Meet Ryan Cho | Filmmaker & Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Cho and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think risk is great when the calculating and thinking ahead about it beforehand is done right and used well once it’s executed. If there’s enough things to be able to take a risk (enough financial savings, won’t affect living situation, etc.), it’s worthwhile if the right opportunity and experience will propel your life and career forward. It’s all about making sure that you’ll be okay afterwards in the long run. If it doesn’t work out, at least you tried and made the effort. An example of a risk that I took that impacted my life/career was when I moved to Los Angeles in May 2018. It took a lot of saving money, networking, thinking ahead in all areas of life, etc. to do it. Once I realized in early 2018 that I can make it happen, I took the leap and worked extremely hard to fulfill my life and career dreams to the next level. It was 1 of the riskiest things that I’ve ever done but it 100% paid off.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career and professional life is where it is now due to having had a lot of different experiences on multiple jobs in front and behind the camera. From starting as a YouTube personality (acting, editing, etc.), doing directing jobs (music videos, fitness content, etc.), production department work on a variety of cinema platforms (TV shows, films, commercials, etc.), acting in different productions (from a small music video to an Amazon Studios TV show) and so on, my wide variety of experiences have cultivated me to be adaptable and well versed in a variety of work experiences. I’m most proud of having such a wide variety of film and entertainment experiences in front of and behind the camera, not limiting myself to 1 thing. Learning and sometimes jumping on productions without too much experience prior has pushed my boundaries and made me evolve as an artist and filmmaker. Some experiences and times in my career weren’t easy (a few productions that were very disheartening and a toxic work environment, being fired for a variety of reasons, times being slow, etc.), and having to push through those times came from reflecting on how far I’ve come and the obstacles that I’ve faced and resolved. Sometimes things need to fall apart to make way for better things.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Los Angeles County is filled with so much culture, food, entertainment experiences and other things to see. For eating, a couple places that I’d take someone to are Smoke House Restaurant (my favorite film “La La Land” was shot there), a couple Korean BBQ spots and Monty’s Good Burger. For places to visit and hang out, we’d go to places such as Lake Hollywood Park, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Griffith Observatory, hike to the top of the Hollywood Sign, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX and Six Flags Magic Mountain. Some of my favorite things to do are attend TV and film premieres and museums.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to Erica Wernick, a success coach in the entertainment industry (also a TV/film graphic designer). I first got introduced to her by reading her book “LA Bound: The Ultimate Guide”, a book that guides and gives well detailed advice on how to move to Los Angeles (or any new city in general). Some things that it talked about are: how much money to save, networking prior to moving, getting a job(s) prior to moving, different neighborhoods in LA County, the mindset to move, etc. A lot of personal development and logistical information. It was my bible for 4 or so months and helped make my move happen. I’ve been in touch with her ever since (went to her TV special (inspirational talk) and she’s been a huge part on why I live in my dream city now!

Website: https://www.ryan-cho.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cho.318/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryancho508/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryancho318

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theCho508

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ryan57361