Born in Ottawa, Tyler Ham Pong first appeared onstage as Lorenzo in “The Merchant of Venice” at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. He would later move to New York City to further his acting career where he wrote and starred in “Moony Mercury” Off-Off-Broadway. He also wrote and produced “Two Days ’til Dawn” at the Gene Frankel Theatre, NYC.
Tyler relocated to Los Angeles to pursue various film and television roles. He produced “Leap” and “CLUB RAT$” which screened at numerous festivals, including (Academy Award Qualifying) LA Shorts Fest and Amazon Prime Video’s first ever online film festival, All Voices Film Festival. His film “The Real McCoy” won the Grand Prize and Best Actor Award at the Asian American Film Lab’s 72 Hour Film Shootout, also winning mentorships with NBC Talent Development Executives. Tyler would go on to co-ordinate the 2020 72 Hour Film Shootout, facilitating these opportunities for other diverse and emerging filmmakers.
Aside from acting and filmmaking, Tyler is currently a travel host for Visit the USA, and has been an Assistant/Associate Producer on several scripted and unscripted shows including, “BIZARRE MURDERS,” “TEXAS CAKE HOUSE,” and “TODDLERS AND TIARAS.” He is based in Los Angeles and is the proud owner/operator of Kill the Pig Productions.
What brought you to LA?
I came to Los Angeles to continue pursuing a career in the entertainment industry after studying acting for a few years in New York. I really loved New York, but I was ready for a change of pace from the packed streets, subways, hard winters, and walking everywhere. I also had several friends who were considering the cross-country move, which encouraged me, and made us accountable to each other. Before moving, I spent a few weeks taking meetings with agents and casting directors in Los Angeles. Luckily, my agent was based in both New York and Los Angeles, which was a big factor in knowing that I had an advocate right away and could hit the ground running.
What advice would you give your 21 year old self about your career?
My advice is that a career in the entertainment industry takes patience (and obviously a lot of hard work along the way). But while practicing patience, it helps to diversify your skills, because this industry is filled with so many unique opportunities and experiences. The reality for the majority of actors is that it’s not a sustainable career on its own. So my passion as an actor led me to understand the tools of the filmmaker, which opened up the world of production and post-production as a photographer, videographer and editor. I also developed a strong passion for helping other actors, through headshot photography, demo reels, and audition taping and coaching.
What are some of the opportunities and challenges as an actor and producer here in LA?
The opportunities in LA are limitless, but access to those opportunities are the biggest challenge. There is no right path, which makes it difficult to know whether your hard work is paying off or not. But the opportunities of community are a big factor for being in LA. Community can offer a sense of belonging, but it can also provide you with your next job.
What's next for you?
Given the state of the industry that question is kind of triggering, ha ha! But seriously, there are always projects on the horizon. I’m currently pitching and developing my own screenplays, ranging from a half-hour TV comedy about wrestling, to a found-footage horror feature film. This summer, I’m giving back to the community by helping organize the 72 Hour Shootout, a filmmaking competition where teams write, film and edit a short film in 72 hours for a chance to win prizes and mentorships with industry professionals, and a premiere at the 48th annual Asian American International Film Festival. As always, I’m running my humble production company, Kill the Pig Productions. Because you gotta make that bacon.