Peter Xiao is a proud multi-hyphenate artist--an actor, casting director, fight choreographer, and a producer. Peter often finds his passion in acting and directing, in which he wants to be a person of love and inspiration for everyone. As a casting director, Peter has been casting for almost two years and has cast dozens of award-winning short films and series in NYC. As an actor, he can be seen in off-off-Broadway shows and in several international film festivals. He believes the job of a casting director in the casting process is to discover and magnify each actor’s unique perspective of the character.

Ok, enough bio. Now me talking:)

I was born in Beijing in 2002 with a twin brother born 1 minute right afterward. So, yes, if you don't know me, I have a twin brother - his name is Martin - who does not look like me at all. I am always considered the optimistic, charming, humorous one, whereas Martin is the quiet, rigorous, and logistical one. And we ended up going in different directions. I became an artist, and he pursued the dream for science, like most of my family wanted us to be. I clearly went against their will, as if I had no talent or interest in science or physics or any of that at all. Still, I chose a path that none of my family could predict how it would go - neither would I.

I have never regretted the choices, though, regardless of how much reality has taught me about the cruelty this entertainment industry can exhibit. I spent years trying to accept the fact that I am going to be no one when I graduate from art school, and I will just be one of the common ones that fade away in the waves of newcomers.

"An Actor of Life, An Actor for Life."

If you have seen the previous version of my website, this is the phrase I put on the front page. No matter how hard this career is going to be for me, no matter how many mental breakdowns I am going to have in the future, I always have faith that this is a race of life, and I am going to be an actor for the entirety of my life.

And things happen, of course. I became a casting director by accident, and I am now very passionate about that as well. Though, I am not very good at that, neither my acting skills. I still have too much to learn and too much I am going to experience as a human. Every time people ask me "why do you become an actor/casting director," oh believe me, I can tell you thousands of reasons. But I want to tell you, the most important reasons that made me an artist (and a human being) is LOVE.

We all love this, I know. I don't believe anyone in this industry would say they don't love acting - it is so fun! Isn't it? But that's not what I meant. Nowadays, there have been many ways to interpret this word - in a passionate way, in an intimate way, in a hostile way, and so on. We always talk about how acting has brought joy to us, but we always forget that it wouldn't even exist without love - love creates a community, and a community brings interactivity, through that acting is born and masks are worn. So how can someone say they love acting and this career when they are spreading hate, ignorance, and disrespect across the communities? Come on. It is not a job, nor a money-making method. I do this because I am a human, and I love to be a human. I love to see people being a different kind of human. Every one of them, not just the actors - but the crew members and the new people I am going to meet on set - each comes with a different experience. Each brings me a different kind of joy.

I've said too much, I know. But I am not going to stop saying them. Because I LOVE IT, and I hope YOU LOVE IT too.

Love made me, and I want to be a messenger of love, as an actor, as a casting director, as an artist, as me.

Love forever.

Peter