Two Hawaiʻi-born actors are making names for themselves in Hollywood.
Nyah Juliano and Koda Beschen recently appeared in the Fox series "Rescue: HI-Surf" and in independent films.
Both local actors pay homage to their island roots as they navigate the film industry.
Here are their stories:
Nyah Juliano
Nyah Juliano, 24, was always drawn to the spotlight of theater. She performed in her first play in middle school, but it wasn’t until she attended high school at Mid-Pacific Institute that she decided to pursue a career in acting.
She had the lead role in Bertolt Brecht's play "The Caucasian Chalk Circle," about a working-class girl who rescues a baby and becomes a better mother than the child’s wealthy biological parents.
“It was very challenging but also fun to do,” she said. “Memorizing the lines, really diving into a character, getting to know who she is and what she’s fighting for.”
Originally from Oʻahu, Juliano moved to New York when she was 18 to study acting at New York University.
She’s made short films and student films. She recently appeared in the indie film "Reeling," which premiered at South by Southwest, an annual conference and festival held in Austin, Texas, that celebrates the film and music industries.
In the “South Winds” episode of “Rescue: HI-Surf,” Penelope, played by Juliano, is with a group of drunk college students partying in the ocean on floaties. Penelope tries to get the partiers to stop pushing their fraternity brother beyond his limits before he potentially drowns.
Juliano said she typically plays the young high school or college girl. But she wants to take on more serious roles
“I feel like it would be a unique challenge to step out of my comfort zone of doing characters like that and do something unlike me,” she said. “You find the grit in her.”
Her favorite actor, whom she looks up to, is Emma Stone because of her trajectory in acting, which has taken her from the movie "Easy A" to "La La Land."
Much like other work industries, there is rejection. While Juliano has also faced challenges of not getting the roles she wanted, she takes it with a grain of salt and views it as an opportunity to work even harder.
“I just like to take it one step at a time,” she said. “Every audition I get is an opportunity to act and to work on something, even just for a little bit.”
Although Juliano misses the islands, she said there are more opportunities for her on the U.S. continent. She hopes Hawaiʻi will be put on the map in Hollywood and that more productions will happen.
“Rescue: HI-Surf” and “Reeling” were shot in Hawaiʻi. Juliano underscored that it’s important to showcase Hawai‘i as more than just a tourist destination.
“It's so important to me … for a lot more of us from Hawaiʻi to get out there and share our voices because we have so many stories to tell,” she said.
Koda Beschen
Koda Beschen, 19, grew up on the North Shore of Oʻahu. He remembered making skits with his brother and just having fun.
He was modeling before he was booked for his first role, in Disney’s comedy-drama TV series "Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.," when he was 15. He played Goofy J.
He played Freddie in “Rescue: HI-Surf.” In the “South Winds” episode, Freddie and his friends steal a canoe and head to the ocean. They run into trouble as the canoe begins to sink, leading to a rescue mission by a lifeguard team.
Beschen said it was the biggest production he’s worked with.
“It was so much fun,” he said.
Beschen said he has played young characters causing mischief. He has a more go-with-the-flow attitude when it comes to acting.
“As long as the script is written well, the characters are going to be layered, complex, and human,” he said.
He said the most important thing about acting is being a good listener.
His favorite actor is Robert Pattinson, who has starred in the movies "Twilight" and "Mickey 17."
“He started out as the heartthrob,” he said. “Now he does a bunch of strange, bizarre projects that allow him to really hone in on his craft. I think that is an admirable trait of his, and I like that he sticks to his guns.”
Beschen also filmed “Wrong Place, Wrong Time.” The movie is based on the novel by Gillian McAllister about a cop who witnesses a murder and embarks on a journey to unravel the mystery before becoming the killer’s next target.
Now based in Los Angeles, Beschen said he misses home and wants to get to a point in his career where he can visit home more often.
“That’s something that moves me,” he said.
