Rich Ting – The Man in The High Castle

By starrymag | November 24, 2019

By:  Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

Cinemax’s “Warrior” – I play “Bolo”

ABC’s “The Fix” – I play “Nemo”

Amazon’s “The Man in the High Castle” (Season 4) – I play “Captain Iijima”

CBS’s “Tommy” – I play “Li Chang”

Feature Film Roma 96 – I play “Mr. Kitano”

Q) Please tease what is new this season on “The Man In the High Castle.”

A) In Season 4 of “The Man in the High Castle” Captain Iijima arrives from Japan as Chief Inspector Kido’s (Joel de la Fuente) new right-hand man. He is a loyal captain for the Imperial Japanese military regime and serves to carry out the commands and desires of the head Japanese officials back in Japan. Throughout the final season Captain Iijima’s loyalty, as well as his motives with Chief Inspector Kido, will become questioned as the murder investigation of the assassination of a significant character continues to reveal new evidence of who ordered the hit as well as the overall murder plot.

Q) How was Captain Iijima originally described to you?

A) Dan Percival,  the showrunner, executive producer and director of “The Man in the High Castle” originally described “Captain Iijima” as the new reinforcement officer sent from the emperor of Japan to the Pacific states of the U.S. to provide aide and assistance to “Chief Inspector Takeshi Kido” and the Kempetai regarding the murder of a high profile Japanese diplomat.  I was told that “Captain Iijima” would have a significant arc throughout the final season of the show by acting as a loyal extension of the empire of Japan through his loyalty and obedience to carry out and fulfill all of the demands of his military superiors.

Q) Was there anything you added to your role that wasn’t in his initial breakdown?

A) I definitely wanted to make Captain Iijima a “real” character and not portray him in one color or one tone.  Since he is already presented as a very intimidating and brutal character, I wanted to give him a sense of humor and almost an enjoyment within his various interrogations and investigations.  My objective was to make him a real human being and not just a militant robot sent from Japan.

Q) What have you found challenging about portraying Iijima?

A) The only aspect of portraying Captain Iijima that I found challenging (in the beginning of filming) was getting used to saying all of my dialogue and lines with a certain accented tone and volume. I wanted to give Captain Iijima a certain tone and rhythm that complemented his strength and image as well as his Japanese heritage. I remember my throat being sore the first couple days of shooting Episode 1, but I quickly got used to the accented Japanese dialect as well as the overall tone and did not have any problems or issues with the rest of my filming.

Q) Talk about working closely with costar Joel de la Fuente.

A) “The Man in the High Castle” was the first show that I was ever cast in that I was already an ardent fan since its Season One premiere.  Having been a fan of Chief Inspector Takeshi Kido, played by Joel de la Fuente, made it an awesome experience to not only meet him but to work and share the screen with him throughout the entire season.  He is one of the nicest and most genuine actors I have had the opportunity to work with and it was an absolute pleasure to see him attack each and every scene with such commitment and specificity.  I cherished our discussions on and off the screen and learned a great deal watching this veteran actor work, analyze and process throughout the entire filming.

Q) What have been some of your favorite episodes of “High Castle” to film?

A) Without giving away any spoilers, my favorite episodes of Season Four are definitely Episode 1 “Hexagram 64” and Episode 4 “Happy Trails.”

Q) How did you shake off a long day of filming?

A) As always, the biggest personal challenge for me when filming any show or film is the long hours on set. Typically, I like to workout and train for three to four hours per day, but that becomes a huge challenge when filming twelve to sixteen hour days.  However, I always try to end each long day of filming by getting in a good workout and cardio session at the gym after I wrap.  It allows me to clear my mind and reset as well as maintain my strength and conditioning.

Q) What did you personally take away as a bit of memorabilia from your time on the show? 

A) There were numerous memories and moments that I will forever cherish about working with other leads of the show as well as living and working within the incredibly detailed sets and props. Prior to arriving on set for my first day of filming, I had heard rumors about how detailed and intricate all of the set designs were. I remember Joel de la Fuente telling me on my very first day to open any drawer on our set and look at the literature within the various folders. So, I decided to open a random drawer in one of the filing cabinets and randomly selected one file. To my astonishment, I saw that the file contained actual documentation of a court order in Japanese that corresponded with the exact date of the time period we were filming in.  It was not random paper used to fill a file, but it was an actual court document that looked completely legit and official. These kinds of details and “gems” within our sets allowed me to not only use them within my character discovery, but it also exemplified why this series is an Emmy award winning show and why “The Man in the High Castle” continues to be nominated for its production design and visual effects.

Q) What has it meant to you to have been a part of such an iconic series?

A) As I mentioned before, “The Man in the High Castle” was the first television series that I have ever auditioned for and was cast in been cast for in where I had watched the series and loved it.  It was almost surreal to arrive on set and meet Chief Inspector Takeshi Kido, “Obergruppenfuhrer John Smith” (Rufus Sewell), “Juliana Crain” (Alexa Davalos), “Helen Smith” (Chelah Horsdal), “Robert Childan” (Brennan Brown) and “Wyatt Price” (Jason O’Mara).  It felt as if I had been transported directly from my sofa at home to the High Castle alternate world/universe in the 1950-60s. I am truly honored, grateful and humbled to have been welcomed into this Emmy award winning “High Castle” family for its final season.

Q) You are a part of social media. Have you enjoyed the fan feedback you received to the series?

A) Having joined the show for its fourth and final season, I cannot stress or emphasize how incredibly loyal and committed the “High Castle” fans have been throughout this experience.  I had the opportunity to join the cast at Comic Con in San Diego this past summer and I was completely shocked at how many fans and followers showed up at our panel discussion. Every seat was taken and they had to close the doors on fans outside still trying to get into the auditorium.  The feedback on social media has been nothing less than amazing and I am flattered and proud of all of the positive and encouraging feedback I have received from the “High Castle” fans and followers thus far.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and the work you do?

A) Every time I am cast for a role and production, I always approach each individual project, whether it is a TV series or feature film, with the same intensity, commitment and perseverance.  When I am cast for a particular project, I always reflect on my journey in the entertainment industry.  I remember all of my wins and adversities from when I worked as an extra to receiving my SAG AFTRA card to booking my first feature film.  It is a really special feeling to be chosen to represent a character in a production that was written and created by another person.  They have chosen you to fulfill their vision, idea and story and want to pay you to be that specific character.  Whether it is a guest star, recurring or lead role every single production that I have been a part of represents not only a “win” but the reality that I am living my childhood dream of working as an actor in Hollywood.  With each new booking and win in my acting career, it has allowed me the opportunity to learn, progress and elevate to a higher platform in the industry. I am committed in using these new platforms to gain exposure and more opportunities to impact and inspire younger generations of all ethnic demographics throughout the world. I have been – and will continue to be – grateful for every opportunity I receive to be in front of the camera. I am committed and promise all my fans and supporters that I will always strive for excellence and will continue to play and create characters that hopefully everyone will be able to enjoy, relate to and be inspired by. Thank you for all of your support and love. I appreciate each and every one of you.