actor george zhao | 31

George Zhao joins Takaya Honda for a funny, open and vulnerable chat about Ghosts Australia, The Family Law, acting, ego, imposter syndrome, identity, clown doctoring, almost quitting the industry and learning that casting is not a competition. CHAPTERS 02:40 George moves to Melbourne 04:18 Growing up in New Zealand and Sydney 05:14 The Lion King audition that changed everything 07:15 Dance, shame and becoming self-aware 09:17 Becoming a devout Christian 10:21 Almost training to become an Anglican minister 12:08 Early success and The Family Law 13:03 George’s Logie nomination 15:05 Ghosts Australia and rediscovering the joy of acting 16:10 Anxiety on set and learning how to connect 17:03 The set culture George wants to create 18:05 Small dog intermission 18:40 Booking The Family Law versus booking Ghosts 20:08 Almost quitting acting 23:10 Why George’s Ghosts performance works 24:05 Working as a clown doctor 25:10 Leaving Clown Doctors after moving to Melbourne 26:00 Disability support, counselling and life outside acting 27:10 What clown doctoring taught him as an actor 29:08 Family reaction to the Logie nomination 30:20 Best Actor in a Comedy and imposter syndrome 31:30 Neighbours auditions, David and Leo 33:00 Dropping off the face of the earth 35:10 Reconnecting after years apart 36:00 Asian actors and the myth of competition 38:00 Why casting is not a race 39:00 Getting the right person for the role 40:00 Acting, competition and letting go of control 41:06 Vote for George at the TV Week Logies 42:00 Still figuring out the industry 43:16 Closing thoughts on George Zhao 43:40 George Zhao final thanks 44:00 Just Tak Patreon and extended episode 45:00 Final sign off What we get into: · George’s Logie nomination for Ghosts Australia · Meeting Takaya on The Family Law · Moving from Sydney to Melbourne · Growing up between New Zealand and Australia · His first brush with performance through The Lion King auditions · Dance, school, shame and self-awareness · Almost training to become an Anglican minister · Finding acting at drama school · Early success, ego and The Family Law · Ghosts Australia and playing Joon · Anxiety, self-worth and almost quitting acting · Working as a clown doctor in children’s hospitals · Disability support, counselling and life outside acting · Asian actors, comparison and competition · Why booking the role is not the same as “winning” · Neighbours auditions, David, Leo and old friendships · Voting for George at the TV Week Logies just tak. is an interview platform dedicated to unmasking the reality of the creative industry. Hosted by Australian actor and presenter Takaya Honda, the show strips away the polished PR narratives to ask the most important question in performance: Why? Support Just Tak on Patreon   / justtak   Promotion / Links: Watch George Zhao in Ghosts Australia https://10.com.au/ghosts-australia Watch George Zhao in The Family Law https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-se... Vote for George Zhao at the TV Week Logies https://tvweeklogies.com.au/ Find out more about Clown Doctors Australia https://clowndoctorsaustralia.org.au/ Sponsors: BeautyBoat.com: use code BIN25 for 25% off your entire order. https://beautyboat.com/ RØDE: thanks for the mics making us sound so good. Support: If you’re having a tough time, please don’t struggle alone. Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14, 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention. If life is in danger, call 000. United Kingdom: Text Shout to 85258 for free, confidential 24/7 crisis text support. If you are in immediate danger, call 999. Code: TYKOTUEZQG6PN9IJ