Rhydian Vaughan on Duality, Parallel Universe and Finding his Voice

published in enya FASHION QUEEN issue 194, find the original interview here; cover photo © 2023 enya Fashion Queen, all rights reserved

He can be a rebellious rock musician, a charming but dominant CEO, a gentle and sophisticated screenwriter or a friendly boy living next door. As the music changes between tracks, snippets of the different characters make their appearances through the wavering shadows. Humming softly along, Rhydian Vaughan seems to be very much at ease. “As I get older, I hope to delve deeper into life and find ways to share it with everyone. That’s what I want to do now.” Like a bright mirror offering a reflection of society, he explores the unknown in the realm of duality, while his eyes shine with words and wisdom that cannot be expressed. 

Savoring Theatrical Arts 

Father, actor, musician, co-founder of Meisner Studio - Vaughan has been taking on multiple roles recently, as his life grows more and more exciting by the year. Never limiting his mindset, he is always trying to seize the opportunity that comes his way. Laughing, he says it was the environment that actually gave him certain labels. “I think when we are trying to achieve our best selves, we also have to make a connection with society. Find a language that allows you to communicate with the community - that is the fundamental concept of theater.” The moment we start to talk about drama, Vaughan immediately gets enthusiastic, especially since the rigorous training at Meisner Studio has brought about significant changes for him. After endless exploration and continuous mistakes, the moment when he stands on stage with a clear-headed mind before the performance starts is precisely the best state an actor can achieve. “Honestly, everyone should learn the Meisner techniques, especially the first year of training. It is a process for adults to return to simplicity, a fast way that allows you to imagine a situation and learn to let go of your social burdens so you can truly coexist with your authentic self.” Vaughan further points out the current phenomenon he sees in Taiwanese society: men have forgotten how to be sad, while women have forgotten how to be angry. Through drama and theater, we can rediscover our external form and internal voice. Just like any training, we can turn our imagination into muscle tissues and let our survival instinct motivate our passive muscle action. That way, we can then explore without restraint, which is something he aspires to bring to the Taiwanese drama industry. In the same way, making music is Vaughan’s way of relieving his dissatisfaction and doubts about society. He admits that, in the past, he used to write lyrics with a mentality to escape, but now he chooses to look at the world through multiple perspectives. “If it can be sung, then sing it clearly. I believe it will be able to provide a connection between people.” Quietly revealing that his album will be released in the next six months, he can’t help but laugh at his own fast progress, which felt like switching from taking a slow train to riding the high-speed rail.  

Positive Mindset 

Recently, the critically acclaimed “How to Be a Rock Star,” a rock musical co-starring Vaughan and Wu Bai, has been receiving rave reviews. In the play, Vaughan plays the role of Big A, who dreams of becoming the only rock star in the universe and accidentally meets the Light Overlord, played by Wu Bai. Together, they embark on a crazy journey of self-exploration. “Actually, this script was written for the whole world to see because it is universally relatable. There should be a Big A living in everyone’s heart.” The name Big A originates from the Taiwanese slang meaning the head of the gangsters, which may seem like a cliché joke, and yet, the message it entails is rather meaningful. Vaughan aspires that through this rock musical, positive energy can be delivered to the public and send the message: we should take on life with courage even in the face of difficulties. When asked if he felt any different after his performances, he smiles and replies Wu Bai is very good at captivating people’s hearts. “I had just finished shooting a movie a while ago and we all went out to karaoke. Every three or four songs ordered, there would be a song by Wu Bai. His energy is unmatchable and everlasting. Even till now, he is able to celebrate his thirtieth anniversary in such a relaxed way. Though the performance was postponed due to the pandemic, it gave this play a different meaning.” Speaking of the framework of the multiverse, nowadays, many scientists are currently doing research in this field and receiving acclaim for it. For this, Vaughan believes we are now living in a very interesting era. Since it is impossible for the physical body to reach another parallel universe, he sees it as a process of integrating the universe and the man. “Let’s take shapeshifters and immortality as examples. I think these are both very Eastern culture concepts and what these concepts represent are actually directly related to parallel universes.” This also reminds him of the Hindu god, Shiva, from 7,000 years ago, who presided over racial discrimination among Indian tribes with his three heads and six arms. Through the ancient Indian musical scale (Do Ra Me Fa So) composed by Shiva, people were able to connect with the universe, something that still makes Vaughan very excited when mentioned. “If we really want to make it happen, we have to use our body and spirit to achieve a breakthrough and follow the path of spiritual practice.” 

Dressing Accordingly 

Besides formal attire, in private, Vaughan usually chooses shirts, jeans and leather shoes as his daily wear. Recently, his favorite accessory is the tie. “With my experience living in Europe, I realized that wearing a tie doesn’t always have to be formal and wearing it can create a certain style.” Breaking the uptight stereotype, when casual wear meets the variation of ties, it cleverly collides with the different styles of dressing. As for jewelry, he usually goes for gold and silver accessories, depending on the occasion. He is also fascinated by exquisite watches, which not only carries meanings of inheritance, but is also a positive medium of generational history. Setting his vision on the fashion industry, Vaughan finds Pharrell Williams, Jared Leto, David Bowie, Grace Jones and Gorillaz - a virtual band that started using digital art early on - to be classic icons in his mind. “The MSCHF Big Red Boots have become popular lately and many people are wearing them. Its whole concept is to project imagination into virtual reality, so why can’t we bring two-dimensional items back to the real world? Gorillaz has influenced me and I think this is a very interesting trend.” Like Vaughan says, fashion symbolizes fast culture, a form of coordinates that provides people with a sense of identity. Only through continuous self-identification can we fully accept the advantages and disadvantages of the body, followed by further extending our existence through our choice of clothing. “Dressing is the fastest and most direct way, so is undressing.” 

The Key to Change 

If you pay attention to Vaughan’s social media, you will see that he often shares his mother’s “seasonal reminders,” which consist of messages filled with heartwarming but concise information that bring a smile to people’s face upon reading. Of all the seasons, his favorite time in Taiwan is from November to April, which is the end of autumn to the beginning of spring, a time he jokingly calls the “Mediterranean climate” of Taiwan. Lately, whenever he opens the windows to feel the weather, it almost feels like he is back in California. As someone who can’t live without music, Vaughan generously shares with us three songs that everyone must listen to. “First, David Bowie’s ‘Starman.’ It is a very interesting album, the entire album is in Portuguese. There is a movie called The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which was released in 2004, the same year I started to grow familiar with David Bowie’s music. It is also a very fun movie that left an impression on me. The second song, which I recommend with pride, is Sunset Rollercoaster ‘my jinji.’ It is such a great song. And lastly, No Party for Cao Dong’s ‘Wayfarer,’ is a beautifully written song.” Excited about the rise of local, individual Taiwanese bands, Vaughan hopes that while everyone is finding their true selves, they are also delving deep into their life and the potential it creates. Through various exchanges and constant sharing, a social resonance can be achieved, which is more than enough to help performers gain more confidence. However, with the prevailing zen thinking gaining popularity nowadays, it seems contradicting to think about ways to maintain our passion for life. “I used to worry about this, but later on, I realize these are all external obstacles. Once you have a strong mentality to face challenges, zen thinking would not affect your enthusiasm. We should also remind ourselves often - when you start complaining, you lose.” Looking at his past, he admits that he used to use his dissatisfaction with the world as an excuse not to change. Perhaps starting from being your true self may sound cliché, but it is the key to true transformation. As for the role he wants to take on in the future, Vaughan’s goal is to focus on singing. “I have found my voice in the past year or two, which I didn’t before. Now that I have found what I had lost, I hope to sing more and make more songs for everyone. That is the thing I want to do the most at the moment.”