Soo Hoo began his acting career in 2006 after his parents signed him with an agent they met through their family. He began with commercials for Toys “R” Us, Exxon Mobile and Land Rover. After that, he had small parts in “Sesame Street” before scoring a part in Ben Stiller’s film, “Tropic Thunder,” where he played Tran, a leader of a drug gang in Southeast Asia.
In the upcoming sci-fi movie “Ender’s Game,” based on the 1985 book of the same name by Orson Scott Card, Soo Hoo plays Fly Molo, a soldier in a futuristic Earth that is under siege from aliens. Soo Hoo spent his summer filming in New Orleans where he worked with A-list actors Oscar winner Ben Kingsley and nominees Harrison Ford and Abigail Breslin.
“It’s fun, honestly,” Soo Hoo said. “You get to put yourself in the character and add your own flavor to the character.”
As an actor, Soo Hoo has had to make sacrifices, giving up free time and almost a year of school total for filming. In addition to lost time, Soo Hoo has restrictions from companies he signs with, including Paramount or Universal, that monitor him to make sure he does not damage the company name. In a recent situation in New Orleans, Soo Hoo also learned how to react to fans who recognize him while filming.
“We biked to McDonald’s with the cast, and Moises [Arias] was decked out in Louis Vuitton and Cartier,” Soo Hoo said. “It happened to be packed with gang-affiliated men who recognized him, and they swarmed him asking where he got his clothes, so we called a chauffeur and dipped like guacamole.”
Though he starred in a few well known movies, Soo Hoo tries to stay humble by not making a fuss about his acting career and working with other famous people.
“I don’t like to use it as a social boost because it’s annoying when people do that,” Soo Hoo said. “I try to keep it low key. For example, I don’t like to introduce myself as ‘Brandon the Actor,’ and instead as ‘Brandon the Guy Who Sits Behind You’.”
Some famous names he has worked with include Robert Downey Jr., Harrison Ford and Channing Tatum. However, Soo Hoo does not try to imitate any other actors.
“I don’t really model myself after anyone in the acting business because I don’t really know anyone like me who still has to go to school and balance his jobs,” Soo Hoo said. “But I do like comedians like Zach Galifianakis and Michael Cera because he is kind of awkward, yet hilarious.”
Although he may work with some big names, Soo Hoo is just your average teenager, with a not-so-average job.
“Acting has its ups and downs and is fun, but really, it is just a job,” Soo Hoo said. “Once you get over the ‘glamour’ there really isn’t much to it.”