Fourteen-year-old Philip Zhao is a freshman in high school and a gamer who enjoys NBA 2K18 in his hometown in Maryland. His whole world was turned upside down when his father sent in an audition tape for a little film called Ready Player One, directed by one of the most famous directors in the world — Steven Spielberg. Zhao was picked through a nationwide search, beating out hundreds of young actors who auditioned. In the film, Zhao plays Sho, a gamer in the OASIS and part of the High Five, who are hurled into a fantastical universe of discovery and danger to save the OASIS and their world.

The Nerds of Color sat down with the actor to chat about his first major role, his favorite Easter eggs from the film, and what this film means to him and his generation.

Continue reading “Philip Zhao is Ready for Hollywood in ‘Ready Player One’”