Chase Sui Wonders Commands Your Focus

      "I believe there's a Machiavellian glint within me," remarks Chase Sui Wonders with a playful grin. The rising actress showcases her most ruthless persona in the praised Apple TV+ series The Studio. While it's fiction, one might wonder about its authenticity. Hollywood often narrates its own tales, and surprise—the series serves as a meta commentary on the industry itself. It blurs the distinctions between reality and fantasy using clever humor that satirizes Hollywood's seriousness in a manner uniquely crafted by creator Seth Rogen, featuring cameos from renowned stars like Zoë Kravitz and Martin Scorsese. This role marks one of the largest in Sui Wonders's career, where she portrays Quinn, a young, driven assistant turned executive willing to do anything to ascend the corporate hierarchy. Much like Quinn, Sui Wonders faced the challenge of stepping into significant shoes. Not only was she the inexperienced newcomer among comedy icons such as Rogen, Kathryn Hahn, and Ike Barinholtz (whom she humorously refers to as "fresh meat"), but she also jumped straight into filming her character's most controversial arc without a warm-up. "On the first day, scene one was between me and Ike screaming at each other in an episode where we basically go at each other’s throats," she describes. That's a pressure-filled start.

      "I'm a huge fan of Ike," she adds. "He's now a close friend, but that was quite a wild way to dive in. At that moment, you don't really know your co-stars well, so I introduced myself with a friendly, 'Nice to meet you, Ike,' followed by spitting in his face." Despite feeling intimidated, viewers wouldn't guess Sui Wonders showed any sign of nerves while viewing her in episode five titled "The War." It seems that's just part of the Chase Sui Wonders allure. In fact, she seems to enjoy playing the underdog. While her character Quinn must "toughen up and find her footing," Sui Wonders experienced similar feelings while sharing the screen with comedy legends she has long admired. Naturally, I was curious who left her the most starstruck among the A-listers. Without hesitation, she replied: "I can recite all of Kathryn Hahn's monologues from Step Brothers and I often do. Meeting her was surreal because she's unapologetically quirky while being incredibly attractive." Rogen and Evan Goldberg also rank highly for those who grew up in the late '90s. "I grew up with their films: Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, Superbad. I genuinely believe that This Is the End is the last great American comedy," Sui Wonders explains.

      For the 28-year-old star, this is a significant leap, but she’s always embraced Quinn's energy. Raised in suburban Detroit, she describes herself as somewhat "sheltered" until heading off to study film at Harvard, where she was the sole female in her program. "College opened my eyes to a completely different world," she recalls. "I met coastal elites for the first time and people who were incredibly cultured. I felt out of place and needed to prove something." Despite the lively persona she presents now, Sui Wonders battled severe shyness as a child and didn't speak for the first ten years of her life. Acting classes helped her come out of her shell. "In college, I participated in a play that got harshly reviewed by the school paper. I thought, 'How could anyone make this a career? I don't have thick skin for this.' That made me want to focus on writing and directing instead," she shares.

      After obtaining her degree in film production, she committed herself to breaking into the industry, doing whatever it took. "I knocked on that door countless times and sent cold emails to people I probably shouldn't have. I found their emails on IMDb and sent my spec script, only to be scolded for it, hearing things like, 'How embarrassing that you did that.' I thought, 'I'm young; people will assume I don't know better, so I might as well take my shot,'" she recalls. Ultimately, those efforts paid off. "There’s a certain ruthlessness and lack of shame that comes from repeatedly putting yourself out there and facing rejection," she confides. This makes me realize her depiction of Quinn might not be as fictional as it seems.

      As for The Studio's accuracy regarding Hollywood? "It's certainly exaggerated, but I find it extraordinarily truthful," she notes. "There's a bizarre reality about studio executives visiting sets. Some are movie fanatics dreaming of being actors or directors, while others know little about film but just seek proximity to famous people. The obsession with fame is real." While it may be amplified, Sui Wonders acknowledges, "Many in the industry will feel both exposed and understood by it."

      The series speaks not only to industry insiders but to film enthusiasts broadly. The references are intricate and diverse, ranging