Jon Prasida is an up and coming Asian Australian actor who was born and raised in Sydney after his parents immigrated from Indonesia. He has been making great strides at both a local and international level and he will be continue to frequent Australian screens. If Jon has caught your attention and you would like to know more about him, below is a one-on-one interview with the talented actor.

What acting gigs have you had or any projects you are currently working on?

My first gig was a guest role on an ABC show called Hiding in 2015. Then my first main role was soon after, for ABC3’s Tomorrow When The War Began in 2016. Soon after that I was another main role in the film Emo the Musical which was released for the Melbourne International Film Festival and should be in cinemas to view by the start of 2017.

At what age did you decide to pursue an acting career?

When I was seventeen, I didn’t like the idea of academic study and didn’t know what to do. But luckily I was then asked to do an audition for a play and I got the role. I have loved it ever since!

What attracted you to the acting industry?

I think the ability to explore internally was a major part. Not to sound corny but I think empathy is one of the keys attributes towards peace and by being able to get inside the mind of someone and figure out why they do what they do, is exciting. It allows me to understand where they’re coming from and then to perform my rendition of that. That’s enjoyable to me.

Did your friends and family support your decision?

My sister became a DJ when she was 18. Mum and Dad weren’t too impressed but they supported her and rolled with it. So when I broke the news to them, they were already ready for the news that her son wanted to throw his life away. Jks, she’s cool with it but yeah I’m pretty sure she’s proud of it.

Have there been any obstacles and setbacks you have encountered during your experience?

Definitely! You will get people saying you can’t do something or like scoff in normal conversation when asking about “what do you do?”. They might not be blatantly rude but there’s a negative undertone. I’ve been fortunate not to come across many people like that and if I have they don’t stick around for long. There’s been a couple of cases within the actual industry but nothing noteworthy. Stuff that all actors go through.

Did you feel any of these obstacles and issues relate to racial or sexual discrimination?

I wouldn’t say they would. I think I have been fortunate not to experience any of that within the industry. I have heard of horror stories but everything I’ve experiences within the Australian industry in regards to professionalism and opportunity has been great, although it might be different for some other cases or maybe the older generation.

Which areas of the Australian acting industry do you think needs to be improved?

Having shows that represent the current times. Barring periodical pieces. I want to see shows with diversity. Shows that people from all sorts of different backgrounds can look up to and say “wow that person is interesting”. TV and film have a bigger impact on society than we care to think. What I love about the character lee in Tomorrow When The War Began is that he is from a Thai background and the invaders are a little ambiguous in country, but allude to them being somewhere from Asia. Kids who watch the show can easily see one of their heroes Lee, may look somewhat similar to the baddies but he’s one of us. This subtly teaches and ingrains in them that it doesn’t matter what colour you are or what you look like. For example in The Walking Dead, there is a diverse range of people to represent a ‘smaller version’ of America and the beauty of it is that their backgrounds are never the main point of their character. However, shows like Fresh of the Boat, The Family Law,or Here Comes The Habibs, I guess it is away to help tell the stories of those families to educate and shed some light in the lives of people of colour but also to say to another part of the audience that they are not alone.

What advice can you give young Australian actors that want to enter the acting industry?

Understand why you want to do it, cause it isn’t easy. Hard work does not necessarily pay off in this industry. Surround yourself with people who support you and those who want to criticise, understand where they may be coming from. If it doesn’t come from a space of love and growth then they are not going to be any use to you.