Eddie Tang is the Charismatic Face of Drive Like a Bosch

Change, even change for the better, is not something that most of us take to easily. The Bosch Group has been urging progress in automotive technology since 1927 when its innovations with the diesel-injection pump testified to their commitment to improvement. Though the company is invested in many varied projects and products, its affinity for vehicles has been a mainstay. The Bosch Group’s latest offering is a fuel cell-electric drive system which offers zero emissions. This hydrogen based electrical system seems to produce the answer to the concerns of many in regards to energy resources and climate concerns. Still, getting the public onboard is not a matter of facts, it often requires charisma and entertainment to attract open-minded individuals. Enter Eddie Tang. The Australian actor stars in an upcoming commercial which is the latest from Bosch in a campaign to peak the awareness of the public. As the driver of one of the latest Bosch trucks containing the new fuel system, Eddie takes us on an interesting and delightful ride. 

  The fuel cell-electric drive system being promoted by Bosch uses hydrogen as an energy source and is designed primarily for vehicles covering long distances; that may not sound like it is directly tied to chickens but it is, at least for the purposes of the commercial promotion. When “Drive Like a Bosch” director Ben Callner, producer Adam Callner, and casting director Maya Adrabi were auditioning actors and asked Tang to imagine he was feeding chickens, he responded “Where is my eyeline for my chickens?” and the room erupted into laughter. This one instance is a detail of the unpredictability that this actor possesses in such abundance. Electrical transport vehicles are not the most thrilling concept to many people even though they are likely the future. An actor like Eddie Tang instantly brings a magnetic and unique quality which turns heads. It’s impossible to take your eyes off of him in “Drive Like a Bosch” because he is inherently likable and yet indefinable.

  Though his performance seems improvisational and in-the-moment in “Drive Like a Bosch”, it has much more in common with the depth of Eddie’s craft and methodology than this. Tang worked with famed acting coach Kevin Jackson who has also tutored two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge, Great Gatsby), and Sam Worthington (Avatar, Terminator: Salvation), among others. Eddie connects his performance in this commercial with the Creative Habit acting technique of personalization. In addition to his other research for the role, he relates, “I don’t have experience with chickens but I used to make these noises when I would feed squirrels, to call them. I made this odd sound during the ‘chicken feeding’ at the audition and it stood out. There’s a lot more to it than this; how you breathe and move, you have to go deep for every role.” Among the other influences Tang brought were Salsa and Hip-hop dance influences and even the movement of a Silverback Gorilla, proof that his acting is certainly not taken lightly in its preparation.

Filmed on the Universal Studios Backlot and directed by Ben Callner for Hungry Man/CZAR Productions, “Drive Like a Bosch” is set to air sometime the first half of this year. There’s an obvious worldwide appeal for this type of technology and Bosch is counting on the memorability of Eddie Tang to be a major factor in this commercial spot appealing to the public. Director Ben Callner has no question in his mind about this as he declares, “We knew from the minute Eddie asked about his eyeline for the chickens that he was something special and the right person for this role. That day at Universal we all kept saying ‘How great is Eddie?!’ The answer is obvious, truly great!”