Dante Basco Quotes

Dante Basco

Profession : Actor

Birth : August 29, 1975

It's weird because I grew up in this town, so the things I really dug, I was constantly around them. Like Alyssa Milano - I had the biggest crush on her from TV, but I also saw her around town at parties. It's just funny.

Dante Basco

You have to understand, when you're 15 and you're doing this Steven Spielberg movie with megastars - Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts - you know you want to be cool. I don't know how cool I'm going to look with my belly button out!

Dante Basco

My first professional acting role was a small part in a television series called 'The Wizard.' I later had the opportunity to work on Michael Jackson's Moon-walker music video.

Dante Basco

The crazy thing about 'Hook' was it was one of the movies in town that everybody knew about. It was the biggest film shooting in Hollywood at the time and the idea of Robin Williams playing Peter Pan really captured everybody's imagination.

Dante Basco

And it's ironic that in my career I've done the black shows from 'Moesha' to 'Fresh Prince' to 'Hangin' with Mr. Cooper,' and then a lot of black films like 'Biker Boyz' and 'Love Don't Cost a Thing.'

Dante Basco

But being Asian American, a lot of Asian American guys come up to me who are in interracial relationships and they tell me, 'Growing up my partner had a big crush on you and so you're probably one of the reasons why she married me, so thank you.'

Dante Basco

I'm a poet, first and foremost as a writer. That's who I am. That's what I'm most comfortable writing.

Dante Basco

Being a Filipino actor in Hollywood, the most frustrating part of landing roles in Hollywood is definitely the limited roles available and the lack of diversity.

Dante Basco

I've actually had a great career in Hollywood. I've been a working actor my whole life.

Dante Basco

I come from a big family of brothers and sisters and family dramas and honor and dishonor.

Dante Basco

My grandfather was a survivor of the Death March and his war buddies were among our neighbors. Where we lived in San Francisco, there was a cultural center where the Filipinos congregate to have parties and to celebrate Bataan Day.

Dante Basco

But everyone comes to Hollywood hoping to get a role people are going to remember them for, and I get girls saying I was their first crush, or Asian guys saying Rufio was the first time they saw an Asian kid on-screen that wasn't nerdy or stereotypical, so I was lucky the character that resonated was cool.

Dante Basco

When preparing for auditions, I have no rituals. I just try to be as prepared as possible.

Dante Basco

It's even rougher for the kids today because they have social media - it's as if they're being interviewed every moment of the day even when they're just interviewing themselves, putting out a tweet or an Instagram post.

Dante Basco

I grew up in a pretty rough neighborhood, Paramount, California, outside of L.A., like near Compton, that's where I'm from.

Dante Basco

Anyone who has been in this town long enough has their own 'True Hollywood story.'

Dante Basco

I feel like I grew up differently, when you're a child actor you grow up differently, but it's not that different than growing up as, like, a child basketball player who goes to the NBA. There are certain kids who become professionals at a very young age. There's a lot of sacrifice that goes into that.

Dante Basco

I didn't have the regular high school experience. My experiences were on sets.

Dante Basco

Look, everyone who ever comes to Hollywood, you hope to do something that people will remember you for.

Dante Basco

I was 15 when I did Rufio and now I've been Rufio for more of my life than I haven't been. Wrestling with that is always interesting because you don't want to be fully defined by it, but at the same time it's you, and you don't want to be ashamed of you either.

Dante Basco