There’s an under the radar movie out right now, unless you happen to be a teenager, that has put a young Asian American actor on the radar.
Hayden Szeto plays Erwin Kim, the love interest of Nadine Byrd as played by academy award nominated actress and Filipino American Hailee Steinfeld in the coming of age movie, The Edge of Seventeen.
The flick has been out a week and has only earned 6.7 million dollars through Wednesday.
Yet Szeto has been named People Magazine’s 2016 New Romantic Lead in in its One to Watch issue.
Features have also been written about Szeto in USA Today, Vanity Fair, Vulture and Buzz Feed, just to name a few.
“Being an Asian American actor, you’re kind of jaded,” he said to BuzzFeed. “You’re just used to a certain kind of role … you know, the best friend, the tech guy, or anything that underrepresents you as a human being.”
Szeto is from Vancouver, Canada and the son of a Chinese painter. He moved to the United States to pursue his acting career
While not one of the big name actors in a movie that also features Woody Harrelson and Kyra Segwick, Szeto is drawing raves for his portrayal of the awkward charmer and his scene stealing performance.
Szeto was the first actor cast for the movie. Director Kelly Fremon Craig knew he was right as soon as he saw him.
“I was positive it would take forever to find Erwin, but he was the easiest,” she said to USA Today. “Hayden’s just got it.”
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