NEW HAVEN, Conn. –
Rich Ting '02 has been lucky enough to achieve two childhood dreams. First, when he stepped into the Yale Bowl as a member of the Bulldogs' football team and now as a leading man in Hollywood. Ting shares his journey from aspirations to realization and how Yale University set him up to achieve his goals.
Dreams to Reality
Throughout my early life, I was always searching for something that would "wake me up in the morning and get me out of bed." I had two childhood dreams: one, play collegiate football and two, become an actor in Hollywood. To be honest, I never thought the second one would ever come true.
I remember being four years old and watching Bruce Lee on beta tapes in our family's living room. I would watch, study, and rewind the tapes over and over again to memorize Bruce's movements and weaponry skills. Growing up, I always questioned why there was an absence of Asian American leading men in film and on television. I often asked myself why there was not a famous "Asian American" leading man and why were all Asian actors (like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan) martial artists or characters that could fight and fly through the air. Legends like Bruce Lee definitely inspired and motivated me to pursue the study of martial arts but I was always curious why there was never an Asian American "dad," "boyfriend," "policeman," "firefighter," "lawyer," or "hero." All of my childhood friends had favorite actors that they could relate to ethnically and racially, however, I could never find that one Asian American leading man that represented my "hero."
Bruce Lee was obviously Asian but he spoke with an accent, and I could not truly identify with him beyond the martial arts aspect of his character. Having such a tremendous impact on individuals like myself as well as millions around the world, I always dreamed of having an opportunity to pursue acting and hopefully impact other Asian American kids that (like myself) were looking for relatable characters on the big screen and small screen in which they could identify and relate to.
In college, I heard all of my classmates discussing their future plans and career goals but I still had not pinpointed exactly what I wanted to do. I always knew regardless of what I chose as a future career that I would need to absolutely love it, be it, and live it everyday of my life. From being a history major at Yale while completing all of my pre-med requirements to earning a joint J.D./M.B.A. dual degree in graduate school, I still did not know what I wanted to do with my life.
However, having played football at Yale, I continued to maintain my physical weight training and conditioning workout regimens as well as my martial arts well after graduating from college. Throughout my undergraduate and graduate school careers, I trained (as a hobby) at different acting studios as a way of pursuing my childhood dream of being a Hollywood actor.
After graduating from both law school and business school, I was coincidentally approached and asked by stunt coordinators in Hollywood if I would be willing to do stunts in some upcoming feature films. With absolutely zero knowledge or experience in the film industry, I decided to take this challenge as an opportunity to learn and educate myself on set etiquette, film and television culture, as well as just "jumping right into the fire." I promised myself (and also notified my close friends and family that were in the stunt business) that I would work in stunts until I was able to completely cross over to the acting side of the industry. As a result, I was fortunate enough to work on various Hollywood feature films, such as "Stand Up Guys" (2013), "The Green Hornet" (2011), "Salt" (2010), "Gamer" (2009), "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra" (2009), "Deadly Impact" (2009), "Crank 2: High Voltage" (2009), and "Mask of the Ninja" (2008), gaining and obtaining an immense amount of knowledge and insight about the film making industry.
My career as an actor began in Los Angeles, cast for 'Lenny' in the TV series, "Beyond the Break" (2007-2009) and 'Heatblast' in the Warner Brothers' (Cartoon Network) feature film, "Ben 10: Race Against Time" (2007). That same year, I was also cast in the feature film, "Deadly Impact" and in 2009, I debuted on the big screen alongside Angelina Jolie in the film entitled, "Salt." To the present, I am most known for my roles as 'Bolo' in the Bruce Lee inspired hit action drama series, "Warrior," on HBO Max as well as 'Captain Iijima' in the Amazon series, "The Man in the High Castle." I have starred opposite Mark Wahlberg in the Hollywood blockbuster, "Lone Survivor," where I played Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class, 'James Suh', and alongside Jolie in "Salt." I have also worked on television shows, such as "Waco," "Supergirl," "Chicago P.D.," and "NCIS: Los Angeles."
As I continue to work and grow as an artist in this industry, I have focused on becoming not only an Asian American actor but a leading man in Hollywood. My goal is to represent and embody that specific Asian American leading man/hero, in which I was always searching for as a child, to other Asian American kids as well as other minorities throughout the globe. If I can affect, influence, motivate, or inspire one Asian American or minority kid in the world by my performance on the big screen then that represents the ultimate win for me as an actor in Hollywood.
As the entertainment industry continues to be more inclusive and diverse in its content, more and more viewers of all ages will have a larger pool of ethnic and cultural representation to not only identify with but to also learn from in the form of entertainment education. I never found or had that Hollywood actor that I could relate to or identify with as a child, and as a result, it has been my dream and personal goal to continue to influence, educate, and hopefully be that "hero" to someone else someday. It has been an absolute dream come true for me to be working in Hollywood as an actor, and I continue to live the dream every day I go to set and perform my craft in front of the cameras.
From New Haven to a New Hollywood
As I reflect on my acting career thus far in the industry, Yale has definitely provided me with the necessary tools and skills to succeed not only in the entertainment world but also in life. Since I was a child, my parents have always preached to me to be accountable and to keep working no matter what I do.
Having been born and raised on the West Coast and never playing football in weather below 65 degrees, Yale immediately provided me with an array of both climatic and cultural adversities. During the initial weeks of my freshman year, I felt lost, misplaced, and at a times, extremely homesick. Everyone else seemed to know exactly what classes and what majors they wanted to focus on while I had issues simply finding how to get to the seminar rooms in the lower levels of Sterling Memorial Library. To say the least, I was very uncomfortable. But as the saying goes, "our ability to grow is directly proportional to an ability to entertain the uncomfortable." I relied on what my parents had always stressed to me about being accountable for myself and to never stop working. I decided to stay focused on my main goals of excelling on the football field as well as in the classroom and to never take for granted the fact that I was a freshman at the No.1 university in the world.
Throughout my time at Yale as a student-athlete, and now actor, I have continued to live by these principles of always working and persevering through both the positives and negatives in any given situation. Whether it was going to class, prepping for midterms and finals, attending team workouts and meetings, watching film, or just eating healthy, all of these factors contributed and affected my performance on and off the field as well as in the classroom. The overall focus, determination, and work ethic of the Yale student body as well as the faculty and staff were extremely contagious and always motivated me to strive for excellence in all areas. During my four years at Yale, I can honestly say that it was the most influential period of my life where I not only matured mentally and emotionally as a young adult but also experienced an immense amount of spiritual growth and self-discovery. I am grateful for the time I spent in New Haven and for all the relationships I made and continue to have with my fellow Yalies. I learned as much through my peers outside the classroom as I did from my amazing professors during my entire undergraduate career.
Forged in Football
People often ask me how all of my academic and athletic careers prepared me for the entertainment industry. My answer is always the same. No matter what you do in life, you have to have the self-discipline to wake up and be on time for work. You have to prepare and be committed to your responsibilities whether that means fulfilling mandatory workouts in the weight room, watching film on this week's opponent, turning in your academic assignments on time, or having your lines memorized for a scene. You have to be accountable to yourself and to the people around you, i.e. your teammates.
Being a student athlete at Yale required an immense amount of time management skills. Those skills of multitasking and balancing a very demanding academic as well as athletic schedule not only disciplined me while at Yale but also unbeknownst to me, prepared me to handle a variety of life/career situations and decisions that would be presented to me in the future.
As a Yale football player, we were held to a high standard of physical training and development. Whether it was working out in the varsity weight room for mandatory workouts or just getting in a late night training session on the student side of Payne Whitney Gym, I am truly grateful to the coaches and staff for helping me establish such a strong foundation and training etiquette that I would continue to use to the present day.
Typically, throughout my acting career thus far, I have always trained and worked out in the gym to maintain a certain physical size and physique. As with any project that involves fighting or physical training requirements, I believe that my background in sports and athletics as well as martial arts represents an additional tool and skill set that I am able to bring to the character. Focusing primarily on the character and depth of the character, I believe that my athletic background serves as a bonus.
For "Warrior," I remember our executive producer, Justin Lin (known for directing/producing several of the "Fast & Furious" films as well as "Star Trek"), asked me if I could put on 10 pounds of extra muscle without losing flexibility or fluidity of motion. It was the first time in my acting career that a producer asked me to gain weight and gave me the freedom to work out and train in the gym. It was music to my ears.
Since playing Pop Warner football at eight years old to winning an Ivy League Championship at Yale in 2001, I have always enjoyed working out and being in the weight room. It is my "iron paradise." Applying all the workout and physical training knowledge that I had absorbed in college; I began to shift and adjust my weight training as well as physical conditioning in the gym immediately. I began to feel the effects of working out with heavier weights almost instantaneously as it definitely affected my mental state as well. I felt stronger, healthier, and just overall more balanced in my life. I felt like I was training back in the day during my Yale football days. The shift in my physicality definitely impacted and added to my character analysis and portrayal of 'Bolo'.
It has been an incredible journey since I began acting, and I am grateful for all the opportunities as well as friendships and relationships this industry has afforded me. I attribute much of my success thus far to all the teachings and lessons I experienced while being a student athlete at Yale. I continue to stay committed every day to working and pursuing my craft no matter what lies ahead.
Words of Wisdom for Future Bulldogs
As I mentioned earlier, I was always searching for something that would "wake me up in the morning and get me out of bed." After graduating from Yale with a B.A. in humanities as well as fulfilling all of my pre-med requirements, I still did not know exactly what I wanted to pursue or dedicate my life to. I had always been intrigued by the legal system in our country as well as potentially working in the corporate sector and as a result, decided to pursue the joint J.D./M.B.A. program where I would hopefully discover my future career. My mentality was simple. I would be spending the next four years in a dual degree program that would lead me to a job in the corporate legal world or if all else failed, I would be graduating with an immense of amount of knowledge that would be beneficial to me in whatever venture(s) I may decide to do. Ironically, it was an offer at a law firm in downtown Los Angeles that brought me back to L.A. where I coincidentally received my first job offer to work on a Warner Brothers' feature film in the summer of 2007. My dream of being an actor in Hollywood had begun.
I mention all of this to stress the simple notion that it is okay to not know or to be uncertain about what you want to pursue in your life or career. Uncertainty about one's future career should not be frowned upon or discouraged but rather embraced. Throughout all of my years of discovery and personal growth, I always stayed faithful to the principles of being accountable and to keep working no matter what I do. I always believed that as long as I kept on persevering towards a common goal other opportunities and "doors" would present themselves to me. Not knowing exactly what I wanted to pursue as a career, I had the confidence and faith to believe that as long as I stayed motivated, proactive, and determined, that career "door" would eventually present itself for me to walk through. And that's exactly what happened when an offer at a Los Angeles law firm led me to my first job on a Warner Brothers' film, drastically altering my career path. My childhood dream of being an actor in Hollywood had begun solely based on my achievements and accomplishments of graduating from law school and business school and accepting a job at a Los Angeles law firm.
I believe that everything in my past, including my academic studies, athletics, extracurricular activities as well as acting in the entertainment industry have all impacted and influenced my personal growth and maturity. Whether it was growing up as a fourth-generation Asian American kid in California or discussing politics in small seminar groups at Yale or rehearsing for mock trials in law school have all allowed me the opportunity to experience and study all personalities from all perspectives.
Acting has provided me with yet another channel to which I can learn, absorb, and apply to better my personal growth, maturity, and overall craft. I believe that everything I have done up until the present time has equipped and given me the various tools to not only succeed in life but to also apply to each distinct character I play. I have always considered myself a "student" no matter what industry or profession I pursue. I have continued to live my life with an open mind absorbing as much information and perspectives that I can throughout all the diverse experiences that I have encountered and experienced in the entertainment industry.
I encourage everyone pursuing the same path as me or sharing similar desires and career goals to always keep grinding and working no matter how difficult the process is or becomes. The worst decision anyone can choose to make is to literally stop and negate all of the positive momentum that he or she has generated so far in his or her individual career, life, and overall universe. Had I quit studying martials arts as young child or playing Pop Warner football in elementary school, I am confident to say that I would have never achieved my first childhood dream of playing Division I college football at Yale University nor been presented with the opportunities (decades later) that would allow me to fulfill my second childhood dream of working as actor in Hollywood.
I believe that everyone who is successful in life at whatever they do has had some sort of luck on their side. However, I believe that one can only be lucky if they work and continue to work as hard as they possibly can at whatever they are pursuing in life. Luck does not come without action or perseverance. As a result, one can potentially place themselves in a situation with a higher percentage or chance of being, doing, and having what they want and desire by continuing to focus and work as hard as they possibly can. Bruce Lee was quoted saying, "Running water never grows stale, so you got to just keep on flowing." Similar to what my parents preached and taught me when I was a child, I continue to stay motivated, committed to my craft, and "flowing."
Whether I was studying at Yale or pursuing my graduate degrees in law and business or trying to get representation in the industry, I always kept working and never let my creative "engine" stop. Every conclusion or rejection that I have faced has always let to another door being opened. If I would have stopped persevering or quit in any of my ventures, I would have never ended up playing collegiate football at Yale, graduating from law and business school, signing with an agency, joining my actors studio, or even booking my next job. This is all obviously easier said than done, but I stress to everyone that during those dark, lonely times when things appear to not be working out or progressing as you would have expected, you must always continue to stay active and proactive about fine tuning your craft, whatever that specialty or interest may be.
The training never stops, so one should always be cognizant that they are not only training or grinding now, for example, as a young actor until they "make it," but that the training and commitment is a lifestyle. You must love it, be it, and live it every day of your life. To me, this is what being an actor in Hollywood is all about.
Continuing to Flow
In 2021, I will be featured in FX's new TV series (streaming on Hulu), "The Old Man," starring Jeff Bridges, who plays the character of 'David Chase,' a former intelligence officer living off the radar who finds himself targeted for assassination and is forced back into the world he left behind. It is a thriller television series based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Perry and was developed by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine. I play the character of 'Lam,' a CIA hired mercenary who pursues Chase with strict orders to detain and bring him in alive. I also recently wrapped a Western feature film entitled, "No Name and Dynamite Davenport," where I play the lead character of 'Dynamite Davenport' and will be debuting in the video game world in 2K's newest adventure and fantasy game later this year.
I am available on all social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, & Tik Tok) at "Rich Ting World." Thank you very much for all of your love and support. Boola! Boola!
