Back in high school, the biggest dilemma I had was which boy to kiss and which blue eye shadow to use.
But some teens have a little more pressure these days.
A promising athlete shoots for the stars in the new film “Boogie.”
Taylor Takahashi (as Boogie): “No one believes in an Asian basketball player.”
Alfred “Boogie” Chin is a basketball star with hoop dreams.
But before he can become a pro baller, Boogie has to balance school, stereotypes, his heritage, and family.
Taylor Takahashi (as Boogie): “You don’t want to know what is going on in my house. My mom is responsible but she doesn’t believe in me. My dad is irresponsible but he believes in me.”
Taylor Takahashi is the teen sports phenom in “Boogie.”
On the court, he sinks buckets. Off the court is another story!
Taylor Takahashi: “‘Boogie’ is a coming of age story, coming from an immigrant Taiwanese American family and its the journey through his lens. Basketball is a big part of it, adolescence and the whole high school journey is also a part of it.”
If you haven’t heard of Taylor, that’s because this was his first movie! No pressure, right?
Taylor Takahashi: “There was a lot of nerves and a lot of anxiety that went into it. I am glad I didn’t have to wear a heart rate monitor on a daily basis because they probably would have thought I had a heart attack.”
Taylour Paige (as Eleanor): “I need you to fight for yourself the same way you fight for being Chinese.”
Ah, teen love!
Eleanor is Boogie’s girlfriend, biggest cheerleader, and sometimes a distraction.
Taylour Paige: “They are young and there is that teenage angst, attraction and connection.”
According to Taylour Paige, girl power is just what boogie needs.
Taylour Page: “I think she brings a feminine understanding. I think Eleanor grounds the story with the divine feminine element. And girls are always a little more mature than their male counterparts, especially at that age.”
Eddie Huang plays Boogie’s uncle Jackie. He’s a triple threat — he wrote and directed the movie, too.
Eddie Huang: “It’s very hard to wear all those hats. I would love to act again but probably not while directing.”
Note to self: Stick with one job, do it well, and it will be a slam dunk!
Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (as Richie): “This has always been about you. What are you going to do?”
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