Alexis-Marie Chin: Carving her own path

A quick search on Google for Alexis-Marie Chin, will bring up her profile on IMDb, an online database for all things acting, film, TV and more. Her biography on the site tells the tale of her early years here in TT and the fact that she loved watching movies repeatedly until she had memorised each line and then performed them in front of her family. Born in the early 90s, Chin never had much opportunity to explore her love of acting, bar landing the role of Beth in her high school’s theatre production, Looking Through You. And so, acting was something that stayed in her teenaged years. Or so she thought.

Chin, 27, is the youngest child and only daughter of Derek Chin, CEO of the Dachin Group of Com­pa­nies which includes Movie Towne, restaurant­rant fran­chis­es and more. She grew up, the youngest of three siblings with her two brothers, Stephan and Ryan being 11 and eight years older than her respectively. “My older brothers think I get spoilt because I’m the last and only girl, but I never take anything for granted.” Finding her path is something that she describes as a work in progress and while she is excited at what lies ahead, she admits that there were many dark periods.

After completing high school, Chin flew off to Boston, Massachusetts where she studied business management and administration at Boston University.

Then she decided to try an acting class out of which she got a stint in a Kevin James movie, which also starred Henry Winkler. “Then I applied to an extras casting agency and this was while I was still on my student visa, and you’re obviously not allowed to work on your student visa unless it is related to your major, and these acting gigs weren’t. So even if I got acting gigs, I couldn’t be paid because I didn’t have the right work visa. But it was such an awesome experience being on that set, with all the camera people and the lighting. I was completely amazed. Henry Winkler was taking pictures with all of us and it was really a surreal experience. It was a such a great energy on set, as well. I’ve always loved film and grew up being addicted to movies, learning all the lines, and acting in front of my parents when I was a child.”

So in 2014, rather than returning home after her stint in Boston, Chin decided to take advantage of her Canadian citizenship and moved to Vancouver to give acting another try. She attended the Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts and graduated from the full time programme and post dramatic arts programme in 2015. “I didn’t want to go to Toronto, because everyone goes there. I wanted to try somewhere new. I’m always looking for a new adventure. I literally packed my bags and moved to Vancouver. I didn’t know a single soul, didn’t have a family member there. I did all the research online and just figured it all out when I got there.”

Chin admits that her time in Vancouver had its positives and negatives. Pursuing acting was definitely a positive, but she was also in a relationship that turned a tad bit toxic. She didn’t make that many friends over there and threw her all into her relationship and her dog and subsequently began to lose a bit of herself. “These days in the world in general, there is so much negativity and so much hatred and that is kind of what I experienced in Vancouver. There were a few dark periods while I was there. Firstly, there was the acting world that can be so harsh and subjective and no matter how hard you train or how good you are, you are most times judged for your looks. And after constant rejection, because you weren’t what the director was looking for, it takes a toll. It’s the reality that they don’t want me. Or my face or my body or my personality. So that gets to you.”

Chin also remembers Vancouver being extremely lonely during the five years that she lived there. “I don’t think I made one proper friend there. People there are so angry all the time. It made me realise how amazing we are here in Trinidad. In Vancouver, I felt like there was no soul and that it was so cold. And there is an incredibly high suicide rate. So all those factors made it quite difficult for me.” Also, as an aspiring actor, Chin couldn’t get a normal business job as she had to be on call for auditions. “So the only thing I could do to earn money was to work in the food service industry. And it was really tough to have to tell my parents this is what I had to do, especially with my dad being in the business that he is in. But I learned so much from that job. It wasn’t only working in restaurants but it was also working in banquets for weddings. I really learned about customer service and getting it right.”

It was on a visit to Trinidad that Chin became aware of just how much the coldness of Vancouver was affecting her. “I came down for Carnival and my best friend had to tell me that I was the Debbie Downer of the whole group, and that kind of woke me up to the fact that I had to make some changes. Even my father noticed.” She admits telling her father in the earlies that she wanted to leave TT and not work in his business but rather forge her own path. And now, because of her experience in Vancouver and the sheer loneliness of those five years, she appreciates her family, friends and country so much more.

Chin returned from Vancouver in July, ready to get involved in the business and bring all the expertise that she had gained internationally, to not only Dachin but the country as a whole. “There is so much potential in the food industry here. I plan to contribute as much as I can not only to the brands we own but by setting a high customer service bar for others to follow. I still love clearing tables and helping out in Jaxx because that’s what I did in Vancouver. I love interacting with the customers and hearing about their experiences. I believe that it is important for me to be able to work within any part of the business, especially with the brands that I am responsible for.” Chin is now the only female director for Dachin Food Services and is also in charge of quality control and social media for Jaxx International Grill.

“Now that I am back, it is great to see my brothers and I together in the business, because before it just never happened. Now that I am in the business full-time, we are having meetings together. The other day we had our first meeting at Jaxx and I called my dad out on it. I asked him how did it feel to see all three of of your kids here and to take part in a business, and work together. For me, it was pretty special.”

Photos courtesy Alexis Chin