(she/her)
BFA Acting
Peihwen J. Tai is a Taiwanese-Canadian actor. A UBC alumni with a Japanese double-major, she’s acted in Taiwan and in Vancouver with SFU, UBC, Vancouver Fringe, and other independent artists. She was part of the residency at What Lab and performed/co-wrote/co-directed in a piece on Asian identities.
What was one of the highlights of your UBC experience?
Finding my own voice. If I hadn’t joined the acting program here at UBC, I would never have been able to find the courage in myself to create my own work and to put myself out their while (semi) confidently proclaiming to the world: I’m an actor.
What kind of creative work do you see yourself doing in the next few years?
I’ve started writing again after a six-year hiatus and will continue writing while working as an actor in theatre and film. I love projects with unique premises so that’s where I’m headed. An Asian-Willem-Dafoe indie darling of sorts, that’d be cool.
What is your dream role?
Anything as long as I can be in a scene with Steven Yeun or Tony Leung. That, or being in a slasher B-movie. (I actually have an idea for one that is set on the prairies. It’s sub-textually about the Asian model minority myth.)
Who is your favourite playwright?
I don’t have one but I watched The Humans by Stephen Karam with my partner recently and it completely destroyed me. It is such a minute depiction of life that hit home for me, especially how it made me think about my own up-bringing.
What are some of your special skills?
I’m terrifyingly good at making bird sounds now. Oh, and I cry. It’s very easy for me to cry—whether in a scene or not.
Who would you most like to have dinner with?
David Bowie. But that isn’t possible anymore (R.I.P. David). So, David Bowie’s hologram.
Peihwen Tai 2
Peihwen J. Tai Headshot
Peihwen Tai 1
Peihwen J. Tai Headshot