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A headline never tells the whole story, and the movie "Rosemead" refuses to let us look away. In this episode, star of "Rosemead," Lawrence Shou, unpacks a true-story-inspired film about a Chinese immigrant mother (played by Lucy Liu), a teenage son named Joe (Shou) navigating schizophrenia, and the quiet heartbreak that unfolds when love collides with stigma and a patchwork mental health system. Lawrence brings us inside his process of weeks of research, clinician interviews, and on-set practices that made his performance so hauntingly real.

Our conversation traces how psychosis actually presents: not just shouting or destruction, but blankness, withdrawal, and a mind overloaded by grief and fear. Lawrence explains how Joe’s symptoms are shaped by trauma and context, including anxiety about mass shootings and the loss of his father. We talk about cultural pressures in immigrant families: why silence can feel safer than asking for help and how that silence magnifies risk. 

Lawrence shares how reframing treatment as a path to agency, combined with psychoeducation and community support, can make a tangible difference for families who are exhausted and scared. If you’ve ever wondered what schizophrenia looks like up close, how to avoid snap judgments, or how to show up when someone you love is slipping away, this episode is for you.

"Rosemead" is out in theaters January 9th. Go see it to join the conversation on how we're failing marginalized families with mental illness.

Resources:

• Connect to Lawrence on IG: @lawrenceshou
• Stay updated on Rosemead through IG: @rosemeadfilm

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• For more info about this podcast, check out: www.alittlehelpforourfriends.com