KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — Breaking into Hollywood is often framed as a single defining moment.
For Malaysian-Filipino actor Yao, formerly known as Thomas Pang, it came quietly through a self-taped audition he did not expect to lead anywhere.
Today, the 35-year-old is part of Sinners, a Ryan Coogler film starring Michael B. Jordan, marking a significant step in a journey shaped less by sudden opportunity than by years of movement, uncertainty and persistence.
It was a long road to reach this point, which the actor himself describes as a breakout role.
A childhood in motion, a spark in the classroom
Born in Australia to a Malaysian father and a Filipino mother, Yao spent much of his early life moving between countries.
He relocated to the Philippines at the age of two, then moved between Malaysia and Singapore, before settling briefly in London at five and later in the United States at nine, where he grew up and attended high school.
He returned to Malaysia at 19 and spent three years in Kuala Lumpur.
Despite eventually settling in New York, he still holds Malaysian citizenship — a reflection of a life that has never been tied to just one place.
Like many children, his early ambitions were varied.
He once considered becoming a bus driver, an astronaut and even a DJ before returning to what he describes as his constant.
“Acting has always been like my true love,” he told Malay Mail in an interview conducted via video call.
That sense of clarity first surfaced when he was seven in London during a school assignment on Rome.
“My dad thought it would be a good idea for me to memorise a monologue from Julius Caesar and perform it in class,” he recalled.
“So I did. I memorised it and performed it in front of my classmates.
“My teachers were stunned — it was Shakespearey,” he said.
What began as a simple classroom exercise became something more lasting.
Encouraged by his teachers, the experience planted an early confidence — a small beginning that would quietly shape the direction of his life.
Finding footing in unfamiliar spaces
During the three years he spent in Malaysia, he kept pursuing acting even when his momentum was not always steady.
In Kuala Lumpur, he taught at Blue Bricks, introducing children to drama, while continuing to seek opportunities on his own.
His early work ranged from a commercial for Ayam Brand tuna to a short film with German students, along with an independent production at The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre, which he co-wrote.
It was hard to break into the local industry.
“Back then, I didn't have any representation or anything,” he shared.
“It was a little hard for me to break into the scene because I didn't really know anybody there (Malaysia).
“And also, like, I was moving to Malaysia for the first time in, like, 19 years and I didn't speak Malay,” he added.
Refining the craft, step by step
A turning point came when Yao moved to Singapore to pursue formal training at LASALLE College of the Arts, graduating around 2015.
From there, his career began to take on a more defined shape.
He joined theatre company Pangdemonium, performing in Tribes, before transitioning into screen work.
His first on-screen role came in the mini-series Glitch.
“That was the first sort of screen,” he shared.
More projects followed within Singapore’s entertainment scene, including Scrum Tigers (2019), Tiong Bahru Social Club (2020) and The Last Bout (2023-2024).
He later starred in Ken Kwek’s 2022 film LookAtMe, for which he won the Best Performance award at the 2022 New York Asian Film Festival.
When opportunity arrives quietly
The auditioning never stopped, and the big break finally came in 2024.
Through his representatives, Yao was connected to a project related to Sinners, for which he submitted an audition tape without expecting much from it.
The role, however, came through, casting him as Bo-Chow not in a minor or cameo capacity, but in a part with substantial screen time that saw many praising the film’s performances.
Many are aware that Sinners went on to win four awards at the 98th Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, Best Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler, Best Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw, and Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson, further cementing its impact.
“It's a huge honor to be included and to see my work in that,” he said.
“I don't feel like the award is a recognition of me. I think it's a recognition of my work,” he added.
He described the team as deeply dedicated to their craft, each contributing their unique talent to make the best film possible.
He said that the experience was incredibly rewarding and that he was grateful to work alongside them.
Looking ahead: a more physical chapter in John Rambo
The next step is already in motion for Yao — a role in John Rambo, a prequel to the classic Rambo films that is currently in production.
The project marks his second studio film, which he described as a physically demanding production that focuses on practical effects and realism, drawing comparisons to action-driven titles like Mad Max and John Wick.
“I have one of the leading roles. It's nearly an entirely physical production, meaning real effects in camera, real stunts.
“There's a big focus on making it as real as possible because the director, Jalmari Helander, and the producers, of course, are really intent on making the most visceral and like gut felt Rambo movie today that you can have,” Yao said.
A journey that loops back
In many ways, Yao’s story does not centre on a single breakthrough, but on continuity — the idea of returning to something that always felt certain.
From a seven-year-old memorising Julius Caesar in a classroom to performing on an international stage, the path has been gradual, shaped by movement, adjustment and persistence.
The scale may have changed, but the core remains the same: a child discovering something he loved and choosing to follow it wherever it led.
