Actor and surfer Tinpo Lee chatted about starring in the new horror movie “Final Destination: Bloodlines.”
How was your experience in ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’?
It was one of the best experiences of my career—mostly because we all came in with no expectations. It’s a 25-year-old franchise, and there hadn’t been a new installment in over a decade. So we had no idea what would happen with it or how it would be received.
Honestly, it felt like we were on location shooting a little indie film. Lots of laughs. Cast dinners. Hilarious karaoke nights (I’m pretty sure there are some ridiculous videos floating around out there). No egos. No drama. We were all just trying to make the best movie we could—and having a blast doing it.
We kept saying: this feels like summer camp. None of us had any idea it would become the No. 1 movie in the world.
As for me, I just tried to bring a bit of grounded humanity to a genre that’s usually known for shock and spectacle. I hope I succeeded—even just a little.
What did you like the most about your character?
Marty’s not flashy. He’s not the guy with the perfect one-liner. He’s just a man doing his best under hard circumstances—and then the situation goes berserk. That felt real to me.
What I loved about him was his steadiness. He’s lived a lot of life. He’s seen things. And I got to bring all my own years into that—my fears, my family, my questions.
I didn’t have to manufacture anything. I just had to trust that who I am now was enough. What did this movie teach you about yourself? That I’m still hungry—but for different things.
When I was younger, I probably would’ve been more focused on the hype or the attention. But this time, I was just focused on doing the work—to the best of my ability.
I’m proud that I was able to find some emotional grounding within something so big and fun. That was a quiet kind of revelation: that even in a big genre movie, I can offer a part of myself that has real meaning.
That kind of value—that matters to me now.
What was it like doing the short ‘Fu’ with your daughter?
It was far and away the most personal and creatively fulfilling thing I’ve ever done.
“Fu” was born from a part of me that I had been terrified to share—the longing to matter, to be meaningful, and the fear that I wouldn’t live up to my own hopes and dreams.
Peyton saw that. She understood it. And she directed it with so much vision and grace.
There was a moment on set when I thought: This is it. This is why I became an actor. Not to chase applause, but to chase something larger. To create something personal that matters—with the people I love.
How does it feel to be a part of the digital age?
This gets harder to say as I get older, but change is inevitable. You can embrace it—or let it kick your butt.
I didn’t grow up with any of this—social media, streaming, content on demand—but I’m trying to keep up, adapt, and use it to my benefit wherever I can.
Back then, I had to wait to get hired to connect with people. Now, I can post a story and hear from someone halfway around the world. I shared a reel, and someone from the Philippines wrote, “Thank you for representing us.”
That kind of reach? That kind of connection? It’s the stuff of science fiction from my childhood. Now it’s real and it’s powerful.
What is your advice for young and emerging actors?
These days, you don’t have to wait for permission. Stop trying to be relevant to everyone. Find what resonates with you—and let it reverberate outward.
Your real power comes from knowing what you stand for, and trusting that. As Kevin Costner said in Field of Dreams: “Build it, and they will come.”
What I’ve learned over time is that reinvention isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about returning to who you’ve always been underneath.
What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)
Realization. Actualization. Discovery.
Success, to me, is looking in the mirror and knowing I’m honestly doing my best to live according to what I believe is right—while staying open to new possibilities along the way.
It’s about living a life that feels honest. And if even one person sees something I’ve made and feels moved by it—affected by it—that’s success.
What would you like to tell our readers about Final Destination: Bloodlines?
I have a lot of friends who say, “Congrats on the new movie—but I don’t do horror.” My wife is actually one of those people.
But Final Destination: Bloodlines isn’t about evil or psychological terror like most modern horror. In our movie, Death has a dark sense of humor.
So yes—there’s suspense and gore and death around every corner. But weird as it sounds, it’s fun. A true roller coaster of a movie.
One early death always gets a cheer from the audience. In fact, several of the deaths get laughs. Uncomfortable, squeamish laughs, but laughs nonetheless.
And it has heart. You care about the characters and their family, so it’s not a typical slasher. Still unsure? Ask my wife. I caught her smiling all the way through it.
To learn more about actor and surfer Tinpo Lee, follow him on Instagram.
