It’s been quite a journey for Ross Butler, who dropped out of his engineering degree course and made the bold decision to move to Los Angeles 10 years ago when he was 20. Exuding a quiet confidence throughout our phone conversation, the Singapore born, Virginia raised actor tells me: “I didn’t know I wanted to be an actor. I just wanted to change the environment I was in because I felt stuck and just really unhappy.”
His choice did not sit well with his mother, who wanted him to go down the academic path. “My mum and I stopped talking for a few years because she didn’t approve of the move,” Butler shares. “I was also moving to a town that I had only been to once before, so I didn’t have any friends or a support system.” He made his first foray into acting when he turned 21, thanks to a friend who bought him an acting class for US$25. Once he decided acting was what he was going to focus on (it was something he “immediately connected with”), there was no stopping him.
Growing up not only as a foreigner but also mixed‑race in America—his mum is Chinese Malaysian and his dad, English Dutch—Butler never fully related to anyone. “You don’t really feel like you belong. You don’t feel like you have people you can lean on or who understand what you’re going through; it was isolating,” he shares. “I became a social chameleon. I got really good at fitting the mould of who I thought people saw me as.” He turned to film as a means of escape, but it didn’t help that they played into Asian stereotypes and that movie stars were mostly white.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Lights, Camera, Fashion
How does social media alter the way we consume fashion cues from our favourite TV shows and movies?
Beyond Beaches
Escape Down Under for everything your heart desires a romantic intimate wedding, or a cruise along Sydney's picturesque harbour. The world is your oyster and the best thing is you can eat it too.
Out Of This World
Celestial bodies animate autumn's most elegant spritzes.
Do You Fashion, Bro?
As the number of male fashion influencers swells, we look at what's driving this trend.
DOWN TO EARTH
In the spacious apartment of Geraldine Toh and Vincent Lim, art, design elements and an earthy sensibility commingle in perfect harmony.
CRUISING ALTITUDE
With his idiosyncratic Thai movies, dashing movie star good looks and frequent Paris red carpet appearances, Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat is bringing the best of Thailand to the rest of the world.
PUT A RING ON IT
Complete your love story with a beautiful engagement ring and exquisite bridal jewellery from storied London jeweller, GRAFF.
PERFECTING TIME
With its unique Atelier d'Antoine programme and an assembly of artisans, Jaeger-LeCoultre shows how it takes watchcraft into the next level.
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW
'The Shape of Colours', Hermès haute bijouterie collection, is a true technicolour dream.
HAUTE BIJOUX
The latest and most talked-about collections.