On A Role, Regina Ting Chen

Photography: Bryce France (@ _brycefrance)
Interview: Isis Nicole (@theisisnicole)
Styling: Nicole Omuteku (@nicoleomuteku)
Hair & MUA: Serena Jenkins (@serena.ish)

Actress Regina Ting Chen is settling into the star she’s always been, giving performances in sci-fi and action-adventures alike. You might recognize Chen in her role on Season 4 of Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things as ‘Ms. Kelly,’ or from her feature in USA crime drama Queen of the South, Marvel's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, HBO's Emmy-winning limited series Watchmen, or CW's Black Lightning and Dynasty.

This summer, we catch up to talk about finding inspiration in the unpredictable, being immersed in the best of the ‘80s, oh, and must eats in Atlanta.

Isis Nicole: Since discovering acting despite your upbringing and finding success on the big screen, how often do you find yourself continuing to jump into the deep end, and trusting the process?

Regina Ting Chen: Every time I hit a moment that I have to debate this in my mind, which actually happens quite often as a creative, I just have to actively stop myself from thinking about any irrational concerns. Am I really good enough to do that? Imposter syndrome? Can I deliver the role this time like before?

I know that I've done the work and will continue doing the work it takes to fully trust the process and know the outcome of my work will be honest, unique, and relatable. Waves of highs and lows in the work and career points are inevitable in this career. The only way to best prepare me for the long haul, I think, is to trust that I'm doing everything I can and that whatever is meant for me will unfold. But that is a daily reminder I have to actively call out!

IN: What's been the best part about joining Stranger Things’ for Season 4?

RC: So many things! I can't even rank them. Having the opportunity to represent the Asian community in one of my favorite shows and being such a unique character has been such an honor. I can't even begin to explain in words how it felt to be so immersed in the world of the ‘80s just being on such a meticulously designed set! Getting to work with Sadie Sink, The Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy, and the entire crazily talented crew—I could seriously keep going. WHAT. A. DREAM.

IN: Did you keep any of the outfits from the set? 

RC: I did not get to keep them, unfortunately. I wish! I tried on so many and it was too much fun! I adored all the colors, styles, designs, and shoulder pads!

IN: Do you watch your own work, and if you do, what is that experience like? 

RC: I do watch my own work, but I actually like to watch the show for the story and not how I performed specifically. I have a way to turn my mind off from being like ‘how did I do’ and instead focusing on "What's happening now? What's next?’ And then later, I'll go back and rewatch how I did specifically, critiquing my own work. So far in my career, I have felt that the work I deliver on set is honest, connected, and unique so I don't feel that I should worry about how it'll look in the end. If I can stay sucked into the story in the final product, then I think I did well and that definitely happened with Counselor Kelly!

IN: What keeps you grounded?

RC: This is a tough question. I think the biggest thing that keeps me grounded as a human being is constantly learning the life stories of others around me, from close friends to total strangers. Humanity is complex, sometimes messy, sometimes beautiful, and most of the time everything in between. It changes every second. The fact that nothing is predictable keeps me so humbled and inspired to allow myself to feel [and] learn ALL the things around me.  

IN: Who has been the most powerful influence in your life?

RC: My turtle grandma had the most powerful influence on my life. She passed away at the end of 2020, sadly. I call her "turtle" because she looked like one; she was short, short neck, had no hair, and moved very slowly. She was so cute. My grandparents raised me for most of my childhood. All my good and bad habits were directly derived from theirs. But my grandma was my favorite person. She was an immigrant who did not speak good English. She was always afraid to leave the house so when I'd come back home from school, I'd tell her stories about my day, often times embellishing them. I just wanted her to live vicariously through me, and I honestly just wanted to make her laugh every day, even if the stories weren't totally true. I think that was the beginning of my love for storytelling - and then of course putting on talent shows at home since I wasn't allowed to take drama classes (laughs)! 

IN: What does a chill day in your life look like? How do you decompress?

RC: I don't chill much actually. I am a busy body. I love working! My survival day job as a project assistant keeps me busy but I enjoy it. It allows me to stay sharp and keep using other tools that I have such as organization, problem-solving, thinking beyond doing, etc. When I do need to decompress, I enjoy painting or kicking a soccer ball in my yard with my dogs. I'll sometimes join my dogs in staring at a blank wall - mostly just to figure out why the heck they even do that, and then suddenly I'm at peace.

IN: Favorite restaurant in Atlanta?

RC: My absolute favorite restaurant is Mamak Vegan Kitchen! They have the most incredible Asian fusion food - every dish is delicious, and since I am vegan now as of a year ago, I never have to wonder what each dish is made of since the entire menu is vegan and just terrifically savory! Even my non-vegan friends [and] family love it and want to go back. If you go, definitely order the Mango Tofu, Sambal Okra, Pineapple Fried Rice, Basic Eggplant, Roti Naan (only if you're dining in), and Sesame Chicken...okay I think that's a good start!

IN: Who's on your playlist for motivation?

RC: I am a sucker for electronic music as I am a kickboxing coach and an avid (new) tennis player. Anything that gets my adrenaline going is dynamite! But if I need motivation for something outside of fitness, I actually love jamming to epic trailer versions of songs, particularly ones by Hidden Citizens. 

 
IN: What tips can you give to someone who might struggle with self-confidence?

RC: I have two things for this!  1.) Try some sort of movement activity with a community. When I say try, I mean to keep at it, not a one-time deal. Years ago, someone suggested that I try salsa dancing or kickboxing to get more in tune with my body and how I move. Seems like it doesn't directly correlate with self-confidence but it totally does. I chose to kickbox and didn't even know what a jab was on my first day. Five years later, I'm now a kickboxing coach and leading my warriors at 6:30 am to overcome what they thought was impossible for themselves, so that they know they can use that same mentality to combat the hardships they face each day. In the last five years, I've learned to overcome worrying about what people thought of me if I was capable of protecting myself, if I could ever do a burpee in real life, and so many more things but it took discipline and a positive surrounding to keep me moving in that direction.

2.) Stop saying sorry. You can say "thank you" when someone helps you, but eliminate "sorry" from your vocabulary unless you really did something wrong. No more "sorry to bother you", "so sorry about this", etc. "Sorry" only keeps you trapped in your own mental prison of thinking you're not good enough, you're wasting someone's time, or wondering if anyone likes you. It's not worth it. Life is fleeting, make it positive and rewarding toward your growth every moment you get. The effect is mutual to the other person as well, I promise.

IN: What do you hope to accomplish for next year?

RC: I hope to put more work out there as an actor by just trusting the process and being undeniably me! I can't wait for the opportunities that lie ahead! Crossing my fingers to land a sci-fi and action show as my personality is all over those realms. I'm ready!

Follow @reginatingchen on Instagram