Derek Mio attends 'The Terror: Infamy' event in Los Angeles, California.
“It’s been life-changing. Filming The Terror: Infamy was the most profound experience that I’ve ever had. That’s not just in my acting career, I mean in my life as a whole,” actor Derek Mio explained as we discussed AMC’s horror anthology series. The show is now in its second season.
“To be part of a project where I get to tell the story of both of my grandfathers is incredible. My character, Chester, is a composite of both of my grandfathers in one.”
The fourth-generation Japanese American plays Chester Nakayama in the supernatural drama set on the west coast of the United States during World War II. Following a Japanese-American community from their Southern California home to the internment camps and into war, a specter haunts and torments them every step of the way.
Mio explained: “It was a very intense shoot, a very tight schedule. It was very physically and emotionally and mentally challenging. When it all came to an end, it was very emotional having to leave the crew that I lived with and bonded with. It’s been quite a struggle for me because it was such a special project. It’s been hard to readjust and move on from it. I’m still decompressing from the whole experience.”
The Terror: Infamy premiered on AMC on Monday, August 12, 2019. The ten-episode run has so far received a favorable response from critics and audiences.
“The feedback has been super positive. With family and friends, they’re going to be supportive and have an interest in the show, but it’s also come from people at church and people reaching out and contacting me. I’m often getting messages from strangers who know people who had a connection to the camps, and it is so enlightening. They’re thanking me, the rest of the cast and the crew for telling the story. It’s sparking discussions,” Mio explained.
With shifts in both the social landscape and the television industry, the 37-year-old actor noted that The Terror: Infamy was an essential piece in the jigsaw.
“A couple of episodes ago I was watching the show on TV at home. I couldn’t help but remark to myself how great it was that we got to put this much Japanese language on mainstream American television,” he mused. “People crave these kinds of stories that haven’t been told. Even George Takei, who co-stars and consulted on the show, said that we had come a long way because we have an Asian romantic lead. Previously we were relegated to playing sidekick characters. We are our leading men in our own lives but never on screen. I have a great sense of pride to be in this position.”
Aside from affording better opportunities for representation, the advent of the Peak TV era itself is something Mio couldn’t be more happy about.
“More and more, TV is where the quality content is,” the actor said. “With the viewing habits that people are adapting, going to the movies is expensive. My Dad was saying the other day that it’s an ordeal to go to the movies. Why not stay home and watch something quality on your big screen.”
“We had a limited budget for The Terror: Infamy, but it looks so great. The visual effects and the set design, the production design, and the cinematography, they all have a cinematic quality. I am so proud of what we all achieved with the show. There is some great television, but I think the key is to say something that separates yourself from what is already out there. Be brave.”
However, there was an experience on-set that film nerd Mio will never forget. It’s when Michael Lehmann, the director of one of his favorite movies, helmed two episodes. The film? Hudson Hawk. It cost $65 million to make but grossed just $17.2 million at the domestic box office. However, the 1991 movie has gone on to become a cult favorite.
“Every time we got a new director, I would look them up to see what they had done or if I was familiar with their work. With Michael, Hudson Hawk came up, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’ It was the very first thing I wanted to talk about when he visited the set,” Mio enthused. “Right away I said, ‘You directed Hudson Hawk. I love that movie.’ He just said, ‘Oh, wow. Thank you. That movie didn’t do well. It got panned by critics.’ I told him that it is still one of my family’s favorite movies. Whenever it’s on, we watch it.”
“Almost every day on set, I would throw out lines from Hudson Hawk or reference things from the movie. One day we were shooting a scene where my character Chester was sneaking up the guard tower in one of the enclosures. I suggested that maybe he should be singing Swingin’ On A Star like Bruce Willis in the movie. It was a huge honor.”
The Terror: Infamy airs on AMC on Monday nights.
