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| Left to right: Always be My Maybe, The Farewell and The Terror: Infamy. |
The ripples of the big splash caused by 2018's Asian August is still being felt in Hollywood. It’s hard to tell if this is a temporary phase or a permanent direction but AAPI actors, directors and other creatives are making the most of Hollywood’s discovery of Asian talent sitting right under its nose.
(Editor's Note: Read headline with more than a hint of sarcasm.)
The crazy success of Asian led movies Crazy Rich Asians, To All the Boys I Ever Loved and Searching made Hollywood sit up and take notice of the diverse audience and Asian talent sitting right under tis nose.
An argument could be made that if not for the success of Asian August paved the way for the 2019 movies such as Ali Wong's and Randall Park's Always Be My Maybe, Mindy Kaling's Late Night, Stuber with Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista, The Sun is Also A Star with Charles Melton as the romantic lead, and the Lulu Wang-directed and critically acclaimed The Farewell, which featured an all-Asian cast including CRA star Awkwafina.
Other cast members cashed in the hit status of Crazy Rich Asian with new roles: Henry Golding starred in thriller A Simple Favor and the romcom Last Christmas, Michelle Yeoh got a recurring role in Star Trek spinoff Star Trek: Discovery and joined Golding in Last Christmas, Gemma Chan got a small role in Captain Marvel and Bess of Harwick.
They were supported by movies by established stars: Aquaman starring Jason Momoa, Keanu Reeves starred in John Wick 3 and Dwayne Johnson was busy in 2019 with three flicks, Hobbs & Shaw, Fighting With My Family, Jumanji: The Next Level.
From Great Britain came the sleeper hits, Yesterday, starring Himesh Patel and Blinded by the Light with Viveik Kalra.
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| Filipino American actor Darren Criss at the SAG awards. |
On the small screen there were more Asian American faces on traditional and streaming networks in what feels to be a Golden Age in Hollywood (and Canada) for AAPI actors.
Filipino American actor Darren Criss followed up his 2018 Emmy for acting with 2019's Golden Globe, SAG award and a Critics Choice award for his amazing portrayal of mass killer Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace.
Asian Canadian Sandra Oh won Best Actress for a Golden Globe and Critic's Choice for her role in the BBC's Killing Eve, becoming the first actor of Asian heritage to win in that category.
Kim's Convenience and Fresh Off the Boat are centered around Asian American families and the issues they face adjusting to North American culture.
AMC's The Terror: Infamy brought the horror of the Japanese Americans internment camps during WWII into American living rooms while at the same time, scaring the bejeebers out of viewers.
A new television series, Warrior, was introduced last year which mostly takes place in mid-1800s San Francisco's Chinatown starring a largely Asian cast. Historical racial attitudes meet Chinese martial arts made for entertaining fare.
Lilly Singh debuted as the first Asian American host of A Little Late with Lilly, a late night talk show on NBC.
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| Hasan Minhaj in 'Patriot Act.' |
Hasan Minhaj launched his hour-long weekly comedy show, Patriot Act, on Netflix. The streaming network also featured comedy specials from several other comedians, including Jo Koy, Ali Wong and Ronny Chieng.
Other AAPI actors were included in shows with ensemble casts such as Grey's Anatomy, The Good Doctor, Legends of Tomorrow, 9-1-1, Silicon Valley and Hawaii Five-O and a dozen other shows. Despite the increased presence of AAPI actors in television and movies, their numbers are still lagging considering the hundreds of projects being produced and under development, according to annual diversity reports from USC and UCLA.
The presence of AAPI actors in entertainment is a form of "soft power" in helping form a picture of what an "American" looks like by giving US viewers and audiences -- in a nonthreatening way -- a different perspective as they become familiar with AAPI issues and accustomed to Asian and Pacific Islander images.
To make sure this "Golden Age" is more than a passing trend, some artists have taking to producing products themselves rather than waiting for roles to audition for. CRA stars Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan and Awkwafina have all started their own production companies.
“I know what I want, and that’s to tell stories that make (an) impact on people, to tell good stories,” Awkwafina tells Variety. “That’s what I have control over.”
2019 REVIEW
Part 1: AAPI political visibility explodes on nat'l scene
Part 2: Affirmative action debate exposes schism in Asian American community
Part 3: Trump immigration policies shake up, wake up AAPI communities
UPDATED Jan. 4 11 a.m for clarity, fix typos & to include additional art. Oh hell! Post was rewritten to make it better.
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