Name a major media outlet and second-year law student Max Gao likely has a byline there.
Since breaking into the world of freelance sports and entertainment journalism, Gao has sat across from many of the world’s biggest stars, from Jennifer Garner to Lisa Kudrow to Ricky Martin. His interviews also include Hollywood’s most iconic lawyers – the cast of Suits.
He credits the hit legal drama as a factor that piqued his interest in attending law school. Through his reporting, he’s had the opportunity to thank all of the original cast, with the exception of Meghan Markle, for their inspiration.
“I interviewed Gabriel Macht, Harvey Specter himself, for The Hollywood Reporter last March, and thanked him for inspiring me to go,” said Gao. “He joked that he apologizes to law students all the time who say they decided to go to law school because of Suits, because it’s not real life.”
Though Gao acknowledges much of Suits is not true to life in the legal profession, he said it was the show’s focus on creating a chosen family, supporting clients and doing pro-bono work that sparked the idea of a future in law.
“It just planted a seed in the back of my brain,” Gao said.
After his undergraduate degree in business, Gao realized he wanted to use his next chapter to help others.
“I decided the best impact I could make was going to law school and then using that degree to help further the lives and initiatives of other people,” he said.
“Law exists at the intersection of a lot of my interests, and as a future lawyer, I’m really interested in helping marginalized communities who might not have access to legal services, or who might not have as much trust in the legal system.”
So far, his journey at Western has expanded his network and forced new connections.
“I chose to come to Western because of the real emphasis on community, student well-being and academic excellence, particularly in the business world. The best part of my experience has been the people. The professors really shape the way that you write, learn and think,” Gao said.
From tennis to television
Gao has continued to balance multiple interests, including his passion for journalism, with his legal studies.
It’s an uncommon combination. Even more unusual is Gao’s entree into journalism, which started as a pre-teen in 2015 when he decided to combine his love of tennis and writing.
After maintaining a blog covering his favourite players for several years, he caught the attention of Tennis Canada, who hired him first as a volunteer and then as a paid contributor and photographer for the National Bank Open, the biggest annual professional tennis tournament in the country.
He soon built upon his tennis reporting experience, delving into swimming, baseball and figure skating coverage. When COVID-19 shut down sporting events, Gao decided to diversify his beat.
“I was sitting at home early on in the pandemic, and I thought, what else can I do while I can’t write about sports? I decided to pivot to TV and film,” he said.
“I always loved shows and movies. I was able to parlay my sports experience into entertainment journalism. I was fortunate that actors were at home, just wanting to connect with someone, wanting to talk about their work. I am very thankful for the editors who put their trust in me.”
Gao considers his first piece for The New York Times his ‘big break.’ In 2021, a few months before his 19th birthday, he successfully pitched the television editor a feature article about Kung Fu, the 2021 gender-flipped reboot of the classic 1972 television series.
“The show was the first network television drama to feature a predominantly Asian American cast. It debuted at a pivotal time, a month or so after the Asian hate crimes in Atlanta when there was a movement towards more recognition of the everyday struggles of Asian Americans,” Gao recalled.
“People were interested to see how a show about an everyday working class Chinese American family – with a daughter who is a vigilante of sorts, saving San Francisco from crime – could maybe help change hearts and minds about what it means to be Asian.”
At only 23, with over a decade of journalism experience already, Gao has a lot to be proud of. The Kung Fu story remains his most memorable accomplishment.
“That’s the one I’m most proud of. The actors and the showrunner all really embraced me as one of their own. It felt kind of like talking to family, which doesn’t normally happen,” said Gao.
“My first big break was writing about something that means so much to me personally, because the show is about a Chinese American family, and I can relate as a Chinese Canadian myself. The story was even translated into Chinese, which meant that my grandparents and relatives back home in China could read my work for the first time.”
Finding his north star
Growing up as the eldest of Chinese immigrants in Mississauga, Ont. Gao didn’t often see his identity or experiences reflected in western media. Writing the Kung Fu feature story sparked a passion for amplifying the stories of athletes and actors from equity-deserving communities.
“My north star as a journalist, when I was starting out, was spotlighting underrepresented and marginalized communities. For a long time, I couldn’t articulate why it was so fascinating and important to me to see Asian faces on television.” – Max Gao, law student and entertainment journalist
“It took me being able to work in journalism, and learning from people who understand the importance of on-screen representation, to learn that how you see a community on screen is often how you perceive them in real life. I think there is a lot of value in telling underrepresented stories and spotlighting them, especially in today’s climate,” he added.
While Gao remains open to a variety of future career paths at the intersection of sports, entertainment, journalism and law, his passion for supporting others lies at the heart of his future ambitions.
“I think it’s important to be able to help as many people as I can. I try to make a difference through the work I do as a journalist and hopefully as a lawyer. I’m hoping that I will be able to help bridge the gap between marginalized communities,” said Gao.
For Gao, regardless of where his professional path leads, he sees his experience at Western Law as the “ultimate springboard”. He finds deep value in the connections he is building and the ways that legal education is changing his world view.
“I’m grateful that I’ve been able to meet so many new people and make new connections; I think I have made friends and colleagues for life. I know I’ll be able to use my law degree to help further my own career but also help further the interests of other people as well.”
