The Stndrd - Issue 6, Part 2

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No. 069 THE STNDRD LIFESTYLE - THE MUSIC ISSUE

BENNY GOLD FALL 14: HATS

FIND THESE HATS AND MORE AT BENNYGOLD.COM



Olivia

39 JAMIE CHUNG44 GLEN POWELL48 OLIVIA MUNN

JAMIECHUNG

“I think Hollywood is starting to realize there is a huge Asian market and they are trying to honor that. I think they are starting to open up to different ethnic groups. It’s hard enough to get a job — no matter what race you are..”

Photography by Diane KingWritten by Topher Adams



Jaime Chung is one of Hollywood’s most visible young actresses. The talented entertainer is originally from the Bay Area of California. She has appeared in a variety of popular projects in her brief career working in the movie industry. She has had pivotal roles in films like Grown Ups, Sucker Punch and The Hangover 2.

She recently worked on two very high profile film projects — she appeared in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and lent her voice to the animated Big Hero 6. “I never gave up. In this industry you get 50 people telling you no before you hear a yes from someone. You have to have the perseverance to continue after being rejected so many times. You need those abilities to survive in a place like Hollywood,” says Chung in regards to her determination to make it in Hollywood.

We talked to Jaime Chung about her Northern California roots, the challenges that face a minority actress and her recent film projects.

Does being from the Bay Area have any effect on you and your career?

Coming from the Bay Area teaches you to have a strong work ethic. There is a sort of kick back attitude that the Bay Area has also though. I say ‘hella’ way more than I should. There is a part of the Bay Area in me that will never go away.

Have you noticed any differences between the Bay Area and Los Angeles mentalities?

It’s a lot different. Kids who are like 5 years old are very comfortable on film sets and know the business in Southern California. It’s so weird to have conversations with children who understand the business so well. So many people in LA have a connection to the entertainment industry. You don’t have that in the Bay; it is a much different mentality in Northern California.

What kind of things inspired you when you were younger to pursue a career in entertainment?

My parents worked all the time when I was growing up. My sister and I would watch movies all the time for entertainment. We would ride our bikes in our neighborhood and pretend we were in The Goonies. Movies were very much a big part of my childhood. I always felt an urge to be involved in the arts. I never thought I would be able to turn it into a career though.

What kinds of challenges come with being a Korean actress in Hollywood? Do you feel like you have less oppurtunites than other non-minority actors?

Any role is difficult to get. Each project is very specific.

I think Hollywood is trying to keep a more open mind. You do see white actors playing roles like King Tut or something and it can be kind of ridiculous. I think Hollywood is staring to realize there is a huge Asian market and they are trying to honor that. I think they are starting to open up to different ethnic groups. It’s hard enough to get a job — no matter what race you are.

What kind of roles are you hoping to get a chance to play in the future?

Look at Tilda Swinton — she can play really interesting characters so well. Swinton in the Snowpiercer played such a crazy and manipulative character in that film. I would love to do a transformation role like that. It would be nice to do more comedy as well. I would like to do more real relationship pieces. I love doing comic book films and out of this world projects... but I would love to switch it up sometimes.

What was it like working on Sin City: A Dame to Kill For?

It was really quick. Each actor was maybe on set a week. Most of the actors didn’t even see each other. We shot our scenes separately and everything was superimposed in postproduction to make it look like we were all together. It was an interesting way to shoot a film, but it was really quick.

Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller both directed Sin City. Does a filmmaking process like the one Sin City had mean you really have to put all your faith into the filmmakers?

The process was very specific to Robert Rodriguez. It’s all about imagination. Frank Miller had all the frames sketched out and it was really cool to see that. To see the final film and see how beautiful it is was pretty incredible. What they did in postproduction was pretty amazing.

What was it like working on the animated project, Big Hero 6?

It was a lot of fun. It is cool to see the process of how these characters develop. They kind of develop the characters around your personality and your mannerisms. It’s a fascinating process — it’s a lengthy process — but it is pretty neat.

Was doing only voice work more challenging for you than appearing in a live action project where you can use your entire body to communicate?

You still have to make everything really realistic in terms of emoting. The only really big difference is you can wear whatever you want when you record your voice. It can be kind of silly and it’s really like playtime. It is a lot of fun to do a film like this.



“I ALWAYS FELT AN URGE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE ARTS. I

NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE

ABLE TO TURN IT INTO A CAREER

THOUGH.”



"I WAS REALLY HAPPY THAT I TURNED OUT TO BE THE PERSON I HOPED I COULD BE. I HOPED I WOULD BE THE KIND OF PERSON WHO WOULD TURN DOWN GUARANTEED

WORK FOR A CHANCE TO WORK WITH AARON SORKIN."

Photography by John RussoWritten by Adam C. Better



How could you possibly not love Olivia Munn? What’s not to love about her? She is extremely talented, absolutely gorgeous and never seems to take herself all that seriously. If you don’t love Olivia Munn you are probably one of those fools who doesn’t love ice cream or Tom Hanks — you aren’t a fool are you?

I’m definitely no fool (at least when it comes to appreciating Munn) and I have been a big fan of hers since I first saw her work on Attack of the Show as a host. She was so naturally funny and charming on Attack that she was able to earn a huge following. Attack of the Show was a live program that aired on the G4 channel for close to a decade. The show focused heavily on popular culture interests like video games and movies. Munn shined in the various sketches and comedy bits she performed on the program.

“Attack of the Show was a very special thing. It was truly lightning in a bottle. Me, Kevin Pereira [her Attack co-host] and our producers really tried to entertain the audience the best way we could. We took big comedic risks and we did things that weren’t politically correct because we knew our audience was smart enough to get that it was a joke. We tried to make it a The Daily Show for geeks,” said Munn during my interview with her. The AOTS team was amazingly successful in their attempt to appeal to a “geek” audience. Munn became every male geek’s crush and Attack of the Show became must see TV for every fanboy and fangirl out there.

During its on air run, Olivia and the AOTS team would promote the program every summer at the Mecca of geekdom — Comic-Con. Munn is practically Comic-Con royalty and her popularity at the convention rivals any superhero or movie property. I personally stood in



STOCKline one year for hours to get Munn’s autograph at the world famous convention that is held each year in San Diego. When I informed her of my past “dedication” to acquiring her signature, she sweetly and earnestly replied — “Was I nice to you?”

AOTS played a major role in elevating the convention to the cultural phenomenon it is today. It isn’t just a haven for geeks anymore — it has become a mainstream spectacle that focuses far more on Hollywood promotion rather than fan and celebrity interaction. The changes are evident to Olivia and she isn’t exactly thrilled about it.

“Everybody goes to Comic-Con now. Things that have nothing to do with geeky interests are there now. A legal-themed TV show will be there and I am just like ‘what are you doing here?’ The most annoying thing is when you talk to celebrities now — most of them tell you they are the king or queen of Comic-Con. They don’t get that everyone with a little bit of fame is the king and queen of Comic-Con. My mom is the queen of Comic-Con — you know what I mean? Anyone with a little bit of fame will get their picture taken by fans there. Comic-Con is a place for fans and when celebrities go there and refuse to have their picture taken... that is so asinine. So you are going there to ignore fans? To me, it has changed, but things like Comic-Con change when they become more mainstream.”

It’s quite easy to assume that Munn has always been the center of attention and adored by all those around her. She assures me that all the relatively recent adulation she receives is in no way something she was familiar with as a young girl. Munn grew up moving from military base to military base with her family. She spent most of her formative years growing up in

"I DIDN’T GO TO LA THINKING PEOPLE WOULD ACCEPT ME OR LIKE ME. A LOT OF ACTORS FACE THEIR DEMISE BECAUSE THEY GO TO LA THINKING THEY WILL BE

LOVED AND THAT CAN BREAK PEOPLE DOWN WHEN IT DOESN’T HAPPEN."Tokyo, Japan and eventually found herself in Oklahoma at the age of 16.

“Going from Tokyo to Oklahoma at the age of 16 was such a huge change. When you grow up in that military world you meet new kids every 3 years or so. When I moved to Oklahoma it was different culturally and everyone around me had sort of established their social groups. I came into this new setting and there weren’t a lot of warm welcomes. The high school I went to was in a community where everyone knew each other since kindergarten. I sort of blended into the lockers — nobody really cared that I existed,” recalls Munn.

As soul-crushing as her teenage years sound — Munn looks back on the experiences she faced with a surprising amount of gratitude. “I am so happy that I had those difficult challenges. I learned how to be okay with being alone. I learned how to handle rejection. I learned how to build a really strong self-worth. I don’t let my worth be based on the thoughts of others. I realize how insignificant popularity and fame are.”

All of those life lessons prepared her for her eventual trek to Los Angeles in the pursuit of a career as an actress. “I didn’t go to LA thinking people would accept me or like me. A lot of actors face their demise because they go to LA thinking they will be loved and that can break people down when it doesn’t happen. When I came to LA I had no expectations about how I should be treated. I understood that just because you want people to like you — it doesn’t mean that they will.”

She faced the usual struggles that confront any actor or actress when they first arrive in Hollywood. Those battles lasted for a few years before she landed her big break on Attack of the Show. “I never went out and partied. I never went home



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THE COAT

KANYE X A.P.C.If you get this coat you will be just like Kanye, minus the Kardashian and fame.

THE SHOE

JOHN VARVATOS CHUKKAThere is nothing like a good Chukka. I stay buying Chukkas.

THEWALLET

GIVENCHYI have so much money that I need two Givenchy wallets to carry it all.

THE BOWTIE

THE ESSENTIAL MANI love bow ties. There is just something special about a bow that ties.

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Thoughts by Dr. Johnny



No. 109 THE STNDRD LIFESTYLE - THE COMEDY ISSUE

THE POCKETSQUARE

THE ESSENTIAL MANI love pockets and I love squares

— that is why the pocket square is so perfect for me.

THE WATCH

OMEGA“How much longer until that gala?” Let me look at my fancy watch and see.

THE BACKPACK

GIVENCHYI need to carry all my fancy things in something — why not in a fancy bag?

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THE SQUARE

DINNER

The Square is a high-class restaurant that is affordable and comfort-able. It is located in SF’s North Beach area.

STAY

THE CLIFT

The Clift is an elegant hotel with plenty of glamor. It captures the spirit and essence of San Francisco perfectly.

San Francisco has a lot more going for it than weirdos, clam chowder and Alcatraz. It is actually a pretty nice place to visit (if you can’t make it to nicer places to visit like Las Vegas or Amsterdam). Here are some of Dr. Johnny’s favorite things to do while stuck in — I mean

visiting — San Francisco.

A NIGHT INSAN FRANCISCO{ {

Thoughts by Dr. Johnny



FOREIGN CINEMA

BRUNCH

An ideal place for brunch is definitely Foreign Cinema. It is a great place to enjoy a San Francisco specific setting while enjoying a really good meal.

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KFAS

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CRAFTSMAN & WOLVES

Craftsman & Wolves is the perfect trendy destination to grab your breakfast in the morning. It will not disappoint!

REDWOOD ROOM

NIGHTCAPDRINK

COMSTOCK SALOON

Comstock Saloon has become a world famous saloon in its relatively short amount of time in existence. It’s a great place to grab a drink!

Located inside The Clift, the Redwood Room is the perfect place to get a drink at the end of your night as you unwind.

A NIGHT INSAN FRANCISCO


The Stndrd - Issue 6, Part 2

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