Keiko Agena

Professions :

I always felt that just being an actor is difficult. Being an Asian-American actor doesn't make it more difficult. I see it as an opportunity and a chance to help other Asian-American actors coming along.

help see chance opportunity

I am really fortunate to have parents who supported my plan to become an actress when I was a little kid. And then there was my grandma. She was the best. She was always there and ready to drive me to all my plays and stuff.

i-am parents best me

Being on a successful show is kind of like being a sea turtle. Every year, sea turtles lay hundreds and hundreds of eggs, but only a few manage to survive and mature. It's the same with TV pilots. There are so many great ideas, but for whatever reason only the lucky ones get picked up.

great mature sea ideas

Ever since I found out I got the part on 'Gilmore Girls,' my life has been changing in so many ways. It seems as though all we get is good news. I'm just so grateful to be a part of it. It's a wholesome show with an edge. I have no idea how we pull it off.

my-life good grateful life

I would love to work on another installment of 'Gilmore Girls.'

would another work love

In the second season, usually television shows are running with the characters; they really get them. And then, the third season, they can push characters and really explore secondary storylines and things like that. And so I tend to like third seasons of most shows.

push things seasons television

I think it's perfectly fine and interesting to have someone get married at a young age and have kids at a young age.

someone think age interesting

Independence feels like a luxury, where the reality is that it's hard to survive financially for so many people out there.

survive independence reality people

I am obsessed with improv.

improv am i-am obsessed

I've always been asked the question of, 'Do you feel like it's getting better over the years for Asian representation in Hollywood?' and I have always said, 'Well, it's better than it has been, but we have a long way to go.'

feel better you long

We all have challenging family relationships, and trying to balance that between our dreams and what we feel compelled to do is, I think, a challenge that's easily relatable.

challenge feel dreams family

I do get a little disheartened when you hear about how many girls get discouraged to not pursue a career in the sciences, and I feel like seeing women that are portrayed in this way - and beyond that, just three dimensional, complicated women - those are always going to be the stories that I gravitate to most.

feel you women way

As an actor, I probably fall into more of the sidekick/best friend/doctor/lawyer category.

category actor more fall

The audience will show up if you have authenticity. Like 'Moonlight,' there was stuff in there that is so specific to that community where the filmmakers grew up. Even if I don't understand everything they're talking about, I will love it if I feel that it's real.

feel you community love

That whole experience of filming in Canada was one to remember.

canada experience whole remember

My actual taste in music is pretty bad, I think.

pretty bad think music

I only had, like, 4 CDs when I was in college, and one of them was the soundtrack to 'Good Morning Vietnam' - that's how much I don't know about music.

good music college morning

I think it's weird to not be honest about your age.

weird your think age

Alexis and I actually shot the very first scene of 'Gilmore Girls.' What I thought was fast was nowhere near what has become known as 'Gilmore pace.'

fast become first thought

On 'Beverly Hills 90210,' I was very young and very nervous.

beverly-hills hills nervous young

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