Born and raised in the United States, Allan Wu ’94 always considered himself an American although he grew up in a traditional Chinese family living in the small city of San Marino, California. Despite limited exposure to American culture before college, he noticed a lack of Asian representation in his community, especially in media where many roles were extremely stereotyped and one-dimensional. “If an Asian guy depicted in film or television wasn’t a geek or dork, then he was only doing kung fu or some other form of martial arts.”
That background influenced Allan’s own journey into the entertainment industry—as did the skills and friendships he found in SigEp.
ALLAN’S ADVICE TO BROTHERS
“The best advice I ever received was to simply stop worrying so much about what others think; listen to yourself and see what truly makes you happy. If someone gives you a meaningful opportunity, don’t waste it—go give it your best. The only bad experience in life is the one you never learned from, so get out there and live your life and try as much as you can!”
BUILDING DETERMINATION
Allan attended UC Berkeley at the suggestion of his friend James Pott ’93, and together, they decided to join Sigma Phi Epsilon. It was only after the pledge process that Allan realized how this brotherhood from all walks of life would connect him to a big, wide world to come. California Alpha gave him the discipline and determination to work toward his goals as well as forge lifelong friends to support him. “Some of my closest friends to this day are from our times together back at CAL, and I will always treasure all the memories and experiences.”
While at Berkeley, Allan was also a member of the AASA (Asian American Student Association) alongside fellow SigEp Steve Chen ’92. The brothers used their skills and connections there to found Abzolut Productions, an events company to organize Asian American social events in the Bay Area. The company held some of the largest Asian American parties and events in some of the most iconic San Francisco venues of the time, including Sound Factory, DV8, and the Concourse Exhibition Center.
A few years after graduating from CAL and working at a biotechnology company, Allan decided in a “now or never” moment to drop everything and pursue an acting career. “I basically walked into Look Model Agency in the summer of 1997 with no experience or connections,” he recalls. “And somehow, I have never needed to look back since.”
A WORLDWIDE JOURNEY
After doing some of the biggest fashion shows on the West Coast, such as “Macy’s Passport,” and then signing with Ford Models in Los Angeles, Allan used this experience to get comfortable in front of the camera before being offered a unique opportunity to be the first person to relocate to Taipei, Taiwan, to learn Chinese and become a VJ for MTV Asia.
“One day we would be in one country, and by the evening we might be catching a plane to another; I really enjoyed getting to see and do so much in a short period of time,” he said. “Being a part of The Amazing Race family will always be one of my most memorable experiences in this crazy and unpredictable world of entertainment.”
Though his degree in integrative biology didn’t connect to his eventual career, Allan is forever grateful for his experiences with CAL and SigEp. “I know it had a significant influence in shaping and guiding me into this journey that I would ultimately embark on.”
RELATIONSHIPS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Allan lives in Singapore and is the proud father of two children who have matured into hard-working young adults. And very recently, his daughter has decided that she would like to make The Big Game more interesting for the family by choosing to attend Stanford University.
Despite the time zone differences and distance, he does his best to stay in touch with brothers—especially Steve Chen, Jon Kevin Alban ’92, and Joel Romero ’92 when he’s in the Bay Area. Recently, Steve cofounded the sleek new membership club, the Modernist members social club at 139 Steuart Street in San Francisco, which has become a convenient spot for many CAL alumni to gather and reconnect.
Outside of work, Allan enjoys staying active and playing sports with friends. He’s also working on his next career transition, which he’ll formally announce once further established. “For now, I will just say that it entails trees, homes, and protecting Mother Nature.”