▁United ▁States . ▁His ▁father , ▁att orney ▁Jack ▁C . ▁Small , ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Tul sa , ▁Oklahoma . ▁They ▁met ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁in ▁Man ila , ▁Philippines , ▁where ▁his ▁mother ▁worked ▁at ▁a ▁restaurant ▁that ▁his ▁father ▁built ▁and ▁operated , ▁called ▁the ▁California ▁Drive - In . ▁ ▁He ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁bay ▁area , ▁while ▁sp ending ▁sum mers ▁in ▁I lo ilo , ▁Philippines ▁with ▁his ▁mother , ▁brothers , ▁and ▁extended ▁family . ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁an ▁alternative ▁school , ▁Rav ens wood ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁East ▁Pal o ▁Al to , ▁CA , ▁was ▁captain ▁of ▁a ▁state ▁championship ▁club ▁s occer ▁team , ▁and ▁competed ▁nation ally ▁in ▁the ▁dec ath lon . ▁ ▁He ▁studied ▁compar ative ▁literature ▁and ▁music ▁at ▁Y ale ▁University , ▁gradu ating ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁He ▁sang ▁with ▁the ▁Y ale ▁Russian ▁Ch orus ▁and ▁tou red ▁the ▁former ▁USS R ▁with ▁them ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁then ▁sp ending ▁a ▁gap ▁year ▁in ▁Italy . ▁He ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁French ▁National ▁Fellow ship ▁for ▁gradu ate ▁study ▁in ▁literature ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Paris . ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁Early ▁in ▁his ▁career , ▁he ▁worked ▁in ▁film ▁and ▁television . ▁He ▁produced ▁the ▁science ▁fiction ▁film ▁Ven us ▁R ising ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁and ▁subsequently ▁four ▁document aries ▁that ▁a ired ▁in ▁the ▁Ven us ▁R ising