Justin Chien and Chris Pang of ‘The Season’ on redefining Asian representation

Then comes the warning: “Everything is shiny on the outside, but they’re dying inside,” newcomer Coleen “Cola” Pierce, played by Jessie Mei Li, is told. “If you leave the bubble, you’re the crazy one."

Read on for clues on how, in The Season, that bubble might just pop.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Jalen Giovanni Jones: The Season is incredibly exciting in how it is a majority-Asian cast, centering Asian and Asian diasporic stories—how did it feel being part of this type of project at this point in your career?
Justin Chien: It was a tremendous honor, and I’m so grateful that I had the time to spend with these wonderful people. Every single person that was part of our cast was a consummate professional. A lot of them are stars in their own respective markets, and the best thing about it, apart from everyone being good at their jobs, was everyone was just a dope person. We became such good friends, became a family, and we wanted to do our best for each other. We wanted to lift each other up, and when it came time for the wrap party, I actually was surprised at how sad I was. I’ll never take that for granted.

Chris Pang: Yeah, I think there’s something different about when you’re on set with an all-Asian cast, right? There’s this unspoken understanding of where your journey is headed. We all have a very aligned mission to portray Asians in a certain way on screen that we can be proud of, and it’s an honor to be privileged enough to have that opportunity. It was very special to be on a set like that, where we’re all aligned, we don’t have to explain anything, we don’t have to talk about it, we just go, and that energy is always electric. It pushes you to do better work.

JGJ: How would you say The Season in particular pushes those boundaries of how Asian stories typically represent us?
CP: Well, I feel like representation is all about visibility, right? The more we have our image out there, the more we see ourselves normalized, the more we feel accepted. If a kid sees his image reflected in the world around them, that’s how you get to be like, “Oh, I’m part of this world too, I’m accepted,” and that’s why it’s important. But what this show does is it really gets to dive into the different facets of what it means to be Asian, right? All the characters are vastly different. They’re played by actors from all over the world, from all different countries, from all different backgrounds, and each of them is struggling with something different. These characters live in the gray area, between all the good and the bad. That is really nice, because now we’re expanding this spectrum of what it means to be Asian.

JGJ: Your characters Andrew and David are really different from each other. Andrew’s a lot more braggadocious with how he carries himself, while David is more measured, and in the throes of the aftermath of a divorce. Despite their differences, they’re best friends. What keeps them coming back to each other? And where do you think they run into difficulties with their relationship?
JC: I think what keeps them coming back to each other is the fact that, despite the things that we’re struggling with on our own as David and as Andrew, at the end of the day, I know that despite what Andrew presents, he is going to be the one to pull David out of the fire. Andrew is going to be the one to tell David the truth, even when a lot of the other characters won’t. Even though David hasn’t confessed everything, he knows Andrew suspects something, and he knows that out of everyone, Andrew’s the most likely to have his back.

CP: Yeah, that’s an interesting one, because they do have moments of tension in this series, but it’s almost outside of their normal interaction of what they’re used to. David goes on such a big journey that he ends up in a place that’s so different from where they begin as friends, that it almost feels like it’s outside of that. It’s an anomaly. In their normal life, I don’t think they would have too many struggles with the relationship, because they almost fill each other’s voids. They’re like yin and yang; they’re very complementary. Andrew’s this boisterous, out-there, messy guy that just doesn’t care. David’s almost the opposite of that—he’s too obsessed with how he presents, and being clean, being the perfect guy presenting as someone that’s worthy.

JGJ: What do you think viewers can look forward to the most from their experience in watching The Season?
JC: I think viewers can expect to be entertained. I hope they feel provoked to think about their own lives and some of the pitfalls that we all face as human beings. What’s so special about The Season is, despite this lavish packaging with these superyachts and watches and Ferraris, all these characters are facing universal human emotions—guilt, shame, regret, self-loathing, hope, love, longing, yearning. Everyone, no matter what your background is, can relate to that. That’s something I hope can resonate with audiences.

JGJ: And just really quick, is it harder or easier acting on a yacht?
CP: [Chuckles] Definitely harder.

JC: Harder.

CP: The yachts are made of wood and laminate plastic. When you have to sit out there in the Hong Kong summer, it’s not very forgiving.