Regarding Arden Cho’s professional and personal life, she highly values her newest position.
Former Teen Wolf actress, now 37, talks to PEOPLE exclusively about her part in the Netflix drama series Partner Track, why she was drawn to the character, how the program hopes to confront racism in the workplace, and how it has affected her personally.
It simply seemed so new, adds Arden Cho, whose character Ingrid Yun, a first-generation Asian American in a top New York City legal firm, is fighting for partnership.
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“The fact that she was of Asian descent played no role. It had nothing to do with the fact that she was a member of a minority group but everything to do with her declaration that “I’m seeking to make a partner.”
The 10-part series, adapted from Helen Wan’s novel of the same name and written by Georgia Lee, has a protagonist who is “struggling with all the problems we encounter in life” as she attempts to “break this glass ceiling and triumph,” Arden Cho explains.
There are humor, drama, family, and friends. It has a flirtatious, lively, and sexual vibe in sure regards. Moreover, she explains. There is something for everyone. Arden Cho saw becoming a part of the Netflix show as a way to bring attention to the problem of workplace prejudice.
She adds, “It’s relatable.” “The microaggressions are things that individuals have encountered in classrooms, workplaces, supermarkets, and post offices as well as law firms. In all honesty, this is a fact of life regardless of where you find yourself in it.”
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And I appreciate how the program illustrates that the offender isn’t always aware that they’re doing anything wrong. Possibly that’s not what they meant to do; as she continues, she elaborates. “Thankfully, I interact with a lot of smart, empathetic individuals who wonder things like, “Is it racist if I say this?” And I like our talks very much.”
The show “does have some pretty large episodes where we plunge in and go there,” she explains. “Everything from the HR meetings, along with the awkward silences and stares. The number of times I thought, “Ugh, this is so disgusting and horrible, yet so real,” is uncountable.
This has happened to me several times. Our recounting this tale, our demonstration of how it feels, is unique. That’s what I find most challenging. What it’s like to be on the receiving end is difficult to put into words.”
Arden Cho says she knows better how to respond to microaggressions or racist statements after having her awful racial assault in 2020.
Arden Cho News!
So much of her life, she says, she “nearly simply walked the other way, ran away, hid, or almost thought that it was my responsibility in a strange sense” when she encountered racism or microaggressions.
“It was probably because I’d been trained not to generate a stir or stand out from the crowd, a cultural norm I’d never before questioned. It might become worse if you respond angrily.”
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Arden Cho, however, claims that she is maturing into a person who values the importance of her voice.
I’ve learned how vital it is not to be frightened and to politely participate in certain ways where you say, ‘Hey, that’s not acceptable or ‘That’s not cool,’ she says. “That my main character, Ingrid, I feel like I am still on the path of self-improvement. In many ways, it’s everything happening at once.”
Arden Cho has spent the last decade gaining the knowledge and confidence to confidently assert that she “deserves a place at the table” and would settle for nothing less.
Since “apologizing” is “just something that women do” and “just something that people of color tend to do,” she is working on being “less apologetic.” I’m working on building self-assurance and learning to advocate for myself as Ingrid does.
For those who can’t wait, you can watch Partner Track right now on Netflix.