Asian American Male Actors in Hollywood...or the lack of - Page 2

And the common factor of your examples? The characters, at least, were still of their original ethic groups, even if the actors were taken from different groups. Sometimes, as in Kingsley's case, an actor of a different background is used because of his skill as an actor.

In some cases it is to make because the studios believe a white actor will be more acceptable. And sometimes the character itself is just not white enough.


Agreed. They changed the story to make it more marketable. Same with the main characters...more marketable, cleaned up.

And the result would be that there would be asians in my film. Great.

And Hollywood continues its same pattern...

IMO there's a big difference between what is perceived to be marketable by a bunch of marketers and what actually IS marketable.

Minor example: There's a music book I wanted that was originally published in the UK. It was published in spiral-bound format so you could put it on your piano and it would stay open. When it was published in the US, there was a note on the publisher's site saying that it had been changed to standard book binding because that would be "appropriate for the US market." Well, bullshit. A music book like this should be published in spiral-bound no matter what.

That's a silly example in comparison to the topic of this thread, but I think it's part of the same phenomenon, and it seems to happen all the time: Some marketing assholes think they know what the American public wants, and so refuse to do the right thing or innovate or do anything other than what's been done before.

My God, who cares? If you want hispanic or asian actors, the watch Univision or some Asian network, or a bunch of asian-made movies. There's not a lick of a white person on those networks.

boo hoo...poor you. Better to whine than do something. Whatever.

Hence the discussion here. It is not realistically practical to just make your own movie. Sure, anyone can pick up a camera, but that doesn't magically create the massive budget to fund and promote it. If banks discriminated against a specific group, you would suggest opening your own bank? Does that really sound realistic to you?

I am hardly whining, neither is the OP. It is an observation that Hollywood avoids asians. Whether this is due to a lack of quality asian actors, as you suggest, or because the financial risk of using asians is too great or because Americans prefer white and black leads, or because they prefer white and black characters they relate too, doesn't really matter. It is simply a fact...there aren't many asians characters (other than lame stereo-types) or leads. To come up with a silly solution like, "if you don't like it make your own movies" is a bit childish and not really worth your usually well thought out arguments.

I am not saying the studios have to use asians or should or have a moral responsibility to use them. Nor am I saying that they are evil for avoiding them. The fact is they do avoid them, for whatever reasons. Fifty years ago, they took white actors and used make up to make them appear asian. Today they simply write them out of the script. No big deal and not the end of the world. Simply an observation. Perhaps I am more sensitive to it than you, but that is not unexpected.

There are numerous ways to support indie asian film makers if folks believe that the disparity in asian male leads requires faster correction. Just being aware of them and promoting them helps.


No, I suggested no such thing. There are lots of quality asian actors. Of course, most of them are in asia...but even among asian-americans there are good actors and I'm sure some that are as good as well known caucasian and african-american actors that haven't been discovered yet or given the opportunity.

And the OP was whining.


Perhaps my position is because there is a success path shown by the african american community and individuals in the asian-american community. Doing well at Sundance gives one entry points into Hollywood in the form of advice and networking.

Supporting good asian-american fledgling film makers so they have the opportunity to do well at Sundance will aid greatly in folks' desires. There, are, I'm sure, various asian-american community groups that folks could be involved with to sponsor film festivals, contests and scholarships in film.

If folks believe that there is a fundamental need for strong asian male role models in US film then these are things folks can do.

The probability that folks can affect Hollywood in any other fashion seems remote.

oxymoronsayswhat

check out the movie Shanghai Kiss. Its got a Asian American Lead actor. The movie is actually pretty good and funny. Go AZNs! hah.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7358136.stm

OK so they're both crossover, but hopefully it will stop some of the whining... temporarily...

Yeah... but where are the Asians?

Me love you long time.

You don't even begin to understand how offensive that is... but i know you well by now, and you couldn't give a shit anyway.

"Me love you long time " and 16 Candles' "Long Duck Dong" have been blights on Asian culture for too long.

Hollywood is simply a hostile place for Asian males. No one has made.

Russel Wong ...nope
BD Wong ...nope
Sung Kang ...nope

What's the deal?

Not about you that's right.

What interesting is that your ignorant of your own hypocrisy. What a horrible state to live in! Someone posts a porn link and you reply "Yeah... but where are the Asians?" as in Asian porn. How offensive of you to objectify asian women as sex objects for western men! I post a well worn quote from a movie and I'm the bad guy.

Ignorant Hypocrite!

What are you angry about?
Asian Americans have some of the highest paying jobs in America, you should be thankful.

why is the porn post still there?

MODERATORS?

It is not just porn, but it is a reported phishing site!
How do I know?
Well...
Let's just say I'm glad I'm using Firefox and I have phishing filter turned on.

Do you realize that using "cracker" to refer to white people is a derogatory term? You won't get any sympathy spouting that kind of bigotry.

At any rate, why are you so surprised about this when in Asia, white people are often favored over Asians for TV shows, commercials and modeling jobs? Many of the Asian characters in cartoons have Caucasian features. Why?


Asians a small minority? Uh, count again.

It's one thing to admit to an Asian porn fetish. It's another to imply that all Asians are prostitutes. Once again, what is obviously a huge mountain of difference to people with a conscience is viewed as the same thing by some people without one.

By the way, my wife is Chinese, and she has a Master's Degree in Finance. She's also damn sexy and wouldn't touch you if you paid her a million dollars.

In Hong Kong, there are three foreigners for whom film and television acting is their main profession. Two white guys and a Pakistani. (Incidentally, one of the white guys is a friend of mine, Brian Burrell, who was born in Utah and taught Cantonese by the Mormon Church, before he wisely stepped away from that cult.)

Hardly is that "often favored".

In the US?

Or perhaps you were thinking globally?

Because they are certainly a small minority in the US which is where this forum is hosted and where this complaint was being lodged.

Asia?

You must be riding free wheel because your back peddling is getting you nowhere. Oh and along your line of "I have friends who are black" defense by wife is 1/4 Korean 1/4 Japanese part native american, french Canadian and the balance is white guy. Which means nothing because you are still hypocrite.

Movies are for entertainment of the majority of the populace so that people will buy tickets. I am sure that is easy to comprehend.

Just to keep you happy though, M. Night Shyamalan is making a new movie called "The Last Air Bender" which features an Asian kid in one of the main roles. Its the end of the world, (or his career) I tell you.

If you want to watch more Asians in lead roles, watch more Asian movies.

if you only watch hollywood movies, than for sure you might see a lack of many things ... take it for what it is ... enjoy it and If you look hard enough you can possibly find plenty of asian american male actors in other places than hollywood or hollywood films

In my opinion, focusing on only the advancement of Asian Americans is more racist than the behavior of Hollywood. Hollywood isn't out to advance or hinder any particular race. Their intentions have nothing to do with race.

On the other hand, focusing on the advancement of only one particular race is, in itself, racist. What about Brazilian American actors? What about Indian American actors? etc. Someone truly interested in racial equality wouldn't be focusing on just their own favorite race. Instead they would be harping on all the under-represented races.

This which speaks a lot of truth as I see it


I'm not Asian thought I see these portrayals all the time. The Asian woman gets to be an object of desire the Asian male is either quirky or throwing Kung fu kicks but he's rarely getting the girl.

I think all cultures should be respected but there indeed is disparity on how we treat a culture that represents a third of the global population.

Guys don't worry with the rise of India, China and South East Asia, at least in terms of population, soon white Americans will feel like the minority... If they don't already. Just look at Hong Kong, Bollywood, Taiwanese, Korean pop culture. I don't see white or black or hispanic people involved to even a tiny, tiny degree... (Except for that one white guy in the usual Hong Kong film that speaks Cantonese funny... not sure if that's still around in modern Hong Kong movies).

That said, the Korean guy in Lost and Japanese guy in Heroes and that Chinese guy in Lost have started something but I have to admit I do not see strong, lead, block-busting Asian actors in American cinema.

Except for Lucy Liu? Is she counted? And that Asian guy in Tokyo Drift... He didn't get many other lead roles and had only a tiny appearance in the latest Fast and Furious.

Now that you mention it... yeah something is amiss. GI Joe had an Asian dude. Ninja/kung-fu fighting (of course, what else do they do, right? )

Jet Li and Jackie Chan have made some collaborative inroads into Hollywood which is good but they aren't Asian-American as such.

BTW I am half-Indian (India not native American) half-Chinese. Born in Malaysia. Long story.

Yes... Where are the Chinese-Indian American actors? I'm offended!

*cue Blacktina and Chinegro routines here from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421054/quotes

*brings out the mixed-race flowchart...

BTW if you want to bring up Indian American actors... Why are they always either shopkeepers, doctors or totally wacked out dudes like Kal Penn?