In a conversation with Deadline, Sam Song Li, star of Netflix’s new series ‘The Brothers Sun,’ shared his journey from behind-the-scenes filmmaking to the forefront of acting, revealing he has been waiting for his ‘Clark Kent moment’ all these times.
During the chat, Li elaborated on the parallels between his life and his character Bruce’s. Initially focusing on filmmaking and social media, Li said he viewed these platforms as a stepping stone:
“Doing social media was out of necessity for me to toy with the idea of being on-screen. And I always make this joke, but I really saw social media as my Clark Kent glasses and suit look, right? I think by day, I was doing social media just because social media has always been a little bit ahead of its time. And we’ve had massive success with Asian Americans on screen in social media than in traditional media. It’s always been ahead.”
Implying he had been waiting for his hidden potential to show up, Li continued:
“So I did that as a daytime job, but secretly, I was waiting for my Clark Kent moment. I was waiting to take off my glasses, rip off my suit, reveal my true identity, and just leap into the sky. I think that’s how I saw acting for a very long time. I was working on it in secret.
I would share only with my close friends, but I never really talked about exactly what was happening with me and acting. I really feel like this moment for me is, first, validating that I feel like my hunch that I can do this has always been right, but second, now I can embrace it a lot more. And I just want to be clear that I see myself as an actor first and a content creator second.”
What is ‘The Brothers Sun’ About?
‘The Brothers Sun‘ is a crime action-comedy set in San Gabriel and revolving around a Taiwanese crime syndicate. It premiered on Netflix on January 4, 2024. In the show, Li takes on the role of Bruce Sun, a college student with dreams of improv stardom, which clashes with his family’s expectations.
The narrative thickens with the arrival of Bruce’s estranged brother, Charles, portrayed by Justin Chien, and their mother, Mama Sun, played by Michelle Yeoh.
The success of ‘The Brothers Sun’ was an important point in Li’s career that aligned with his long-term goals in the acting scene. Looking forward, the actor has another project lined up – the comedy-drama ‘Marvin Is Sorry,‘ which is expected to be released in March this year.
