Series dramatizes events of ‘Black Sunday’ in Iraq
Kenny Leu jumped at the chance to work on the National Geographic miniseries “The Long Road Home.”
Not only was it a chance to stretch himself as an actor, but it was a chance to be involved in a great story.
“The Long Road Home” — an eightpart miniseries — is based on ABC News journalist Martha Raddatz’s best-selling book of the same name.
The series re-examines a day during the Iraq War when the 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas, was ambushed on April 4, 2004, in Sadr City, Baghdad, on what would become known as Black Sunday.
Leu appears opposite Michael Kelly, Jason Ritter, Jeremy Sisto and Noel Fisher.
The series airs at 8 p.m. Tuesday. The fifth installment will air on Tuesday, Nov. 28, on National Geographic.
“It’s a very authentic, genuine way of telling the story,” he says. “The one thing that stands out is the harrowing story. These men weren’t expecting to fight. It tells the story from all angles. It doesn’t hide any facts.”
In the series, Leu plays Sgt. Eddie Chen.
Chen was Taiwanese, and Leu was born in Taiwan.
“I felt a connection to the Eddie,” he says. “We got a chance to meet many of the military personnel, and they all told me I looked the Eddie. We became a family.”
Acting wasn’t always at the forefront of Leu’s life.
He earned a mechanical engineering degree from the University of California, Berkeley, before founding a Silicon Valley startup and working as a programmer for the early part of his 20s.
Wanting to turn his focus toward creative pursuits and eager to work on projects that promote positive images of Asian-Americans, he decided to move to Los Angeles and pursue acting in 2014.
“It’s important that Asian-Americans are represented as well in the TV and film productions,” he says.
Leu is used to working on big projects. A few years ago, he spent some time in Albuquerque while filming “Independence Day: Resurgence.”
“I had a small scene with Liam Hemsworth and it didn’t make the film,” he says with a laugh. “My goal is to find another production out there so I can explore more.”