Scene 2 Seen Podcast: Hong Chau Discusses ‘The Menu,’ Awards Buzz, And Connecting To Grounded Characters
![The Menu](https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IMG_8207.jpg?w=681&h=383&crop=1)
Hello and welcome to the Scene 2 See podcast. I am your host Valerie Complex associate editor and film writer at Deadline Hollywood. On today’s episode is actress Hong Chau.
Hong Chau is the moment. She has delivered one fantastic performance after another. This year she starred in Showing Up, The Menu, and The Whale (a role that is garnering heavy awards buzz), and all the hype is deserved. Chau offers real honesty and authenticity in every role and the actress has had years of experience honing her skills.
On IMDB her first role is listed back in 2006 in a show called Finding My America for one episode. She appeared in episodes of NCIS, How I Met Your Mother, and CIS (Crime Scene Investigation) before landing a recurring role on the television series Treme in 2011. Soon after, she had a small role in Inherent Vice (2014) and in 2018 she had her breakthrough role in the Alexander Payne film Downsizing, for which she earned a Golden Globe and SAG nomination for best supporting actress in a motion picture. From there, Chau has guest starred in several other television shows including Homecoming, Big Little Lies, Bojack Horseman, and Damon Lindelof’s The Watchman. She also earned a nomination for best female lead for her role in 2019s Driveways.
Now we’re in 2022 and for The Whale she’s already received a nomination for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance and accolades for her performance in The Menu as Elsa, a character that is eccentric in more ways than one.
In our discussion, Chau talks about her experience working on The Menu, the awards buzz surrounding her performance in The Whale, and why she gravitates toward grounded characters.
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