Celebrity Travel: Go away with Reagan To

Most actors get a chance to critique their own work when the project is released. This hasn’t been the case for Reagan To, who dubbed two characters’ voices into English on “Squid Game” — the most-watched series ever on Netflix. Now a 10-year-old fourth grader, the Los Angeles resident said her parents won’t allow her to watch the violent dystopian South Korean series. “My older brother, Aiden, is 14, and even he was not allowed to watch,” she said. “But I was really excited to portray two roles for the show. When I was at the studio, I didn’t know anything about the series, because the production team didn’t tell us too much about it.” The youngster — who made her acting debut in “Jane the Virgin” — dubbed the voices of Ga-Yeong (the daughter of the “Squid Game” protagonist, Gi-Hun) and the oversized creepy doll that features prominently in the debut episode.

Q: How did you approach voicing the “Squid Game” doll?

A: I wasn’t told about the violent scenes with the doll, so all I was imagining was a friendly doll that was staying calm but was getting more excited to play! I was thinking back to when I was playing with my friends back in school, and that helped me to create a young and innocent voice. I think that made the character even more scary and creepy. I am still surprised by the show’s success around the world. Hearing my doll voice on “Saturday Night Live” was so weird! I sometimes have to pinch myself to check if I’m dreaming.

Q: Does your family go all out for Lunar New Year?

A: It’s my favorite holiday and my family celebrates it every year! It’s a time when we all meet and get together. In Chinese culture, the tradition for the holiday requires that the house is very clean and spotless for the new year. Two nights before the Lunar New Year, my family deep cleans the house together and scrubs everything we can see. But my favorite part is when my parents ask me and my brother to prepare the red envelopes. These are little shiny red pockets of money my parents give out during New Year’s celebration. The traditions last more than a week, but my favorite day is on New Year’s Day. My brother and I always get up super early to get ready and dress up in our new red Chinese outfits. We say gong hei fat choy and many other wishes in Cantonese. I really treasure our breakfast when we cook and eat together. My favorite dish is called nian gao in Cantonese. This delicious cake is made of turnips and other yummy ingredients. They represent good luck and are a symbol for good health too. After breakfast, my parents will drive us all around Los Angeles to bring luck to us for the whole year!

Q: Where would you like to visit one day?

A: England! I want to see so many things there! After spending many days at the museum, I would like to visit Buckingham Palace. I dreamed about being a princess when I was little, so it would be very special to see a real palace and castle one day.

Q: How do you feel about traveling?

A: Traveling is very relaxing and it really puts me in a good mood. I love exploring new places with my family. Besides Hong Kong, my family has taken me to many different places in Asia and America. The trip that was very special to me was my trip to Cambodia. It was so magical to visit a country that was very different but so amazing. I remember that I was so tired at the end of every day after climbing and walking around so many temples. I ate so much yummy food and I tried many things that I haven’t before! My parents were planning to take us to Europe two years ago. But because of the pandemic, I was so sad that we had to cancel the trip. We had to be safe so we had no choice. I can’t wait for everything to get better so I can travel with my family again.

Q: Does your family go on any road trips or camping?

A: Road trips are so fun! Playing games and just hanging out with my family is relaxing for me. This is something we get to do on our camping trips. Last year, we went on a road trip to Nevada and Arizona. It was my first time in a RV, so I didn’t like that I had to take quick showers with so little hot water. In the mornings, my brother and I went hiking and biking. The breeze felt cool and relaxing, and it was a great way to start the day. It got hotter during the day, so we rented a boat in Lake Mead. My parents were driving the boat, and I was looking at the map and taking us to places all over the lake. We had a lunch on the boat right above Hoover Dam. What a beautiful view!

Q: Can you tell me about some of your favorite trips?

A: One of my favorite memories is kayaking in a boat with my brother in Mexico. The shore was so pretty and it felt like a beautiful scene from a movie! (And) I learned so much and had too much fun on my trip to Hong Kong. I remember taking the busy train and bus in Hong Kong, which is so different from driving a car around in Los Angeles. Everything was moving so fast, and I learned so much about the different culture. It meant a lot to me because I could finally see and understand where all the Jackie Chan and Stephen Chow movies come from!

The food was just amazing! Tasting all the food from my culture was very exciting! My parents took me to visit many places, even their old homes. It was magical because it felt like I was in a movie of my family’s life. I felt really proud of my family.

========

(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow “Go Away With…” on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.)