The first time I met Joliff Sorianosos was during a lunch break on the set of Auction Hunters. He was one of the leaders of the Asian gang competing against Allen Lee Haff and Clinton "Ton" Jones for storage units at auction. Tall, dark, and intimidating if not handsome, Joliff looked and played the part, but proved very pleasant to have a conversation with.My cell phone beeped at 7:50 a.m. on the date of our interview, letting me know I had a new text message. It was from Joliff, letting me know he was standing outside my door. Standing tall and looking sharp in a white, collared dress shirt and a dark pair of pants, he had a polished look about him, as if he were ready to go to work and be photographed. I welcomed him into my apartment, served him coffee and donuts, and had another pleasant conversation with him.
Vaughanster: When and where were you born?
Joliff: San Diego, January, 1979.
Vaughanster: I overheard a group of you talking [on the set of "Auction Hunters"] about being Philippine; are all of you Philippine?
Joliff: I think three guys were, but only one of them spoke Tagalog. I think one of us was Lao, and another Japanese.
Vaughanster: Are you of Philippine descent?
Joliff: Yes.
Vaughanster: What would you like to tell me about your parents?
Joliff: They're from different cities in the Philippines, but close together, like San Diego and L.A.
Joliff: No, actually, they got together here, in America, but they didn't get married. They were together for about twenty-five years.
Vaughanster: In San Diego?
Joliff: Yes.
Vaughanster: Your father is here with you now?
Joliff: Yes.
Vaughanster: When and why did you come to L.A.?
Joliff: What influenced me was the economy. I was looking at Hollywood, because I thought the economy was good here, and that there was a lot of revenue here.
Vaughanster: What year did you come?
Joliff: 2010.
Vaughanster: What did you dream of being when you grew up?
Joliff: My dream was to work with cars, and be something like a mechanical engineer.
Vaughanster: Did you ever get to do that?
Joliff: Well, I started reading a lot of books - engineering books and what have you, and working on cars.
Vaughanster: Since you were a child?
Joliff: Yes, since I was five years old. My father took a picture of me holding a copy of Road and Track magazine, with a picture of a yellow, '73 Trans Am on the cover, when I was five, so I know I was interested in cars at least since I was five.
Vaughanster: How far along did you get in your education?
Joliff: I finished high school.
Vaughanster: In San Diego?
Joliff: Yes. But then I had to work, because, unfortunately, two weeks before I graduated, my mother passed...
Vaughanster: My condolences... Two weeks before your high school graduation?
Joliff: Yes, in June...
Vaughanster: June of '97?
Joliff: Yes.
Vaughanster: So, you couldn't afford to go to college?
Joliff: No. Most of our savings went into the funeral.
Vaughanster: Even though they were never married?
Joliff: No, but they loved each other.
Vaughanster: I guess so, if he put his life savings into the funeral. So, you guys toughed it out in San Diego, working what jobs you could until 2010?
Joliff: Yes.
Vaughanster: How long have you known those other Asian guys?
Joliff: Oh, we just met each other that day.
Vaughanster: You met them that day, for the first time, just like I did?
Joliff: Yes.
Vaughanster: I thought you were old friends!
Joliff: No, we'd never seen each other before. We just had that connection, when me met; we hit it off, kind of like with you.
Vaughanster: Yes, well, you all seemed like nice young men.
Vaughanster: And we obviously shared political views.
Joliff: Yes.
Vaughanster: I take it you guys were sincere. And Ricky was the son of a soldier, right? And had a couple relatives in the military, didn't he?
Joliff: I'm not sure, but I think he told me he was a real life cop.
Vaughanster: He seems like a policeman.
Joliff: Oh, yes! And in most of his scenes, he plays roles similar to that of a cop.
Vaughanster: What was your role that day? Weren't you the leader of the gang?
Joliff: My dad was. But yes, we were the leaders. Originally, we were supposed to be background, just like you.
Vaughanster: But they saw that they had a gang of Asians?
Joliff: Yes, so they changed the script, and said, "Let's just go with it."
Vaughanster: So, your father was the gang leader?
Joliff: Yes.
Vaughanster: But you were the primary muscle?
Joliff: Yes, I was like the second in command.
Vaughanster: Didn't they have you start a confrontation with Allen [Lee Haff]
Joliff: Yes, they took us aside, and told me to grab a shirt and have that expression on my face.
Vaughanster: They told you to grab Allen's shirt?
Joliff: Yes, and push him. And then he pushed me, and then my dad would have to hold me back, and keep me from starting anything, and just cool it down. So, he was like the referee of the whole deal.
Vaughanster: How many roles have you had?
Joliff: Actually, this was my first one.
Vaughanster: Have you had any others?
Joliff: Just background, like for sit-coms. Actually, I had one other role, in Arrested Development; I played an Asian marauder. But those are the only two roles I've had where I spoke.
Vaughanster: And these gigs are just for supplemental income, because you work at O.S.H. right?
Joliff: Yes.
Vaughanster: But not the government agency?
Joliff: No, it's Orchard Supply Hardware. It's a store. I'm a stocker.
Vaughanster: Did you see Graham Mackie?
Joliff: I don't think so.
Vaughanster: He looks like Einstein. Do you know what Einstein looks like?
Joliff: Yes, I've seen pictures of him.
Vaughanster: But you didn't see Graham?
Joliff: No.
Vaughanster: Anyway, Ricky has the most acting experience of all of you?
Joliff: Yes, well, there's one Philippine from Toronto, and has a business card, so I think he's been around, too.
Vaughanster: OK.
Joliff: Then the Lao guy - he's a hip-hop artist, but he's developing a brand name, too, and a clothing line.
Vaughanster: Do you have aspirations of being a star? Or are you just trying to supplement your income?
Joliff: Well, if it knocks on my door, I'll go for it, but I'm not pushing it, 'cause I need money right now. If we have time, yes, we'll do that full time.
Vaughanster: Your dream is to be a mechanic, but you realize acting might be the way to make a lot of money?
Joliff: Right. And, since I've been watching a lot of TV, it makes sense that I can transition into an actor, 'cause the looks, such as sad, happy, whatever - it's like human behavior, and I've seen it all on TV, and I've done it myself in real life, so it's something I'm looking into, once I have my headshots and the S.A.G., and all that stuff. So, I am trying to do that, but at this time, we're having financial difficulties.
Vaughanster: Do you have an IMDb page?
Joliff: No.
Vaughanster: What's your surname?
Joliff: Sorianosos.
Vaughanster: Is that Greek?
Joliff: Yes. That's what my father told me. I'm Greek, Chinese, Spanish and Philippine.
Vaughanster: What languages do you speak?
Joliff: Just English, but I understand my father when he speaks Tagalog.
Vaughanster: Were all of you born in the U.S.?
Joliff: I think Rick was born there.
Vaughanster: In the Philippines?
Joliff: Yes. I think he came here when he was five or ten years old. And he can speak the language.
Vaughanster: Tagolog?
Joliff: Yes, fluently.
Vaughanster: Yes, he seemed the most educated, but he was the one who was born overseas?
Joliff: Yes.
Vaughanster: My mother-in-law was very impressed by how polite and educated he was, and I know that was, in part, because his mastery of the English language.
Joliff: Of course.
Vaughanster: Which episode of Auction Hunters are you going to be in?
Joliff: I asked, and they said it will air in April. And they want us in the preview trailer.
Vaughanster: Of course! So, do you think your father would let me interview him, too?
Joliff: Sure!
Vaughanster: And, hopefully, the whole gang?
Joliff: Hopefully!
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