Meet Jonon Gansukh

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jonon Gansukh. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jonon, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

In 2018, when I was on my quest to transfer schools, I remember meeting a famous actress during a college open day and asking her what “The Secret to Confidence” was. It was then and there that she told me, “You have to realize what you bring to the table.” And I wrote that down in my notebook.

I never did end up switching colleges. Things were going remarkably rough in my current enrollment—not only was I one of the few Asian artists in my college department, but I was also a Mongolian in the big city. In case you’ve never noticed, there aren’t a lot of Mongolians in the States. To the point that we joke we’re an “endangered species” here amongst each other. So do know that it gets awfully lonely for us, with a community even smaller than most other Asian communities.

My drama school experience made it seem as though artists of color were simply born with the inability to be portrayed or achieve what our white counterparts could do. People in the school really acted like they had a quota on how many times they needed to belittle a student of color per semester. Many times, I was told that “Asians were only needed for jokes,” that I didn’t fit the “desirable” type, or that an Asian man just couldn’t be the lead. Once I was even told that having Asian people in the background shot just wasn’t right. When I started to realize this was eroding my confidence, I went back to that notebook and what that actress told me that day.

Starting with “what I brought to the table” wasn’t easy at first. It was definitely something that took years to develop. Something my professor Bhavesh Patel really taught me was that “there’s a little bit of you in everything.” This helped me find depth in characters that might have been written as “supporting characters” or “losers.” I’ve found that one thing I’ve always been good at is making characters sweet—adding that “softness” that turns a character into a human you want to root for. And overall, this ideology of “adding parts of yourself that people might not see at first” really helped me find my stride in getting all sorts of roles out of college, especially ones in which a Western audience might not normally see someone like me.

Another aspect I realized I brought to the table was resilience and stamina. Sometimes, when I need to keep going after all the different setbacks, dead ends, and declines, I think about the long 12-hour shifts at laundromats and vitamin stores my parents worked in America. I think about how I come from a long line of people who nomadically travel hundreds of miles through plains, deserts, and blizzards. And it fuels me to keep going.

Being more connected to my culture has been a vital element in what I bring as an artist and to succeeding in rooms where there aren’t others like me. I’ll be honest and admit that I’m not perfect at knowing everything about Mongolia or what it means to be Mongolian. But I’m proud that I am. It’s made me braver to speak up about injustices and more confident in rooms where I’m the only one of me. Knowing that I come from a long line of proud people inspires me to find strength in ways one might not typically think of. It makes me work harder for the next wave of Mongolian creatives to have more space for themselves.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a Mongolian-American theatre artist based in NYC. After graduating with Honors from The New School of Drama with a BFA in Acting and Dramatic Arts, I’ve been working hard to create art that sparks connection, cultivates community, and makes storytelling accessible to all.

I am deeply drawn to projects that reframe historical events through a Queer or BIPOC lens. I find this process of “bringing a story back to life” exhilarating and so unique. But I’m also excited about branching out and experimenting with new genres of stories. I am also on a mission to play every Pokemon game (official or fanmade).

I recently did my first regional theatre production in Arkansas with the fantastic folks at Moja Productions. I’ve also got some film work lined up later this year and I’m very over the moon to start reworks on my play ANCIENT HISTORY (A collection of Asian Queer love stories throughout history).

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think for any artist in the modern day, it’s paramount to have a routine. For writers, this might mean maintaining a weekly writing schedule, but I also believe it’s equally important to establish positive routines, like making time to hang out with friends every week. Routines not only ensure growth in your work but are also essential for protecting your soul. They provide a foundation to fall back on when you hit a stump in life.

I also adamantly believe you have to speak up for injustices happening in the rooms you’re in. I believe change should be disruptive and uncomfortable- some might say that might be the only way to grow. And if we want to really move forward as an industry then we have to speak up and challenge things such as rascism, misogyny, transphobia and more when we see it.

Lastly, it’s vital to surround yourself with people who support you. There have been times when I’ve felt betrayed by groups or individuals, and during those times, I felt like I was moving in circles. Trust me when I say that when you surround yourself with those who uplift, you’ll find find so many amazing things in you.I am forever grateful to have my soul-collaborator Michi Zaya, a fellow Mongolian artist. Knowing them has not only resulted in so many wonderful projects and art, but brought so much love and friendship into my life.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

In our current times, I honestly think it would be weird to not feel overwhelmed. Whether it be about the work we do, the state of the economy, or how fleeting time can be. Once as a child I was told “The best way to eat an elephant, is to start one bite at a time”. I find it effective to split things up into tangible steps to achieve a goal. For myself, I try to give as ample amount of time between each step as I personally prefer to take my time when I can. Something I also like to do is writing a brief report after completing a task. In it, I reflect on what I appreciate about my efforts and achievements, as well as consider how I might have done things differently to improve.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jonongansukh.com
• Instagram: @jonongansukh

Image Credits

Joanna Leigh