He's the new face on Gilmore Girls with an eye on stealing Lane's
heart. The WB catches up with Eddie Shin and gets the scoop on this Chicago
native.
The WB: So, how did you get your start in acting?
Eddie: I think my first acting gig was playing a tooth or a piece of
celery in the second grade. But my official start was Jurasian Park,
which was a student-written/produced/performed production I got involved with in
my first year of college.
The WB: Is this something you always wanted to do?
Eddie: Always. Always. Always. I even remember wanting to be on
The Cosby Show as a little kid. As I grew older, I got involved with
sports and clubs and stuff so I didn't make time until after high school. But
secretly, my dream was always to be a professional actor.
The WB: Tell us a little bit about the character you play?
Eddie: Well, Henry's another Chilton student who Lane meets at a
party. To her surprise and delight, it turns out that he not only has the
attributes that might make her parents happy but also the attributes that might
make her happy. So, now their relationship begins.
The WB: Can you relate to this character?
Eddie: Yeah, on a lot of different levels. It was always important
for me to excel academically, to be cool with my family, parents, and friends.
And also to embrace both the Asian and American parts of me. Mostly to try to be
a guy that could get along well with others and be someone that was fun to be
around. I see all of this in Henry too. He's actually a very real and natural
extension of me.
The WB: On the show, Lane comes from a very traditional Korean
American family. How is your family in comparison?
Eddie: Similar in some ways, not so much in others. My parents came to
the States in '71, so they definitely hold on to certain customs and traditional
ways of thinking. But unlike Lane's family, I think my parents are a little bit
more open about trying to understand me, and more willing to create a dialogue
about things rather than force-feeding certain attitudes and perceptions. Yeah,
my mom has her moments though.
The WB: So how did your parents react when you told them you were
pursuing acting?
Eddie: Big time chaos in the Shin household! There were definitely issues
to be dealt with, especially since they were expecting Eddie Shin, M.D. But
they're getting over it... slowly... very... slowly.
The WB: What can we expect to see between Lane and Henry?
Eddie: Well, you can probably expect Henry to give Lane a call and ask
her out. There's definitely a mutual attraction between the two characters. But
we'll see what happens.
The WB: What was it like growing up in Chicago?
Eddie: Incredible! Incredibly lucky too, I think. Chicago people always
keep it real and tried to keep me real. It's a city that works and plays hard.
And I feel like it's a really sincere place, which isn't so easy to find with
other big cities.
The WB: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Eddie: Let's see... cook, read, camp, hoops, barbeque, gaming, barbeque,
piano, hike, lounge, barbeque, cards, write, eat, daydream... whatever and
however, you know? As long as it's with good company.
The WB: So you like to barbeque, huh?
Eddie: Definitely.
The WB: Are you currently working on any upcoming projects?
Eddie: Yeah. In between seasons, I'll be doing theatre in Chicago. I'm
set to play Song Liling in David Henry Hwang's Tony Award winning play, M.
Butterfly. It's a dream role and a phenomenal script. I'm also testing for
pilots so maybe some other filming as well. Then more Gilmore Girls when
the season picks up. Just trying to keep busy.
Credit: theWB.com
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