We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Trent Foo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Trent , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
Yes! My journey toward earning a full-time living as a creative began back in 2019 when I made my first dollar performing at a state fair – I spent a hot day inside a pig mascot costume! It wasn’t much, but I was still in drama school then and thrilled to be earning anything.
My first “real” acting job didn’t come until 2021 when I was cast as an understudy/swing for the theatre production <i>Is There Anybody Out There?</i>. It felt like a huge milestone, not just professionally but personally too. I didn’t care about the money—I was just happy my hard work was paying off, and it felt amazing to finally call myself a working actor. After finishing my training in 2022, I signed with my agent/manager Gina Stoj. Shortly after signing, I booked my very first TV commercial for VISA. That was another incredible moment that reassured me I was on the right path. Since then, I’ve worked on eight TVCs, three short films, and a feature, earning enough to sustain myself as a full-time creative.
Getting paid as a writer was another huge milestone, and one I achieved just recently, in 2024. I wrote a one-man show called <i>A Chinese Christmas,</i> which I call my love letter to my PóPo (Chinese for grandma). Slanted Theatre picked it up and programmed it into their “Dragon Tales: A Lunar Year Festival.” The goal was never to make money—it was just a project to create opportunities for myself to perform. I’m planning to produce a full season of the production next year.
I strongly believe that consistently staying in the work and generating my own opportunities—paid or not—has brought me to where I am today. It’s allowed me to grow as an artist, build a network, collaborate with incredible creatives, and give back to my community. You never know where your next job will come from, and you can either wait for it (if it ever comes) or go out and create it yourself.
My journey to becoming a full-time creative is deeply personal—there’s nothing I could have done to rush the process. I’ve made plenty of mistakes and missed out on great opportunities, but those setbacks helped shape the artist I am today. I’m not the type of guy to sit back and wait for things to come to me.
Trent , 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?
My name is Trent James Chi Thor Foo (符志陀), and I’m a professional actor, writer, and producer. I’m represented by Gina Stoj Management based across Los Angeles, New York, and Australia. I starred in the award-winning dystopian/romance short film <i>Paper Cranes </i>(2023), and I’ve toured nationally with <i>The Blind Eye Trilogy</i> (2021-Present). I’m also a board member of the film and theatre production company “The Actors Hub Studios Inc.”, I’ve featured in national and international TVCs, and I wrote the play <i>A Chinese Christmas</i> (2024). Some of my other professional credits include <i>In Sect, 好好吃饭 – Eat Up!, Set Menu, The Comedy Circuit</i>, and touring with <i>Learning Consent</i>, to name a few.
What sets me apart from other actors is my work ethic. If I’m not working on something, I quickly get bored and restless. I love to study and pick up new skills—whether it’s learning a new language, taking acting workshops, self-taping, writing scripts, taking motorcycle lessons, or even studying business. I think all of these things make me a better artist. The best part? Most of the time, it doesn’t even feel like work because I’m doing what I love.
Collaboration is also a huge part of what drives me. Nothing beats being in a room full of creatives working on something new and exciting, pushing boundaries, and seeing just how deep we can go. My mixed cultural background and youthful look allow me to play a diverse range of characters—which is great, because I want to do it all: action, comedy, drama, romance, you name it!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
What I love most is storytelling—it always comes back to that for me. I’ve been watching films, reading books, and writing stories for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I’d stay up late watching Jackie Chan movies or reading Percy Jackson novels long past my curfew, which probably explains why I’m such a night owl. The films I grew up with helped shape me into the person I am today. They comforted me when I was sad, made me laugh when I was bored, and moved me to tears. Most importantly, they inspired me. They taught me that life doesn’t always go the way you want, and you’ll face countless obstacles. But despite that, you’ve got to keep going—you’ve got to gather your team and fight like hell. My mission as a creative is to have that same impact, to inspire others to chase their goals and persevere through challenges.
My job allows me to tell incredible stories and collaborate on amazing productions with other creatives. We’re all just a bunch of big kids on a playground, trying to keep the game going. Working on The Blind Eye Trilogy, a series of verbatim plays tackling tough, often taboo topics like One Punch attacks, pornography, and domestic violence, has been some of the most rewarding work I’ve done. I’ve spent hours in the foyer after shows, listening to audience members share their personal experiences. Hearing them bear their heart and soul reminds me of the power of art to create real change. I believe that art can inspire us to be more empathetic, kinder, and more conscious of the world and people around us.
My creative journey has allowed me to express myself, discover who I am, and share that with the world. With every character I play and every project I take on, I learn more about myself. My craft pushes me to grow, both personally and professionally. I hope to one day be a leader and advocate for inclusive diversity within the industry and to serve as living proof that anyone can achieve their dreams with hard work—no matter the odds. Five years ago, when I decided to pursue acting, I had very little hope of going professional because I rarely saw anyone who looked like me on screen. Today, things are changing, thanks to many brave creatives who chased their dreams. I hope to continue that hard work and contribute to that progress throughout my career.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Books I love that changed my outlook on life and craft:
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – Mark Manson,
Mastery – Robert Greene
Ikigai: The Japanese Secret To a Long Life – Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia
Greenlights – Matthew McConaughey
Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell
The 7 habits of highly effective people – Stephen Covey
Atlas of the Heart – Brené Brown
(I’ve got a list of films/books/series that grows faster than I can get through!)
I’m obsessed with learning; I think I’ll be a student for the rest of my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15978523/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trent.foo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrentJamesChiThorFoo/
Image Credits
Sally Flegg Jared Stephenson (A Chinese Christmas – 2024) Steph Furdeck Daniel Locicero EAT UP! (AFTRS – 2024) INFOLIST.COM TheWoodshed (ConnectID – 2023) The Actors’ Hub Studios Inc. (Paper Cranes – 2023)