The star of “The Sympathizer” talks about how, until obtaining a major part, he “never felt rooted” to his Vietnamese roots.

TFD – Explore the world of “The Sympathizer” on HBO, a riveting adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s acclaimed novel directed by Park Chan-wook. Learn about the lead actor, Hoa Xuande, and the cultural significance of this compelling Vietnam War drama.

You’ve all experienced it: you check out a book from the library, read the first three chapters, but then something happens in life and you have to return the book incomplete.

When Hoa Xuande checked out Viet Thanh Nguyen’s 2016 Pulitzer-winning book “The Sympathizer,” that’s precisely what happened to him.

However, after a few years, he was chosen to play the lead role in HBO’s TV version of the book, which was directed by the highly regarded Park Chan-wook.

Xuande informed over Zoom in a recent interview, “Once I put in my first audition tape, I definitely bought the book and read it cover to cover.”

Xuande plays The Captain, a nameless Viet Cong double agent who works inside the South Vietnamese army that the United States supports, in this Vietnam War drama set in the 1970s as the war is coming to an end.

The series follows The Captain as his mission takes him to the United States after Saigon falls, and like the novel, it veers between multiple timeframes.

Possibility of a closer relationship

Being The Captain meant more to Sydney, Australia-born Xuande than just accepting the position of a lifetime; it strengthened his ties to his culture.

Prior to filming, he studied Vietnamese culture outside of “what is portrayed in movies and mainstream media” and polished his bilingual Vietnamese language abilities.

He clarified, “All of my friends were Australian.” “When my Vietnamese parents would explain to me about what it was like to grow up during the war, I never really felt rooted in the culture.”

Xuande acknowledges that his participation in this series has been crucial in helping him to gain a deeper understanding of how his heritage has shaped his identity. He claims that he was unaware of this influence until much later in life.

“I’m honored to have a part like this, where I can lead a story about the Vietnamese experience of the war and be a part of an ensemble cast that is primarily Vietnamese,” he remarked.

Alongside Xuande are Hollywood heavyweights Sandra Oh (the winner of an Emmy for her performance in “Killing Eve”) and Robert Downey Jr. (who recently won an Oscar for his role in “Oppenheimer”), as well as Vietnamese actors Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le, Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen, Alan Trong, Phanxine, and Kieu Chinh.

“This is my life.”

The well-known actress Chinh, who starred in “The Joy Luck Club,” plays a mother of a South Vietnamese Major (Phanxine) who is compelled to leave to the United States. Drawing comparisons to her own life, she was compelled to flee at the age of fifteen after been born during the Vietnam War.

According to the 86-year-old actor, “It’s my life.” The relocation, the camps for refugees, the reconstruction, and starting again in a foreign nation. Everything is in its place.

Who, oh, plays The Captain’s love partner, Ms. Sofia Mori, a second-generation Japanese-American, stated that the advancement of the entertainment business depends on the use of representational casting.

Oh stated, “It’s about who we choose to support and how we support them.” The majority of our Vietnamese cast members were SAG newcomers. You don’t necessarily know what to ask for or what the rules are.”

Xuande, who entered the production as a “green and inexperienced” participant, compared Oh to a mother figure on the set, since she provided him with important support and direction during the filming process.

A unique casting challenge

For casting director Jennifer Venditti and her crew, casting The Captain was a crucial and difficult undertaking.

They were immediately drawn to Xuande after she submitted an outstanding audition tape in response to an international casting call. He persevered through an eight-month audition process, which included trips from Australia to Los Angeles and South Korea to meet director Park Chan-wook, in spite of competition.

Don McKellar, a co-creator of the series, described it as “kind of like torture for him.” However, we felt there was something unique about him the moment we laid eyes on him. He exudes a magnetism reminiscent of a Hollywood movie star from the 1970s, but with a Vietnamese twist.

Xuande became acquainted with Park’s filmography during the audition process, with the exception of “Oldboy,” which “everyone knows about.” Fascinated by his meticulous attention to detail and his skill at crafting complex stories about people with depths of character, Xuande knew he was about to step into a set of extraordinary caliber.

“I was just trying to keep up,” he recalled. By the end of shooting, we developed this shorthand where (he) would tell me what he needed, and I would get it and just do it,” he later added.

Not bad for a newcomer.

Given that Viet Thanh Nguyen did pen a sequel titled “The Committed,” Xuande might find himself returning to the library in the future if a second season is in the works.

HBO has “The Sympathizer” accessible for streaming.