We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mi Kwan Lock. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mi Kwan below.
Mi Kwan , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
In 2017 I decided to leave Paris to move to Los Angeles, leaving behind me all my friends, the professional network I already had (lead actress of 6 feature films), the comfort of having a free place to stay at… to start a new life in a foreign country, English not being my mother-tongue, not having any network besides few friends, not being allowed to work in any other job than acting because of visa purposes and starting again from zero as nobody knew me there. Turned out to be the most amazing life experience I ever had. Grew up so much as a human and spiritual being but also as an actress. Had to do more than my American peers as it was a big challenge for me to be better than them to book jobs, considering that it was in a foreign language.
I also had way more opportunities to audition in LA than in France because there’s very few roles for Asian actors in the french market.
Won few awards, including “Artist of the year” at the UP(st)ART Awards 2018 (community of more than 1000 artists, of any type of art and coming from the entire world) and as a director, I won “Best cinematography” award at the Independent Cinema Showcase 2019 and “Best French short film” at the Hollywood Art & Film Festival 2019 for my short “Red Karma”.
I’m back in Paris since the pandemic hit but I’m eager to be able to go back.
Mi Kwan , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m an actress, director, scriptwriter and acting coach.
French-born and of Chinese descent, I was raised in Madagascar where I learnt the value of life, food, courage, gratitude and how important it is to give, to help each other and to keep going whatever happens.
As an actress, I’ve been the female lead in 6 feature films shot around the globe, including “A Korean in Paris” which has been featured in such festivals as Busan Int’l and Palm Springs Int’l.
I made my directorial, producer, and scriptwriter debut with the award-winning short film “Red Karma” (2017) which is about love, redemption but also racial profiling. Since, I directed a mini-documentary “Food is life” and two music videos for the rapper Bizzair “Bougie” and “Aladdin”.
As a scriptwriter, I recently co-wrote a female driven TV show, comedy drama and we’re currently in process of building a team around the project and looking for producers. More projects to come.
And as an acting coach, I help actors launch their career faster, break through their mental and emotional stuckness and maintain the fire so they can live from their art and thrive.
I hosted the 2015 Paris Shanghai Film Festival (France), was a member of the jury at the 3rd
Film Festival of the Lagoons (Ivory Coast), was president of the jury at Cinemator Film Festival of
Carros (France) in 2015, then a judge of the 2021 Future Drifter Screenwriting contest and most
recently, I was a jury member at the 2022 Fantasy Film Festival (Paris, France).
I truly believe that we’ve got a gift and that we should use it to make the world a better place.
So I’m very involved in humanitarian (cooking, food distribution tours, donations…), to help homeless, children or protect animals & nature.
: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
As I just said, I believe we, as artists, should use our art to make the world a better place: by telling stories, so people would either learn something, grow or feel understood as they are not alone to go through that journey, inspire them, bring them hope and courage, but also by being a voice for the unheard and by taking actions to help others…
My leitmotiv is #LoveLiveGive because I think that’s the true meaning of life.
And I love that quote: “To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I often heard from non-creatives “Why do you put so much energy into something you don’t even know if you’re going to succeed?” I don’t think that what you “physically own” (house, money, car…) is what defines happiness. It contributes to it of course but is not the essence of it, otherwise we wouldn’t see many rich people unhappy or committing suicide.
Happiness is not about numbers neither but more about your personal growth, the person you became and the one you will become, it’s about what you did along the way, who you made smile today, who you helped…
That quote defines perfectly how I feel: “At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished… it’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.” – Denzel Washington
To me, that’s real happiness.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mikwanlock.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikwanlock/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiKwanLock.actress/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiKwanLock
- Other: IMDb: https://www.imdb.me/mikwanlock
Image Credits
Photographers: Sonadie San, Jesse Green, Luka Kellou, Margaux Rodrigues, Jay Dixit, Francoise Ellong, Cine21