Connie Wang – Tokens

By starrymag | July 19, 2019

By: Spring Marie Cullen

 

 

Q) What made you want to be a part of the series Tokens?

 

A) Winnie [Jong]. I met her at a party over three years ago. She came up to me and asked if I was a unionized comedic actress. I said “Yes! I like to think that I’m funny, and yes, I get half off of dental cleaning.” I then auditioned for the roles of Sammie Pang and Roxy. I was cast as Sammie a few months later.

 

Q) How was your character originally described to you?

 

A) Sammie was originally described as a hero. She finds her confidence by saying yes to all the people in her life, until she realizes that she’s been saying no to herself all this time. She has a hero’s journey and goes after her dreams by making the best of her situation.

 

Q) Did you add anything to them?

 

A) I told Winnie that I wanted to Sammie to fall in love. I love love so much.

 

Q) As an actor and performer, what aspects of the series could you relate to most?

 

A) I could relate to pretty much all of it. I am fortunate to have had Asian parents who didn’t try to control my career. There were times when they were definitely worried about my life choices. When they would tell me to me to get a government job, I’d shoot them a look like, “Uhhhh-you-really-think-I-could-handle-a-9-5?-When-have-I-ever-successfully-sat-infront-of-a-computer-for-longer-than-45-minutes-and- I-only-wear-sweatpants” kind of look, they would nod in agreement. So, my home life was great compared to Sammie’s, but it’s the film/tv industry that I could fully relate to. When I got the scripts for the series, I was laughing out loud and reminiscing about my real-life experiences in casting and on sets. 

 

Q) If On Call Casting was an actual service, how successful do you think it’d be? Would you have used it at any point in your career?

 

A) I think it would be very successful because the industry functions with levels of on call casting already. “Tokens on Call” is drawing awareness to it. I would have used it in the early stages of my career because that would’ve been my only way of building my resume and acquiring steady income as an actor.

 

Q) Tokens is very tongue-in-cheek, but comedically touches base on some important aspects of the entertainment world. How did it feel to play a role in telling this story?

A) I felt very proud to have been a part of this production. I also felt very uncomfortable in a few of the scenes, especially the hand demo scene. It generated a lot of interesting conversations with the cast and crew. I like sitting in a conversation where I’m not sure what the “right” answer is. That is how I know that change and transformation is happening. I love noticing that I’m in the process of acquiring more awareness on a topic.  

 

Q) What were some of your favorite scenes or episodes to film?

 

A) My favorite scene to film was the death scene. I’m a drama queen, so I live for it. The fake blood was also made out of chocolate sauce. I also loved all my scenes with Shelley Thompson. She is so hilarious. She definitely stole the show. 

 

Q) What do you hope viewers take away from watching Tokens?

 

A) I want our viewers to know that Team Tokens is transforming our industry to be a place of diversity and inclusion. I’ve never felt more passionate and committed to a cause like this. The people who surround me in my everyday life are unique and beautiful. It is my life mission to have all the people in my life represented in the media. I do this for us and I do this for future generations to come. So, to all the viewers, please keep expressing yourself authentically. I see you!