‘Industry’s’ Ken Leung on growing up in Chinatown and learning to speak finance

WNYC News

After decades of success as a character actor on shows like “Lost” and “The Sopranos,” Ken Leung’s career has taken a star turn with his lead role on HBO's “Industry."

It's a prestige drama about a group of Gen-Z strivers at a London investment bank called Pierpont. They’re mentored by an intimidating managing director Eric Tao (Leung), who humiliates junior staffers and betrays his protégé, Harper (Myha’la).

After two quiet but critically-acclaimed seasons, the show took off this summer, propelled by fans craving quality Sunday night fare in the wake of “Succession” ending. Vox called “Industry” the “soapy, sleazy spectacle prestige TV is missing” and the New Yorker called it “prestige TV for the Tik-Tok era.”