The Netflix teen musical film Metal Lords, released on April 8, introduces a number of promising young talents to look out for. One of them is Chinese actress Michelle Mao (playing Lisa Randall), whose ambition and perseverance in hopes of making it in Hollywood is finally paying off.
From early on, Mao knew she wanted to perform. While living in Berkeley, California, she would secretly take a red-eye Greyhound headed for LA to attend auditions. After reading for the roles in the morning, she would buy cheap matinee tickets to a movie theater to have a place to nap, before taking a red-eye Greyhound back to Berkeley, just in time to make it to class the next day.
To date, Mao has built up an impressive resume that includes acting alongside AAPI legends James Hong and Dante Basco as the title lead in her first-ever feature film, the fantasy adventure Patsy Lee & The Keepers of the 5 Kingdoms, which is currently in post-production. She says that the film helped her find a footing in the industry and is just the beginning of what she hopes to accomplish. She is also currently working on the AppleTV+ original Surfside Girls, an adventure series that features a Cantonese-American family, to be released soon.
While Mao owes most of her achievements to her own risk-taking, she is aware of the significant impact of those who came before her, paving the path to her dreams so that she could walk more comfortably. These include the many Asian-American actors and entertainers who fought hard to be seen and heard. She makes sure to credit some of her great friendships and professional relationships in the industry, including film director Alexandra Cuerdo, her acting teachers, as well as the Asian-American media group, Wong Fu Productions.
Mao is certain that her future will be in the movie industry and she knows just how she would like it to play out. “I want to be working with artists and creators that I admire and carve out my own path,” she says. “I don’t want any two projects I do to feel similar. I don’t want to be defined by what I’ve done.”
It’s clear that Metal Lords is just a taste of what this young lady is capable of. Joining the growing ranks of Asian actors finding success in Hollywood, Michelle Mao is a name to be remembered and a face that is sure to grace the small and big screens for many years to come.
