Courtesy of SkySoft
This year, Hunter Tabiendo became SkySoft’s second-ever Man of the Year. Hunter has been with SkySoft since the very beginning and got his big break playing Oron of Kova in the hit series Fox. SkyWire’s Daniel Andrade recently spoke with him about Fox, acting, writing, and his future ambitions. Below is that interview.
How long have you been acting and what got you into it?
I have been “acting” for 3 years now, and Monroe Hayden got me into it. I put acting in
quotes because I’ve never gone on an audition or taken any classes. I’ve either just been asked
for help, or I was able to pitch my own characters, like Oron and Penelope, to a creator.
How specifically did she get you into acting? Did she invite you? Did she show you? Did she discuss it with you? What was the whole process of her getting you into it?
So it was around Season 1 of Fox and she asked for help. First thing that I remember was to stand in for Xander, and after that, she asked me to help with choreography for fighting, especially since I was going to be involved with it, and I had always talked to her about how I liked martial arts and stuff. Daredevil had just come out so we were talking about “Yeah let’s do that! How do we do it? Oh, let’s think about it!” Then from there I kind of thought of Oron as a character and then pitched it to her. She was like “Yeah, we’ll see, we’ll bring it in Season 3.” Then, I think I talk about this a lot, but there’s the conversation we had on the couch about how do we move this scene forward, and I was thinking “How about we bring in Oron?” And, you know, the rest you see.
So it was almost like a call back to the discussion you guys had been building. It was like slowly building up into…
Yeah basically, it was all baby steps. It started with one thing, and then another and then another and then another, and then it’s to where we are now.
Courtesy of SkySoft
Was acting something that you always wanted to do?
Acting always seemed very fun and exciting when I was young, but in my perspective, it
seemed different than my lifestyle or beyond my potential. I’m not really used to asking for what
I want, so throughout my life, a lot of fear and anxiety has stopped me from doing a lot of things,
including expressing interest in acting when I was young.
I know for a lot of people that fear and anxiety can be something that just completely stops them altogether. They just will be too afraid or too worried to do anything about it. So what helped you to push past that?
At first, it was that there was no pressure on me. It was just like “Oh cool, this is something fun to do,” I kind of saw it as a hobby. Then I started to realize more and more how basically important it was to me, and also what I could do with it. That’s when it started coming in, and it was a lot easier to already be doing it and have the anxiety kick in, because it’s like “Well, I gotta keep doing it,” instead of trying to take that first step as everything goes on.
So it’s almost like re-channeling that energy.
Yeah, exactly, even using it to elevate, because like “Ok, now this is important.”
Yeah, I can understand that. So it’s all perspective right? And then again, I think what helped probably was being eased into it, so you weren’t just, like, thrown into it. You had time to adjust and to learn and to grow.
Yeah, my perspective definitely changed partway through, and then it was already much easier being a part of it.
Courtesy of SkySoft
Is there any type of genre of acting you would like to try?
Well, I have done so little and only know so much, but I feel like I would enjoy Action
Comedies. I can’t say for sure what I would be best for though.
What is it that draws you to that genre?
Just the entertainment value. I’ve always liked the action aspect of any kind of movie, just for the martial arts of it. And then comedy is always fun, like who doesn’t love that? I mean as far as what I do myself, I’m a man of action and laughs.
(laughs) Yes! So are there any specific movies that you’re thinking of when you think of a quintessential action-comedy?
The Rush Hour series. Kung-Fu Hustle is also a big one for me.
How was the distribution of the scripts like for this final season? Did you get them one by one or all at once? Did you skip to the end or walk it through?
It depended on the situation. Sometimes I got only scenes I was involved in and sometimes I
got the entire script for an episode. As far as the distribution, we either got episodes one at a
time, or in a batch. And I would read them chronologically as the episodes were released to
me. Then I would just jump around to whichever scene I would need to work on.
Were there any moments while reading these final scripts where you were shocked or even emotional?
In terms of shocking, not really. Ever since I joined in Season 1 I’ve been mostly aware of the concerned narrative at those present moments.
What do you mean by that?
Being part of a story that has a greater message then just to tell the journey of the hero. Having something that can also go towards real life and what viewers can take away from a project and be inspired from. As for emotional, regardless of me knowing the major events and general outline of the story, Monroe’s writing of series finale really hit me right in the feels.
How so did it hit you in the feels? Was it from Oron moments or other character moments as well, or just the general vibe?
It was actually a lot more personal, mostly because, you know, I’ve worked on Fox since Season 1, not the very beginning of it, but still. From reading the script to actually seeing it on screen at this point, it really started hitting the nails on the coffin. Not only that but, you know, that’s my cousin on screen. These are some very special moments that I’ve imagined before, but not in this kind of way, where it’s actually fictional but still real all the while, watching it in this kind of medium.
What is one thing you'll take from the Fox experience?
The memories and friendships I’ve made on this project are very important to me.
What are some of your favorite memories you’ve made from Season 4, or all of the seasons really?
Definitely Terrell falling in the river!
(laughs) That’s a pretty great one, a classic Fox story!
Another good memory was bringing Jacob on set, and getting to see him coming from work, and just being able to act and all that, and him really overcoming some fears that he didn’t know he had, and just doing what he did, you know, being a fan favorite, in his own Alliel kind of way.
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Are you going to miss Oron or are you ready to part ways with him?
I’m going to remember Oron fondly but I’m also excited to move on from him. Right now, I feel
like I have so much tangible potential that I can now rise up to meet, because performing as
Oron has helped me see that I’m actually worthy to keep going forward in this journey.
Are there any particular Oron scenes that you’re most proud of, or that you think helped you grow the most as an actor?
Yeah there are ones that I can watch now, and look back and be like “Yo, I’m doing better than how I acted here,” and I’m also able to recognize that I can do better, and I’ll know what to do, as far as tone, rhythm, speaking clearly and all that. The biggest one from Season 3 was when Oron is talking to Fox about Daisy coming back. I felt good at the moment about how I was performing, but then watching it back it’s like “Wow, I can do a lot better.” My monologue from Season 4 where I talk about Oron’s past is kind of a highlight for me, mostly because I did better than I actually thought I did. Then there are other scenes where maybe I’m not talking but I still feel like my character is present in the moment, even though I’m in the background. I’m glad enough that I can hold onto that.
Did you like how Fox ended?
I love the ending we have, wholly. I’ve had some of the specific scenes, that Monroe and I had
talked about, in my head for maybe a year now, so they’ve been marinating up there for that
long and when I finally got my hands on that part of the script, it was definitely fulfilling. I think
the fans loved the ending as much as I do. I’m very proud and inspired by my cousin’s writing
on that.
What are some of those specific scenes that you had been thinking about for a while, and how did it feel to see them come to life on the screen?
Most specifically was Oron carrying Fox back from that last battle with Anu, because it was just kind of an idea that me and Monroe had talked about. I remember we were talking about that, nothing was set, we were trying to throw some ideas around, like “Well, what if she died? How would we do it? How would we show it efficiently and still impactful?” I think once we started figuring that part out, it was more so figuring everything else around it, so that scene specifically was in my head for that particular year. I remember seeing it in the script and it hit me, and then we shot it and it hit me again, and then showing it at the screening, during that whole sequence with the wedding and all that, I couldn’t even stay sitting down, I had to get up and had to go off into a corner and try to hide.
You've written some episodes for Fox. What did you learn from that? In earlier seasons you were basically contributing rather than writing it all yourself, so what was the difference of stepping in and taking over?
Well, I don’t know the difference between simply contributing versus taking over, because
that’s all I’ve properly written. One thing I had to learn about writing was how Monroe and I
differed in writing style and thinking process. She’s had more experience writing and I was
working myself to vibe and mesh with what she had already and the new outline we developed,
for that season. This was her story before I was a part of it and it was Mr. Haven’s as well, so I
was excited for the opportunity, but my biggest priority was to develop something that respects
all the hard work and passion they’ve put into it by treating with my own hard work and passion.
What would you say is your writing style and thinking process?
Starting from the characters, and then having the scene and set-up in which they’re all at, and whether they’re mentioned or not, knowing where each character stands within a scene so that they stay true to their character and still are able to push a scene forward. I don’t know what kind of style that is, but it’s something that I’ve definitely learned after the fact. I think I learned during it too, trying to construct something and realize if it was good enough to be checked or if I had to start from the beginning. I think our writing styles mostly differ just because she does it more and I needed more experience.
Courtesy of SkySoft
Do you plan on writing your own shows/films in the future?
I do have a couple notebooks filled with characters, outlines, settings, etc., but I don’t know
what want to do with them. Whether developing them into a screenplay or a novel is kind of
beyond my focus at the moment. But I do have ambitions beyond acting in my future.
What has inspired some of these characters and outlines that you came up with?
Movies. I have little chunks of papers filed together or away, and usually on the cover page of whatever idea that I have, in the corner I have movies to rewatch for structure, character, themes, movies that I think might help with the writing. So I usually do a lot of writing while I’m watching something else, and then I’ll have to shut it off and just put some lo-fi hip hop on and just try to fill up pages mostly. I haven’t done that in a while though.
If everything works out for you exactly the way you want it to, where do you eventually want to be in the future (career-wise)?
I want to keep working in film in a myriad of ways. I want to keep “fighting,” and working with
Skysoft, and making some of my own ideas into more than what they are now.
What do you mean by “fighting?”
I mean staged fighting and choreography. To actually do some real fighting like MMA or boxing takes a different type of dedication and focus that I don’t want to commit to. I don’t want to be a champion fighter because it takes so much and you have to be completely passionate about that to even be a contender. I’d rather focus on the kind of things I’m doing now and just get better at it.
I also want to work with friends I’ve been working with for decades and still meet new people to build with. When I’m old I hope I can help younger people, who are where I am now, move forward with whatever they want to do. I have a very ambiguous dream.
What do you mean by “ambiguous” dream?
Well, it’s not like I’m shooting for an award or anything specific. My goal isn’t a finish line to cross. I’ll know when I’m there. I’ll know when I’m not on the right path, I’ll know when I am. I don’t think there’s ever going to be a moment where I feel so content that I can just stop what I’m doing and stop trying to achieve. It’s going to be a life journey, I don’t think there will be a proper retirement from it.
In the end, I hope I measure my success by the people I have around me and how happy they are, knowing I did whatever I could to help them get there. I don’t want to hold anyone back and I also don’t want to be alone with my merits in the future.
Courtesy of SkySoft
Has your career gotten in the way of your personal life?
I can’t really say my career has gotten in the way of my personal life, rather than say it’s
actually provided me one. With the exception of a handful of people in my life inviting me out, I
never really got out much. Ever since I moved back to California a few years ago I didn’t have
any friends and Fox has given me a safe and easy setting for personal networking. Like I said
before, Fox has given me memories and friendships that I can carry beyond the page and set. I
didn’t really have a life before Fox.
How was that networking affected your goals?
It actually falls in line directly with my goals. As far as what I mean by personal networking, it’s like meeting people to become friends with and actually being friends. I’m starting to sing karaoke now, as you know, and I wouldn’t have started it if I’d never met you! Then there are also friends that you have through karaoke that I’m starting to hang out with now on secondary and tertiary levels. My life has been better by those degrees, at least, because I’m having more fun, I’m enjoying it.
Yeah, and you’re doing things you maybe wouldn’t have thought to do otherwise, right?
Exactly. I don’t think there’s a single thing that I’ve done this year that felt completely unproductive, as far as lessons or anything else like that, unless I’m just laying in bed all day watching shows.
Getting inspiration, we’ll call it that!
(laughs) Yeah, that’s a good excuse!
How can someone balance an acting career and a personal life? Is it possible?
It’s very possible to be able to balance it all out for yourself. But the hardest lesson I think I
had to learn for myself is that I can manage my life, but not everybody in my life is going to be
able to comprehend my decision to take this journey and some people will, no matter what, feel
a burden from my decision no matter what I try. It’s going to be their decision to stay in my life, go or try to come back. I also have the decision to keep someone in my life, push them away or
welcome them back.
I think that seems to be kind of a common feeling among people in our profession, people that are more artistic, you know? So why do you think that is the case, that people just have a harder time accepting that or coming to terms with that?
This year, I’ve had to make a decision to put myself on a track where I don’t work a 40-hour workweek, clock in, clock out just to make myself survive. Now I’m on the journey to make my passion and my hobby my career, my job, in line with making myself better and all that. People that I know personally, my family, well some of my family, some my friends, they’ll ask me “Oh, so you’re still acting?” or “How much do you get paid?” without even realizing the actual value that I’m pulling from it or the actual ambitions that I do have for myself personally. I know my overall goal is ambiguous, but there are specific milestones that I know I’ll need to do and pass in order to make my supposedly ambiguous dream a reality. So there are already people in my life that aren’t stopping me, but they don’t know how to support me, or if they want to or if they don’t, or if they’re just checking in because it’s a familial obligation. But I can’t blame them for that because 10 years ago I didn’t know how to think this way. Actually, going through this journey I’ve had to realize for myself what it really means and why it’s described as a journey because we’re all raised up in a certain way, whether you’re in it or not. To try to change your life in that aspect, in any aspect really, where you’re doing something you never imagined possible before, you have to change yourself and you don’t need to change anyone else around you, which is why it’s always good to find people who understand and they can support you in those ways.
How has your life changed since Fox?
My life has found purpose. When I was a kid I wanted to join the Army. As I got into high
school I lost that ambition, but I didn’t know what else I could do or what I wanted to do. I didn’t
go to college and I just worked minimum wage jobs resigning myself to figuring things out as I
went along. I lived in Colorado for almost 10 years and when I was 23 I moved back to my
birthplace in San Diego. I came back a stranger. The city had changed and my family here had
only seen me a few times since then. I had zero friends. I had no future and barely a present. I
was miserable and hopeless. Then my life seemed to slowly restart from scratch when Monroe
asked me to stand in for another actor as Xander in season 1 of Fox. Since then I’ve been able
to take my whole life and use it to recreate myself to what I am now. And I’m not done changing
to what I can be. It’s been painful, stressful and scary, and it’s making sure my life is more
important than it could’ve been. I can make myself better than what I thought possible and I can
dream again.
What would you say have been some of the biggest changes that have happened in your life since Season 1, in terms of who you are now that have brought you here?
I’ve had to really look back at who I used to be and how I didn’t like that, and how I didn’t realize I didn’t like myself during that time. That kind of caused some mental disparity about what I wanted to be and where I actually was. Now I’m much more aware of who I was in the past and currently, I’m using the same aspect of thought to realize who I am now and where I still need to be. I’m trying to keep it more of a prescient thought to keep bettering myself. I’m a decent guy right now, that’s not too egotistical to say, because I know I’m better than who I was before, but I’m also still aware of my potential, and trying to attain the endless potential of trying to become a better person.
What kinds of things are currently working on to reach that full potential? What are some things that you still can improve upon to get you to your ultimate goals?
It’s weird, but it’s going to be abstract analogies, like using the law of motion to keep myself in a better state of mind. A body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest stays at rest. That’s the first law of motion, and it deals completely with physics as it was set, but then it’s also completely relevant to mentality. You have to put yourself in a good place to be good, or you have to try to fight for a good thing. You can’t just let it happen because it’s not going to fire itself up without some kind of inspiration, whether you light that match or you find a place that’s already on fire. So yeah, I use abstract analogies to justify my state of mind.
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