de123288?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Nikki SooHoo began her acting career at the age of 15. She created an amazing team who have provided her","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["Art","Interviews"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":132,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":7,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg",113,170,false],"medium":["https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u.jpg",113,170,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/u-113x150.jpg",113,150,true]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"miltonnkmtexdzzbware","author_link":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/?author=2906"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3527f19d7d58c365cc680435b627010b8e2bd568baa06c24c87e48f6de123288?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-1009\">Art<\/a> <a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-2124\">Interviews<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2906"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10177"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10177\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/72448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}