Career on the move for local actor

By Michael Picarella Acorn Staff Writer

Parry Shen

A couple of years ago, Agoura Hills resident Parry Shen, 29, experienced temporary defeat and was about to give up on acting. He accepted a job as a waiter at the Applebee’s eatery in Westlake and about three hours into his first day of work, a movie company tracked him down and asked if he would act in a film called, "The New Guy." Nine hours later, Shen was on a movie set in Austin, Texas. To this day, Shen still has a $20.13 paycheck waiting for him at Applebee’s.

"The New Guy" was released last year and Shen has since starred in the upcoming "Better Luck Tomorrow," MTV’s first acquisition film ever. The movie was accepted to the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and was picked up there for distribution. "Better Luck Tomorrow" opens April 11 in selected cities, including Los Angeles.

"When I watch a film, I watch people watching it," Shen said, "and it just amazes me that something can be so powerful or so engaging that they will sit and stare at a screen. There’s really nothing there, but they take something away with them. To be part of that is really cool."

Shen grew up in New York and graduated from the state University of New York at Buffalo with a degree in marketing, and minors in media studies and public relations/advertising. About eight years ago, Shen’s fascination with movies brought him to California.

"I moved out here from New York after I graduated college," Shen said, "and I got a job at a boarding high school (in Ojai) and took care of the boys’ dorm. I got free room and board."

When he wasn’t working, Shen studied acting and commuted 160 miles just about every day to Los Angeles for auditions. Two years ago, he moved to Agoura Hills. That was around the time when he was getting discouraged and took a job as waiter.

After "The New Guy," Shen continued to audition and saw a casting call for a movie that really caught his interest.

"A lot of Asian projects had been coming to me, and I thought, whatever," Shen said. "It was a lot of identity stuff. It was real limiting."

"Better Luck Tomorrow," a Goodfellas-esque drama about high school overachievers who use their reputations and their smarts to get away with petty crimes, was a different kind of project.

"I want to do things that reach everybody," Shen said, and "Better Luck Tomorrow" was the first film that had nothing to do with being Asian. The lead characters just happened to be Asian.

Shen auditioned for "Better Luck Tomorrow" and was given the part of the leading role.

The movie was shot on location in the suburbs of Orange County in early 2001 and was completed for this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

"Better Luck Tomorrow," at first, received some criticism at the festival. The Asian American film portrays characters involved in crime and at least one person accused it of showing the culture in a negative way, according to Shen.

"Roger Ebert was there and he stood up for our film when someone called it immoral to Asian Americans," Shen said. "He stood up and said, ‘You wouldn’t say this if these were white filmmakers. This film has a right to be about whatever or whomever these people want it to be about. They don’t have to represent their people.’

"And then after that, Harvey Weinstein of Miramax wanted a screening of our film and then Fox was bidding for our film and then MTV stepped up and there was a bidding war all of a sudden," Shen said.

"Better Luck Tomorrow" and Shen received some great reviews. You can view the trailer and learn more about the film via the movie’s computer Internet Website at www.betterlucktomorrow.com.

Shen will begin shooting a horror film similar to "Scream" in the next couple of weeks. Life is good, he said.

Just like the food and service at Applebee’s.