I had studied the violin to a certain amount of success. At some point, I realized that I didnt really like the violin. I was only doing it because I could, and I was good at it, and everyone was encouraging me. But I didnt have a great love for it.

B. D. Wong

Categorized in : Certain Great Love Violin

I have a hard time watching films and not thinking how I would play any part, whether its a man or a woman.

hard-times men thinking

I'm a strong nonbeliever in the Christmas letter where you don't really read it because it's just full of kind of meaningless information. It doesn't really resonate to the person reading it, but it means so much to the person that wrote it.

strong reading mean

Asian people are very practical and come from a conservative world. The parents want their kids to be doctors and lawyers. There are casting calls for Asian children, but once the parents find out the children might miss school, they're opposed to it.

kids children school

I remain on SVU because it is an incredible opportunity. by B. D. Wong

I remain on SVU because it is an incredible opportunity.

incredibles opportunity

Writing is an incredibly creatively empowering experience for me. It is the place where nobody tries to control what I'm doing.

empowering writing trying

If I were to limit myself to the opportunities that were presented playing only Chinese-American parts, I would be virtually without a career.

chinese careers opportunity

I've always had tremendous support from my parents. I think there's a myth that gay people have lousy relationships with their parents.

gay people thinking

As an actor, I have casting issues. I'm a minority. I don't have trouble making a living, but as far as being on the food chain of the pecking order of actors, I'm not at the top of it. With the jobs that I do, there are always control issues with directors and producers.

issues jobs order

The success of the storytellers - we're only as good as what we can withhold from the audience. Aspects of surprise and letting things play out for the audience - it's so much a part of their enjoyment. It's one of the great things about working in the movies and being a great storyteller.

great good surprise success

I'm basically nocturnal. by B. D. Wong

I'm basically nocturnal.

basically nocturnal

Having done 'M. Butterfly,' I'm conscious of the choices women make with their clothes and makeup on screen.

makeup women clothes butterfly

Usually, when you are an ethnic person or a trans person, in your average, everyday, unsophisticated television show, you are there for that reason. And they clearly justify and overexplain why. You very rarely see a transgender actor playing the part of a grocery-store clerk without having to say, 'Oh, look at that trans person.'

look you transgender television

I am fine playing 'Law & Order' and even the 'Jurassic' movies to be straight up, as far as the characters being portrayed there, but I never want to stay in straight-up land too long. I always wanted to do something where the character's world gets to be explored.

i-am character long world

I have a fear of labels. If someone labels me, I have to respond - do I acknowledge it, reject it, deny it, live up to it, and defy it? Labels can affect your ability to be yourself. If you're not careful, like I wasn't when I was young, that can take a toll on you. You find yourself conforming to everyone else's ideas of who you are.

yourself me you fear

I realize it's a cliche almost, that coming out of the closet is a very healthy and empowering thing to do, but for me, it really has been a truly wonderful thing.

realize me healthy wonderful

I always knew I'd be more of a character actor than a leading man, and I always wanted to take that and run with it.

run man always character

If I played characters who were like me, I'd be super bored. by B. D. Wong

If I played characters who were like me, I'd be super bored.

who like me bored

Television shows and movies that are all white, I can't watch the... by B. D. Wong

Television shows and movies that are all white, I can't watch them. They totally alienate me.

movies me white television

Maybe there are logical reasons for a gay person not to have a great relationship with their parents - not because there's a parent who made him gay, but just because it may be difficult to understand everything.

parents great parent relationship

I used to say that I didn't want anything to do with e-mail. It seemed really impersonal, complicated and weird. I had no idea what an amazing way it is to reach people.

weird amazing people way