Chris Pang on His "Charlie’s Angels" Role and Increasing Diversity on Screen

"The fight is still the same."

Chris Pang has come a long way since Tomorrow, When the War Began, the Australian action-adventure war drama that propelled him into the spotlight.

The Melbourne-born 34-year-old moved to Los Angeles, starred in the blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians, and is now acting alongside Kristen Stewart in the new Charlie’s Angels movie.

Given his impressive screen career, you’d think he’s had everything figured out from the beginning. However, as Chris tells Student Edge, that wasn’t exactly the case.

"I had no idea what I was doing when I did Tomorrow, When the War Began, come on!" Chris says.

"It was my first big acting gig, and I was learning everything. I had no idea what a mark was. I was trying to learn how to walk up and stand on it without looking at the ground. I learnt so much about how to behave on a movie set."

Of course, he has grown up a lot since then.

"Not only have I grown as an actor, but I’ve grown as a person too. I mean, that was ten years ago. Although, maturity wise, I am about the same," Chris laughs.

With parents of Chinese and Taiwanese descent, Chris made the big move from Australia to Los Angeles in 2013 to pursue a wider range of roles than was available for him in Australia

"After doing Tomorrow, When the War Began, the work just wasn’t there. I had to leave, so I came to LA, and there was more work automatically," he explains.

Between roles in Marco Polo and Crazy Rich Asians, along with smaller projects, the actor has definitely been keeping busy. Now, he has a key role in the Charlie’s Angels reboot, which he says taking was a complete no-brainer.

"It’s Charlie’s Angels!" he says.

"It’s Elizabeth Banks directing and writing, and it’s a dream to work with her. And then I had a scene with Patrick Stewart, and I got to talk to him as an equal. It was insane.

"I wanted to take a photo with him afterwards, but I kind of restrained myself. After the scene, he put his hand on my shoulder and said I nailed the scene.

"That made my life."

Chris also shares a significant amount of screen time with Kristen Stewart, whom he holds is severely misunderstood.

"She is the best. Honestly, before I met her, I felt like everybody that I speak to has the same idea of what Kristen is going to be like, maybe because of Twilight, and it’s so much not like her," he says.

"In this film, I feel like this is when you get to know the real Kristen. She is hilarious. And that’s what she’s like in real life."

As Chris reiterates, he feels incredibly lucky to have had roles in such huge films, alongside such stellar performers. On the other hand, he’s still fighting relentlessly for increased diversity and representation on screen.

"The fight is still the same," he says.

"The desire to create and tell stories is still the same. And for me, as an ethnic minority: to fight for diversity and representation. I think that has always been there, and I feel very honoured to be at the forefront of that conversation."

However, the actor does believe that change is happening.

"I think last year we had such a ridiculous jump and leap forward in terms of diversity. We had films like Crazy Rich Asians and Black Panther, and they did well," he says.

"We’re seeing a lot more diverse casting, and it’s not just in ethnic diversity, but sexual diversity as well. I just did a show where we were exploring autism, and we hired actors that are actually autistic. It’s diversity in all areas, and I think that’s beautiful, and we definitely need that."

While Chris affirms that it’s crucial for people of all cultures to be represented on screen, he also stresses that young actors should focus on becoming as skilled as possible. That is where he believes the opportunities really come from.

"One of the most inspiring things I’ve seen as an actor was the casting process for Crazy Rich Asians," he says.

"I saw people that were considered for the lead role of a major studio film that had done nothing before. And so, my advice would be to focus on your craft. I think if you’re good, you will get your chance, and you’ll get an opportunity to shoot your shot.

"But you have to be good."

Charlie’s Angels arrives in Australian cinemas 14 November.