IN THE SYMPATHIZER, HOA XUANDE FINDS HIS PLACE IN THE SUN. AFTER YEARS OF PLAYING SUPPORTING CHARACTERS, THE A24 AND HBO PRODUCTION MARKS THE ACTOR’S FIRST STARRING ROLE. IN THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED SERIES, XUANDE PORTRAYS A SPY, STRADDLING THE FENCE BETWEEN HIS HOME COUNTRY OF NORTH VIETNAM AND THE OPPOSING WESTERN SIDE, STEERED BY THE UNITED STATES. BUT HIS PORTRAYAL IS FAR FROM THE EMOTIONALLY ABSENT ACTION HEROES WHO FIGHT CLASSIFIED WARS. WITH THE ROLE OF THE CAPTAIN, THE ACTOR SUCCESSFULLY EXPLORES THE INNER TURMOIL OF A MAN WHO’S A VICTIM OF THE TRAUMA OF ARMED CONFLICT. THROUGHOUT THE SHOW’S SEVEN EPISODES, XUANDE NAVIGATES IDENTITY AS A FLUID CONCEPT AND LOYALTY AS AN UNBEARABLE PRICE TO PAY. DESPITE PROFESSING HIS LOVE FOR THE SOURCE MATERIAL, A BOOK OF THE SAME NAME WRITTEN BY VIET THANH NGUYEN, HIS PORTRAYAL OF THE STORY’S MAIN CHARACTER AND NARRATOR IS BASED ON HIS STRUGGLES GROWING UP STUCK BETWEEN HIS VIETNAMESE DESCENT AND AUSTRALIAN NATIONALITY. AND YET, DESPITE THE INHERENT TRAGEDY OF HIS ROLE, THE ACTOR FLEXES HIS COMEDIC MUSCLES, UNDERSTANDING HUMOUR AS A HEALTHY RESPONSE TO SORROW. THROUGH HIS PERFORMANCE, XUANDE PROVES HIMSELF TO BE WHAT HE’S ALWAYS BEEN: A LEADING MAN.

Left Suit **Acne Studios**, shirt **Bottega Veneta**
Right Suit **Dion Lee**, tank top **Calvin Klein**, shoes **Valentino**

Congratulations on The Sympathizer, it’s truly incredible…

Thank you!

You said previously that you started reading the book it's based on before ever knowing it was going to get picked up for a show…

It was very random. I was just googling books to read, and I’d never heard of it before. I think I read the first three chapters, which now that you’ve watched the show is equivalent to the first episode. I remember reading the escape scene and feeling that moment, that really stuck with me. I was borrowing the book, so I had to give it back after that and I picked it up again when this project came around. I just remember how devastating the descriptions were, it moved me.

Left Full look **Kenzo**
Right Full look **Valentino**

Did your impression of the story change at all when you saw the script for the first time?

I wouldn’t say so. I’ve read the book many times now and I had these passages that were always playing in my head, even when I was acting. I just always knew how to feel in the moment because it’s how I felt reading the book.

That’s interesting, I know some actors confine themselves to the script and stay away from the source material.

They weren’t too far from each other. Obviously, there were differences because you have to adapt it to the visual medium, but the overall feeling and tone adhered to the book. I think that’s the most important, descriptions have to be adapted into visual cues so they can be digested by the audience. The emotion of what was happening stuck to the book. When I was reading the script, I felt just like when I was reading the book.

Left Suit **Dion Lee**
Right Full look **Versace**

You’re working alongside some of the industry’s titans, like Robert Downey Jr. and Sandra Oh. What was it like to work so closely with them?

It still amazes me that they’ve done so much work over the decades and at the same time manage to be so down-to-earth, supportive, and generous. They were always willing to give me their time as scene partners as opposed to just doing their own thing. It wasn’t just to me, they cared about the people that were doing the scenes with us. It speaks to how committed they are to the story. I remember my first scene with both, it was the first week of production, and I was so nervous when I saw them. This was my first time working on this level, but Sandra practised with me. At first, I thought we were just having a conversation, she made it so real and natural. It inspired me to forget about the whole idea of what acting is. Robert was having fun which helped remind me to also enjoy the process and not get bogged down in the emotion of the story we were telling.

As you’ve mentioned, this is your first starring role in a production of this scale, what were some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned?

Oof, there’s so much. I never worked on this level before… Leading a show, especially an A24 and HBO production, I didn’t know what to expect, I wasn’t aware of what the boundaries were. I’m so used to learning my script, doing my research, bringing that to the camera, and then just disappearing. When you’re on it every day, doing scenes day in and day out, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. You have to look after yourself, make sure you’re sleeping and eating right, dedicate time to do prep but also find time to release all of it and not think about it for a couple of hours. I had to create a routine. Sandra was so nice, she would speak up on my behalf on set or to producers when she felt I wasn’t getting what I needed. Robert could tell how tired I was, so he always brought a light-hearted energy to set. They were all supporting me because it was a long race, you can’t get caught too early.

Left Full look **Loewe**
Right Left Suit and belt **Acne Studios**, shirt **Bottega Veneta**

Besides the production’s length, I would imagine it’s quite challenging to play a spy that’s constantly plagued by their inner moral turmoil.

When you say playing a spy, some images come to mind. If you think of double-crossing and lying, the typical Hollywood action hero comes to mind. I wanted to veer away from that. When I read the book, the scenes that struck me were the passages on the absurdity of the trauma and devastation of war. I tried to hold on to those emotions by diving into the psychology of what it would’ve been like to be torn apart by your countries, by your friendships, by the love that you have for different people. Those were the emotions I thought were pertinent to the character. I leaned into the emotions of a human being like me instead of trying to play a double-crossing spy.

You’ve said in the past that your experiences helped you play The Captain. In what ways did your life story bleed into your portrayal?

The duality of identity is something I inherently understood when I was reading the book. He’s obviously Vietnamese but he’s been Westernised by his upbringing in America, there’s a fascination and liking for that culture. He never felt like he fit in Vietnam because of his mixed race, but when he went over to the States, he didn’t belong either. I was a Vietnamese kid growing up in Australia, I never felt like I was Vietnamese enough to be part of the culture, I didn’t really speak my language, and I wasn’t around the Vietnamese community. But then being Asian didn’t make me Australian “enough” either. I felt like I was walking that thin line of my duality.

Suit **Isabel Marant**, shirt **Sandro**, shoes **Giorgio Armani**, sunglasses **Akoni Eyewear**

The show is very intense at times, but it does strike an interesting balance with some comedic moments. Did those moments of levity help you balance out the more emotionally raw scenes?

Of course. You know, the book gets dark and devastating simply because of the trauma of what a human has been put through. I think humour is a coping mechanism with which The Captain can deal with the conflict between his beliefs and ideologies. It gets to the point where you’re either going to curl up and cry or you’re going to have to laugh it off so you can keep moving forward. Director Park (Chan-wook) was able to encapsulate that a lot through Robert’s characters, something about their outrageousness.

You mentioned you grew up in Australia. What sparked your interest in acting?

I didn’t grow up wanting to be an actor, it wasn’t something I thought I could do. I was into sports but after graduating I found out that wasn’t a realistic path for me. It took me a while to figure it out. I knew I didn’t want to do science or math, I sort of enjoyed writing, but it was a lot of trial and error. I got into acting because of some friends I made while working at a bar. They were all creatives in the amateur theatre scene. I didn’t know what passion meant, I had never felt that intensity of, “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” until I found out about this world. It’s something I found out later in life.

Left Full look **Bottega Veneta**
Right Full look **Versace**

So, now that you’re done with this titanic project, what do you see yourself doing next?

That’s a great question. [Laughs] I’m still trying to feel this out and see how people respond to it. I would love to be able to jump back into another project with a similar nature, something deep and emotional. But honestly, I’m happy to do whatever comes my way. But, above all, if this show does well, I would love to be able to continue telling The Sympathizer story. The second book of the series is out there…