Can We Talk About Osric Chau?
August 1, 2015He’s best known as Supernatural’s Advanced Placement student and prophet Kevin Tran. But just a peek into Osric Chau’s vibrant life will show that he is so much more. And he is so precious to our world.
The 29-year-old Canadian is not only an actor, but a martial artist, stuntman and cosplayer. Yes, cosplayer, and a serious one at that. And he doesn’t just don a costume to move around show floors at cons, he does it wherever he can, and as whomever he wants. Oh, and he’s apparently converted his room to look like the bunker his character died in in Supernatural, complete with a Jared Padalecki pillow. It goes perfectly along with his role in The Hillywood Show’s popular Supernatural parody/love-letter to the television show as Sam, donning a mane of a wig and lots of flannel to star opposite of Hilly Hindi as Dean Winchester.
Recently, and in a more serious tone in contrary to his normal fun and entertaining internet persona, the actor posted an impassioned video to his social media accounts on what it is like being an actor of Asian decent. In the video, he speaks stream of mind and celebrates his diversity but also laments the difficulties he has had in finding and being selected for non-stereotypical roles. His goal with the video was to raise visibility of these issues and become a champion for his cause.
I am Proud to be UniqueI turned on a camera and started talking about what it’s like for me to be an actor and what I’m trying to do to change it.http://represent.com/osricchauThank you for your support 🙂
Posted by Osric Chau on Thursday, July 30, 2015
At the time of this writing, his Twitter feed is filled with fans’ depictions of Chau as a My Little Pony character, to which the actor graciously shares. This was all prompted by a Gishwhes hashtag #Shatnermademedoit. Gishwhes is of course Chau’s Supernatural co-star Misha Collins’ giant global scavenger hunt, The Greatest International Scavenger Hunt The World Has Ever Seen.
@OsricChau Would you mind tweeting a pic of a showdown between Kevin’s and Crowley? #Shatnermademedoit @gishwhes pic.twitter.com/p3816rlAyv
— Maya Greenfield (@bearberry915) August 1, 2015
Speaking of Misha Collins, and segwaying into the aforementioned affinity Chau has for cosplay, Chau has donned the iconic trench coat Collins’ character Castiel. Chau calls it in this instance Casplay. But he has cosplayed almost everything else, Assassin’s Creed (while in Rome nonetheless), The Little Mermaid, Amy Wong from Futurama, Up, Marilyn Monroe, Nurse Joy, Sailor Jupiter and dozens upon dozens more.
Chau is also an accomplished martial artist, which makes us wonder why Supernatural didn’t jump on this opportunity to give Kevin Tran some amazing Leviathan-sacking fighting skills for the prophet. In the video below he dukes it out with his brother Owen.
To include why we need to talk about Osric Chau and his contributions to our lovely nerd-filled world is also to take a look at his acting cred in other projects.
Now you have met Osric Chau, so can we please talk about him?!
All photos courtesy of Osric Chau’s social media accounts.