Grace Chow on Breaking Barriers and Storytelling

Grace Chow is an Asian Australian actor and writer who made a name for herself with standout performances in Mystery Road: Origins and season two of The Twelve. In addition to her on-screen success, she’s an award-winning playwright, earning the prestigious Griffin Award in 2022 for The Promise Land.

In this Q&A, Chow shares her journey and the impact of her work on screen and stage. With a fearless approach to storytelling, Chow opens up about her roles, struggles and an exciting feature project that could redefine her future.

Insights: Lessons from Grace Chow

Experiment with your auditions: Offer diverse interpretations of your character to showcase your range.

Audition globally: Don’t limit yourself to local projects; the industry is international.

Believe in your skills: Confidence and self-awareness can drive your career forward.

You play Lily Lim, an EVPD dispatcher, in the upcoming CW series Good Cop/Bad Cop. Tell us about your audition.

Certainly! The audition came through my Australian agent, and luckily, my US manager had access to the pilot. It was hilarious!

At the time, I wasn’t sure just how far they wanted to push the comedy. I just went all in and auditioned with three versions of Lily — all completely different: from the SNL skit version to something completely grounded.

In one take, I decided to make a huge choice and give Lily a voice different from my own. I figured they’d either love it or think I was crazy. One callback later and the squeaky voice stuck the landing! It was a nervous week waiting for the call – I knew I was right for it and I’m so glad they did too.

With so many cop shows for viewers to choose from, what sets Good Cop/Bad Cop apart from the rest?

It’s this hilarious brother-sister duo surrounded by rookie cops, which makes for great comedy – different from the usual romantic dynamics you see centered. I hope everyone falls in love with these awesome characters.

My role, Lily, is the precinct’s dispatcher and she’s adorable— but also completely unpredictable! She wears her heart (and her very specific interests) on her sleeve. She has this morbid streak that catches people off guard and she’s deeply loyal. She also goes all out, which is sometimes a worry.

Where is Good Cop/Bad Cop filming? How do you balance working on Australian projects with pursuing opportunities internationally?
I don’t see the Australian and international markets as separate worlds to balance. I like to, and I do, audition widely. In a single week I could go for a show shooting in South Africa or a film in Canada… the next it might be something filming in Perth, where my family lives.

Australian content is such a huge part of the global film industry as well — it’s all interconnected, and I love being able to move between them all the time.

You’re from Australia and trained at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. What inspired you to pursue a career in acting, and how did your journey begin? Did you have a backup plan?

I had a couple of teachers in high school who saw something in me and encouraged my interest in acting. At the time, I was dead set on studying law. I auditioned for WAAPA on a whim, mostly because I knew how competitive and prestigious it was. When I got in, I knew I’d regret not taking the opportunity. I worked very hard and I’m so glad I did.

As an Australian actress, how has your cultural background influenced your approach to storytelling and performance?

Early on, a lot of my work centered around being Asian Australian. I’m a trained playwright and theatre-maker, so naturally, I explore these themes through writing.

My Griffin Award-winning play, The Promise Land, was a post-dramatic, experimental piece that looked at the intersection of religion and colonization — something that Australian history grapples with a lot— but through a Chinese lens.

I’m always drawn to work that challenges narratives and plays with form. Right now, I’m working on a commission with the State Theatre Company of WA (Black Swan State Theatre Company), which is my return to more conventional narrative storytelling and it’s been an exciting shift. I’ve also just finished my first draft of a feature. I’m always writing. Exciting times!

Please share a memorable moment from a project that had a lasting impact on you.

My favorite moment to perform is always before I go on stage. Before someone yells “action” and the camera records – when the possibilities are endless and you’re about to come alive. Sometimes I’m about to perform and I feel like my face is on fire in the most acute and glorious way possible!

On stage when you can hear the audience particularly… whether it’s a play like The Cherry Orchard or a musical like Panwathi Girl or an opera like Our Little Inventor… But I also get that feeling before a take on camera. There were some charged scenes in The Twelve led by Sam Neill and Mystery Road with the brilliant Steve Bisley… You feed off the other actors too. Total liveness.

Photo courtesy of Grace Chow.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in the entertainment industry, and how have you overcome them?

The real challenge has been overcoming what people initially think of me. I had shaved my head at one point and I miss it. People underestimate range based on how you look. As my hair grew, so did my assumptions. I’ve had to show them I can do much more.

I don’t think I need to overcome anything, as I am already living my free unencumbered creative life – it’s the ones making the assumptions who need to catch up! It’s empowering to think that way. I know I can devour an antagonist, do the weird accent and change the temperature in a room with complete conviction!

I’m an Asian woman, yes. I’m an actor, yes. I’m limitless, yes. Be unafraid! Or be afraid! I’m out here doing my thing.

You’re also a writer. What role do you think film and television play in shaping societal perceptions, and how do you hope to contribute to that through your work?

Art can point to things and ask people to reconsider them — through a new, different, truthful, or even deceptive lens.

I hope I never stop grappling with the complexity of our world. I want to explore the hard, relatable things in life so that people don’t feel so alone and that we don’t let things go unchallenged. Of course, in film and TV, this is harder than theatre, because you also have to grapple with what’s financially viable. [It’s about] when you can sell, which is an entirely different beast altogether.

In 2022 you made your opera debut in Our Little Inventor. What kind of training did you undergo to prepare for your role as Nell?

That process was intense! We had something like four days of rehearsal and four days of teaching… I was leading an adult cast and orchestra with 60 children on stage. It was a full-blown State Opera Season and every night of this “World Premiere” it was almost a masterclass in long-form improvisation.

I remember only having time to rehearse the opening number choreography three times, but thinking, “I can do this.” Of course, I trained very hard in the lead-up. I had a vocal coach and knew the music by heart. I was also lucky to be match-fit for the stage after doing three show seasons back to back… but one of the other singers was fresh off the Met in New York?! It demanded a level of excellence.

I had no previous singing training, but I had a good ear and the acting chops. It was rewarding to see how well it was received.

Photo courtesy of Grace Chow.

As a writer, do you ever catch yourself critiquing the script of a production you’re acting in?

I like to fully immerse myself in the role and compartmentalize my mindset to match whatever capacity I’m working in – If I’m in it, I’ve already decided it’s a story I believe in and I’m there for a reason.

That said, I do still ‘critique,’ as in, I mine or excavate the work for every bit of depth I can find. I dive in to fully understand it. Ella Hickson’s OIL, for example. The script was dense, and each performance revealed something new. Every night for the whole season I uncovered new layers, and it became this ongoing exploration. It wasn’t just acting — it was an immersive experience that taught me something different each time I stepped on stage. I played a futuristic nuclear saleswoman switching between British RP, Chinese and Cornwall accents.

What’s been the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself through your acting career?

I’m rarely surprised by myself, and you might think that makes me unreflective — but that’s not the case at all. I’m deeply reflective, which means that I know myself well. I know what I’m capable of, and I’ve got this kind of self-belief that makes persistence and hard work feel exciting. And I know I am a capable master of my skills – I’m not afraid to say that.

That belief in your competence and artistry – That confidence is a huge part of why I keep pushing forward, even when the road gets tough. But it’s never about surprising myself; it’s about surprising others! Performing is a service to both the story and the audience. That’s what’s so wonderful about life, really – you can embrace wonders beyond your own.

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