Entertainment Spotlight: Jimmy Wong
Jimmy is an actor, host, and producer with over a decade of experience working with brands and companies across every major media platform. He plays Ling in Disney’s live-action adaptation of Mulan, and is the lead voice in Sony Picture Animation’s upcoming film, Wish Dragon. Together with his brother Freddie Wong, they have been pioneers in digital and social media, consistently creating viral hits and webseries that have now been viewed over 1.8 billion times online across YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu. Jimmy has been heavily involved in gaming and esports over the past decade, producing, directing, acting, and hosting for gaming’s largest entities: Nintendo, Riot Games, Blizzard, Wizards of the Coast, CLG, Razer, DisneyXD, IGN, and more. Jimmy took some time to chat with us. Check it out:
Is there a scene or moment from the new Mulan that you’re most excited for fans to see?
We spent a lot of time training and working on all sorts of choreography for the movie, and there is one particular sequence that happens near the end of the film that I am really excited for people to see. It was the culmination of a ton of hard work, sweat, and long hours of choreography. We were extremely fortunate to be able to work literal legends of the stunt world for these sequences, and the way it all came together in the end is something all of us as actors were extremely proud of. I think it’s going to be just an absolute thrill to see on screen for everyone watching too.
How did you prepare to play the role of Ling in Mulan?
We spent two full months training our bodies and minds for our roles as soldiers before we ever set foot on set. I give a ton of credit to the director Niki Caro for having the foresight and vision to bring the core cast together so early to begin training and mentally preparing for what it meant to be in the army and fighting for our lives. We rode horses, practiced stunts, learned fight choreography, and had an intense physical training regimen. We bonded as a group during that time and became each other’s support system, and it really paid off in so many ways I never expected. There are some lessons you can only learn when you’ve been through the ringer with some of your closest friends, and learning how to overcome your mental hurdles and push yourself as far as you can is one of those experiences I will never forget. I’ll always be grateful to the process of filming Mulan - and all the credit in the world goes to the professionals at the other end of it, making sure we were safe, taken care of, and supported throughout the process.
If your life was a choose your own adventure, what decisions would viewers have to make on an average day?
I think the biggest decision I make every day is what I’m having for lunch. Outside of that, it’s sort of a toss up between meetings, writing sessions, editing, and filming any number of the current projects I’ve got going day to day for YouTube and beyond. The nice thing is that no two days are ever the same, and I’m surrounded by some of the hardest working and smartest people in the world. Maybe the most important decisions are just what to focus on next - my slate of projects and things I’ve got going on feel like a game of Overcooked / Diner Dash - what dish on the menu needs to start getting prepped now in order to be done on time? And which dish is late out the door!? Good luck!
Do you have a personal motto or mantra?
If you ever find yourself constantly using words like “I wish”, “I hope”, or “maybe”, try replacing them with “I will” and “I’m going to” and see what happens. Sometimes a small shift in your language and vocabulary can make all the difference when setting out to accomplish your goals.
What would one of Ling’s side quests be in a Mulan video game?
You wake up on a cold morning on the last day of training. The other recruits are still peacefully passed out in their beds. Sending any letters or correspondence to family or loved ones is strictly forbidden, but you must let the love of your life know you are about to head out to war. This is your last chance! Successfully sneak out, slip a letter to a messenger bird, and let your message fly! Oh - and make it back to your bed before the Sergeant notices you’re gone…
Do you have any secret skills or talents?
It’s not terribly secret to those who have followed me, but I love music and playing instruments. I grew up learning classical piano for 8+ years, and in college I picked up all of the other instruments I could. So if you set down any instrument in front of me, give me a few minutes, and I’ll be able to play it to some degree. Outside of that… I will say that I used to devote hours and hours of my time to mastering Dance Dance Revolution, so as long as my feet aren’t rusty, I should be able to tear up that dance floor too.
What did you do with your free time on the set of Mulan?
I was lucky enough to never be isolated or alone on set - as one of the fellow soldiers of Mulan, we were always together as a squad both in training and during filming. That meant we would always have each other to bounce off of, either sharing stories, poking fun at each other, or seeing if we could land an orange peel in someone’s open mouth as they slept… it was your assortment of silly antics and lots of laughs. We also were usually in full makeup and armor during the days, and that certainly got tiring, so naps were commonplace if we knew we had a bit of time to spare before our next shot. Fortunately there was never really a dull moment - the air was electric most days anyway - we were filming this incredible movie together. Just stopping to look around set would send shivers down my spine - I was surrounded by hundreds of working professionals in the film industry and a part of a historic project on a massive scale. It’s hard to ever feel bored in a situation like that!
Describe each of the following in one word: Who you are, what you value the most, and what you’d be if you were a food item.
Eclectic. Honesty. Cheezit.
What are you most excited about right now?
I’ve been working as a creative developer and host for a brand new 24/7 network called VENN TV. You can catch it on every major livestreaming platform, and we’ve just recently expanded to Samsung Plus and Vizio TVs. VENN is a network for the gaming and digital generation, bridging the gap between the rapidly growing gaming industry and the world around it. I host a show called The Download, which is on every morning Weds-Fri from 11AM to 12PM PT. We cover all of the biggest news of the day from gaming and pop culture, and provide a new lens into a world that we know so many people are interested in, but don’t have an outlet for yet. Another project I’m really looking forward to is Wish Dragon! It’s a beautiful animated picture from Sony Pictures Animation set in modern day Shanghai. I play Din, the main character, who stumbles across a magical teapot with a dragon that will grant me three wishes. The dragon is voiced by none other than John Cho, and my mother is voiced by Constance Wu. The cast is entirely Asian and the story is absolutely timeless. I’ve seen a bit of the animation so far and I have been blown away by it every time. I think Wish Dragon is going to be a really special movie for a lot of reasons, and a ton of respect to the director and production team for taking the time and care to really accurately represent the world of Shanghai and the Chinese culture - they did their research and it shows. The movie doesn’t have a release date yet so please be on the lookout for it! It’s my first gig as a main voice actor, and I loved the experience. I’m looking forward to doing more of it soon!
Thanks for taking the time, Jimmy!
Photo: Diana Ragland
