SAG awards: Olivia Munn represents; No AAPI winners; Ansari stays away

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Olivia Munn and Niecy Nash had a hilarious intro to awarding SAG's best actor in a drama series.

ASAM NEWS

ASIAN/AMERICANS were shut out at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, but the fastest growing ethnicity in the country did have one shining moment.
Olivia Munn, whose mother is Chinese, stole the show when she made a cutting reference to the lack of Asian/American nominees while presenting the award for best actor in a drama series with Niecy Nash.

Munn was about to announce the winner when she was interrupted by Nash.

“Wait, wait, wait. If it’s Sterling K. Brown, can I say it?” Nash interrupted.

Munn looking a little puzzled, asked why.

“Cuz he’s Black. I mean, but you can say anybody’s name who is Asian that’s nominated.”

“I think its just White guys and Sterling K Brown, but I’ll take one of the White guys,” said Munn.

Turns out Brown did win and, true to her word, Munn allowed Nash to announce the winner.

Of course, both Nash and Munn knew there were no Asian Americans nominated in that category.

Aziz Ansari was nominated for outstanding actor in a comedy series for his role in Netflix's Master of None. He chose to stay away following the fallout from accusations he sexually violated a date who said she made it clear to Ansari she did not want sex. Ansari has since apologized saying he misread his date’s cues. 

When Ansari's name was announced as one of the nominees, there was a notable lack of applause. The Indian/American comedian did not win, losing to William Macy of Shameless.

Hong Chau of Downsizing also did not win. The award went to Allison Janey of I, Tonya in the category of outstanding actress in a supporting role. Chau also loss to Janey in the same category earlier this year at the Golden Globes.

The cast of the motion picture The Big Sick, which starred Pakistani/American Kumail Nanjiani, was shut out. Instead Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri won for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Theatrical Motion Picture.

Views From the Edge contributed to this report.

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Why isn't Darren Criss getting the love from the AAPI community?

Can you pick out Darren Criss in these photos of Andrew Cunanan?

TODAY is perhaps the biggest day in Darren Criss' life. Today, he can move up the Hollywood hierarchy to become a genuine star; or he can come crashing down as just another nameless actor amongst a vast sea of wannabes.

Early reviews of American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace indicate Criss' star is more likely will follow the former path catapulting the Filipino/American actor into a realm rarely inhabited by an Asian/American. Yet, with the exception of Filipino/American media, AAPI media - newspapers, bloggers, vloggers - has been curiously subdued for what could be described as a breakthrough.

Filipinos very rarely make national news -- not because they didn't deserve it, but mainly because mainstream media ignores them even though they are the largest Asian ethnic group in California. 

So in 1997 when Andrew Cunanan became linked to the notorious homicide of the famous designer preceded with a string of murders across the country, my sense of hiya (shame) --  kicked in. I was worried and a little bit embarrassed because for many people, Cunanan would be their only exposure to a newsworthy Filipino.

Maybe that's also the reason the AAPI community has maintained an arms-length distance over Criss' opportunity. Of all the Asian Americans to garner prime-time, nine-episode, exposure - this story presents an Asian/American as a sociopath serial killer.

Unlike all the publicity and hoopla given to Kelly Marie Tran for her historic breakthrough role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, from the AAPI commentators online and in print, Criss hasn't benefited from a whole lot of support from the Asian American community (except for the Filipino/American community.) There has been no excitement wishing him the best, hardly any buzz and little talk about the opening up of acting opportunities for AAPI performers or the breaking of stereotypes.

Darren Criss, a Filipino/American, who portrays Cunanan, -- with the exception of the Filipino/American media -- should be the darling of the Twitter universe and entertainment and cultural bloggers and vloggers and hailed as a potential gamechanger because you can count on one hand, the AAPI actors who have been given this type of exposure.

There is one other factor that might explain the lack of excitement in the AAPI community about Criss's opportunity, is that he doesn't fit the popular of what an Asian looks like. He is not East Asian or South Asian. His mother is a native of Cebu, Philippines, while his father, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is of English, German, and Irish descent. As he said in an interview on a late show, "I look Italian."

Actor Henry Golden, half-Malaysian and half-Brit, faced the same kind of criticism when he was cast in Crazy Rich Asians as the scion of a prominent and ultra-rich Chinese Singaporean family. He didn't look Chinese enough.

There is almost an unsaid "purity" test for who can call themselves Asian. Some people look down their nose at those who are not "full-blooded" Filipino.

Outside the entertainment sphere, in an ordinary social context, I've encountered this haughty attitude from some first-generation immigrant Filipinos. Because I don't speak one of the dialects from the Philippines, I can't really call myself Filipino even though both my parents are from the Philippines, my dark skin clearly marks me as non-white and I have this odd-sounding  last name. 

Although this season's American Crime Story has Versace's name in the title, the series is really about Andrew Cunanan.

Criss shares a remarkable resemblance to the real Cuananan, who like Criss is half-Filipino (or as described in Filipino circles as "mestizo"). Both were born in California; Cunanan in National City and Criss calls the San Francisco Bay Area home. Both enjoy boyish good looks.

Both also have a captivating personality and that's where the resemblance ends. Criss - up to now - has used his personality to further his career and brand; but Cunanan used his personality for evil, to manipulate the people around him.

RELATED: Who has the right to call oneself Asian?

“The idea of not whitewashing the half-Filipino side and casting a white dude was important,” said producer Nina Jacobson. “Darren had (the author's) endorsement and understanding of him as an actor, great look for the part, and then was authentically half Filipino like Andrew was.”

Tonight's first episode will introduce us to Cunanan, the darkest role that Criss has had to portray. Usually associated with musicals for his role in Glee and the Broadway musical Hedwick and the Angry Inch, Criss has had to dig deep to portray the sociopath.

Cunanan, Criss told Vanity Fair, was “someone who had the potential to do so much more. How does that person become synonymous with something so sad, violent, or scary?” He adds, “It’s a story about the have and have-not—the ultimate creator and the ultimate destroyer.”

There's a chilling scene in which Cunanan, portrayed by Criss,  expresses his chameleon-like ability to be whatever he needs to be or whatever the person he's speaking to wants him to be: “I’m a banker. I’m a stock broker, I’m a shareholder. I’m a paperback writer. I’m a cop. I’m a naval officer—sometimes I’m a spy. I build movie sets in Mexico and skyscrapers in Chicago. I sell propane in Minneapolis. I import pineapples from the Philippines. You know, I’m the person least likely to be forgotten.”

"I'm Andrew Cunanan."

“Darren was, to me, the male version of Sarah Paulson,” American Crime Story creator Ryan Murphy said to reporters after a panel, invoking his muse who played Marcia Clark in The People Vs. O.J. Simpson. Murphy saw her as a lead actor and gave her that role to show the world. He sees that career-launching pad for Criss in the role of Andrew Cunanan.

American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace airs tonight (Wed. Jan. 17) on the Fox Network, 10 p.m.

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After meeting Rose Tico, where does Star Wars go from here?

Rose Tico is played by actress Kelly Marie Tran.

I FINALLY got to see the latest installment of the Star Wars saga, The Last Jedi. I was not disappointed. I love a good swashbuckler adventure story where the delineation between good and evil are clearly defined.

This is not a review. There are plenty of those lying around the Internet, just Google The Last Jedi. However, this is a warning, if you haven't seen it yet, STOP HERE. SPOILERS AHEAD.

The Last Jedi introduces Rose Tico, the first Asian hero featured in an impactful lead role in the space saga. The role of Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) is a pivotal part of the plot. She's not a red shirt. She is not just someone in the background lending a thin air of diversity to a film product.

No. Rose is important and will likely continue to be critical to the storyline into, at least,  Episode 9, the final chapter in what was originally envisioned by creator George Lucas to be a nine-movie story.

That doesn't mean the end of the story in a "galaxy far, far away." Disney is already developing another trilogy that takes place in the same galaxy but not necessarily part of this story line.

The story of The Last Jedi's Rose Tico (and her sister Paige) is the culmination of what began as an innocent question from an Asian/American fan at Comic Con 2015.

During a Q&A for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a couple of young Asian/Americans asked producer J.J. Abrams if there would be any Asians in the upcoming blockbuster. He responded with a joke, "Go Asians! If I had my way, the cast would be all Asians," (nervous laughter from the audience). What he said sounds a bit patronizing. But he continued: 

“I think you’ll be happy to see when you see this film, there are Asians in this film…. We wanted the movie to look the way the world looks. And I think it is important that people see themselves represented in film. I think it is not a small thing. So I completely understand and think your question is hugely important. And it was a big consideration.”

He was referring to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, where three Asian characters were introduced as members of the 5-person crew of the space ship Rogue One. Maybe he had already had an inkling of what could be done in The Last Jedi since these projects are years in the making. In the casting call for Rose Tico, she is described as "any race."

RELATED: Rogue One is the most Asian of Star Wars stories

I'm almost sure the question asked by the fans is something that stuck in the back of Abrams' mind as he helped guide the storylines of the final Lucas-inspired trilogy.

The characters introduced in 'Rogue One' as portrayed by, from left,  Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen and Rez Ahmed could star in their own Star Wars movies to come.

Who knows, maybe the all-Asian cast is a still a possibility for some creative screenplay writer. Here's a couple of storylines that might be developed:

How did Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) and Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen) from Rogue One become such good friends? Their closeness and care to each other conveyed in silent, knowing looks at each other, hint at a relationship deeper than just being Butch Cassidy-and-Sundance Kid buddies? What planet are they from? In the Star Wars universe, there must be a planet inhabited Asians?

It would be fitting if one of upcoming episodes of the Star Wars depict a planet of an Asian-like civilization and people since the very first Star Wars was inspired by the samurai classic, The Hidden Fortress, directed by Akira Kurosawa, according to George Lucas.

Many of the trappings of the Jedi Knights - The Force, the sword fighting with two hands, the use of the staff (or Bo), fighting with a blade or stick in both hands, all the martial arts moves - are inspired by the Asian martial arts, particularly kendo and eskrima.

In the ending of The Last Jedi, one of the fathiers (the racing creatures) stable boys is telling the legend of Luke Skywalker when the kids' story session is broken up by a supervisor. The stable boy breaks off and "wills" a broom to move into his hands showing that he has the power of The Force. The last thing we see before the credits is the stable boy turning the broom into a light saber. Is Rose capable of harnessing The Force?

And who is Rose? Where did she come from? In Rose's back story, she and her sister were brought up in the pleasure world of Canto Bight as "slaves." I found it interesting when Rose enters the stable, all the fathiers arose to look at the newcomer, as if they could  sense a connection with the seemingly normal mechanic. Does taking care of the fathiers require the use of The Force? Will a new army of Jedi Knights arise from the stables of Canto Bight? 

In a galaxy where anything can happen, Asians can have a presence without the stereotypes we've come to know on this planet.
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New TV season opens up opportunities for AAPI actors, but there's still a scarcity of roles

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Jamie Chung portrays an inhuman in the Fox Network's "The Gifted."

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR, a new television season is upon us which launches the annual search for Asians on TV.

The last two years have been kind of a Golden Age for AAPI television history: five network shows with Asian American leads and three more on the alternative stations, Netflix and Hulu. In addition, there were perhaps a half-dozen shows wherein AAPI actors were in secondary, but prominent, roles.

This year, it appears that a pause button has been hit. AAPI in the new shows are relegated to the usual best friend, computer wonder, or smart aleck sidekick, or just hanging around in the background with not a whole lot to do except look busy.

Hopefully, it is just a blip in as Hollywood's profit-motive driven decision makers recognize   the changing demographics as they let go of old prejudices against actors of color, in general, and AAPI actors in particular.

The Emmy victories for Riz Ahmed for best actor and Aziz Ansari for writing could be an aberration, or it could be the door creaking open for more opportunities for actors of Asian descent depending on whether you're a cynic or an optimist.

RELATED: Wave of new AAPI roles continues into 2016 television season

At any rate, if you're an AAPI viewer - and studies show that there is a lot of us - looking for someone on TV who looks like you, you'll find it easier than three years ago, but you still have to look pretty hard.

Let's start with the newbies:

The Gifted, Fox
Jamie Chung may have the biggest role of her career as she plays Blink, one of Marvel's superheroes in The Gifted, that premieres Monday, Oct. 2 on the Fox network. She isn't a sidekick but she is part of the team of humans who have special powers trying to escape the normal humans' fear of "others."

9JKL, CBS
Liza Lapira return to series TV is a welcome sight. She'll play Eve, wife of one of the primary leads' in 9JKL, perhaps the most awkward title this year. Cast in a secondary role,  there's a good chance Lapira's role could grow pretty significantly if her character catches on with the audience. She will be joined by Albert Tsai, formerly from the cancelled Dr. Ken.

Marvel's Inhumans, ABC, Fridays,
Not to be confused with The Gifted (See above), Ken Leung will have a prominent role as Karnak, who has the ability see the fault in all things (who would want that power?) He will be joined by Sonya Balmores, a former Miss Hawaii, whose father is Filipino. She plays Auran, head of the king's royal guard.

Rise, NBC midseason
Moana's Auli'i Cravalho will make her network debut in the drama series about a high school teacher and his class of talented wannabe actors. Think Glee without the songs, or The Bad News Bears on stage instead of the baseball diamond. I wouldn't be surprised if the talented Hawaiian teenager isn't given a chance to sing a song or two.

The Resident, Fox midseason

Manish Dayal is the lead actor in this medical drama about a an idealistic young doctor learning the real-world ropes from a tough, seasoned older doctor. The Indian American actor was last seen in Halt & Catch Fire.

Reverie, NBC midseason

This show is an oddity in that it has two (count them, TWO) Asian Americcans in its cast. Most shows have only a quota of one Asian American cast member as a limit (OK,we've met our quota) and rarely go beyond that. Sarah Shahi and Jessica Lu are featured in this detective thriller with virtual reality the added twist.

The Good Doctor (CBS) 
with Irene Keng and Tamlyn Tomita. Tomita has been made a regular cast member as the COP of the hospital board in this series. Although originated in Korea and executive produced by Daniel Dae Kim, it's too bad there isn't a greater presence of Asian American medical staff

Alex, Inc. ABC, midseason 
Tiya SIrcar is in her biggest role yet in her career. The Indian/American actress plays the wife of the title character in the sitcom. They have two children who are, naturally, hapas. 

The Crossing (ABC, midsesason) 
Sandrine Holt stars in the current U.S. anti-refugee policy and turns it upside down 250 years in the future when Americans are the refugees.

Champions (NBC midseason) 
is a sitcom centering around a fitness center and the eternal sophmores who operate it. The reason is listed here is because Mindy Kaling will have a recurring role. Kaling will have all the time in the world with the end of The Mindy Project.

The Exorcist (Fox)
John Cho, (formerly of the ill-fated Selfie) will be a series regular for at least one season, the show's second. One of the children that he cares for shows signs of being possessed and the priests go to his school to try and exorcize the demons from the youngster.

Star Trek: Discovery, CBS All Access
Michelle Yeoh stars in Star Trek Discovery, in which she plays a starship captain, a prominent role - but not the lead. The problem is that except for the premiere, the rest of the episodes can only be seen an CBS All Access. I dunno if Star Trek fans, who are known for their extreme loyalty will fork over the extra dollars for a streaming service they don't need.

The new scripted shows are in addition to the returning TV series that feature AAPI actors in lead or recurring roles, including:

• Fresh Off the Boat (ABC) with Constance Wu, Randall Park, Hudson Yang, Forest Wheeler, Ian Chen and Lucille Soong.
• Quantico (ABC) with Priyanka Chopra in the lead in the series about FBI newbies.
• Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC) with Ming Na-Wen and Chloe Bennett as primary characters in show based in the Marvel super-hero universe.
• Andi Mack (Disney) with Lauren Tom, Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Lilan Bowden in the family drama.
• Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW) with Vincent Rodriguez III as the lead love interest Josh Chan. Occasionally, his (fictional) Filipino/American family will appear in the romantic comedy musical.
• Elementary (CBS) with Lucy Liu as the indomitable Dr. Watson in the 21st version of Sherlock Holmes.
• Chicago Med (NBC) Hooray! At last a medical drama with an Asian/American doctor played by Brian Tee.
• Into the Badlands (Netflix) with Daniel Wu and Aramis Knight in the martial arts dystopian adventure series
• Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) will introduce new AAPI characters played by Meaghan Rath, Beulah Koale and Ian Anthony Dale to replace the popular Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park, both who left the show in a storm of controversy.
• Superstore (NBC) features Nico Santos, fresh from filming the movie of Crazy Rich Asians, and hapa Nicole Bloom as part of the team of wacky store employees.
• The Good Place (NBC) introduced FilAm comedian Manny Jacinto to American audiences in the offbeat comedy based in a weird - but funny - version of heaven.
• Designated Survivor (ABC) with Kal Penn and Maggie Q in the political thriller.
• Scorpion (CBS) Jadyn Wong continues to outsmart the bad guys as Happy Quinn.
• The Mindy Project (Hulu) Alas, this is the last season of the groundbreaking comedy starring Mindy Kaling.

Here's hoping:

• Brown Nation (Netflix) is an American comedy-drama series looking at the immigrant experience. It stars Shenaz Treasury, Omi Vaidya, Remy Munasifi and Melanie Chandra. Though a critical favorite, a second season has not yet been announced.
• Master of None (Netflix) with Aziz Ansari. There's a demand for the 3rd season but the creators Ansari and Alan Yang have danced around when (and if) there will be a third season for one of the most original series on TV.

The list is longer than last year. At first glance, it may appear that there is a strong AAPI presence on television. However, the shows listed here are just a drop in the bucket considering there are about 450 shows on TV and cable networks. A recent study shows that most of character parts given to AAPI actors are token roles or not of significance to the plot.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Updated Oct. 12 9:15 p.m. to include 'The Exorcist' and 'Scorpion.'  I may be adding to this list. Check back later.
CORRECTION: Earlier versions of this post misidentified the accompanying photo.

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Daniel Dae Kim confirms that he will do 'Hellboy' role that was previously whitewashed

Daniel Dae Kim, right, will play Major Ben Daimio, left, in the upcoming motion picture 'Hellboy.'

You can call it karma or you can call it justice. In any case, Daniel Dae Kim confirmed  Wednesday (Sept. 13) that he has signed on to play the Japanese/American character in Hellboy.

Kim takes over the role that was originally given to Ed Skrein, the white actor who voluntarily stepped aside so that a culturally appropriate actor could play the role of Major Ben Daimio, a rugged military member of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense who, due to a supernatural encounter, can turn into a jaguar when angered or in pain. 

The character is Japanese/American in the Hellboy comics by creator Mike Mignola.

In August, Skrein was cast in the part but, after an outcry over whitewashing an Asian/American character, made the morally courageous and unprecedented decision to step down later that month. 

“It is clear that representing this character in a culturally accurate way holds significance for people, and that to neglect this responsibility would continue a worrying tendency to obscure ethnic minority stories and voice in the Arts. I feel it is important to honor and respect that,” Skrein said in a statement at the time.

In his statement, Kim now says, "I’m excited to confirm that I’ve officially joined the cast of Hellboy. We start shooting today (Sept. 13) and I’ll be playing Ben Daimio, alongside our very talented cast, headed by David Harbour, and director, Neil Marshall. Thank you for all the supportive tweets and comments, especially in light of the recent events surrounding its original casting."

In a statement, Kim said: “I applaud the producers and, in particular, Ed Skrein for championing the notion that Asian characters should be played by Asian or Asian-American actors,” said Kim. “He could not have addressed the issue more elegantly and I remain indebted to him for his strength of character."

Skrein announced his decision on Twitter in August, noting that while he was "sad" to not be part of the film, he wanted to help bring positive change to representation in Hollywood.

"It is clear that representing this character in a culturally accurate way holds significance for people, and that to neglect this responsibility would continue a worrying tendency to obscure ethnic minority stories and voices in the arts," Skrein wrote.

Earlier this year, Kim and co-star Grace Park stepped away from their roles earlier because they were unable to get salaries comparable to their white co-stars in Hawaii Five-0. Considering how rare Asian/American actors get meaty roles, Kim made it clear that part of his decision to leave the successful TV series was based on the principal of equity.

CBS denied that race had anything to do with the difficult contract negotiations with the Korean/American actors.

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TGIF FEATURE: Lea Salonga returning to Broadway

Lea Salonga

LEA SALONGA will be back on the Broadway stage just in time for Christmas.

She will play Ersulie, the Goddess of Love, in the revival of the Tony-award winning  Once on This Island, 

Salonga, who won a Tony for her role in Miss Saigon, will be joining a diverse cast that will include Alex Newell (Glee), Merle Dandridge (Greenleaf), and Quentin Earl Darrington (Cats).

“In casting the Once on This Island, it became imperative for me to break expectations and stretch beyond the bounds in which Gods are traditionally represented. It felt important that young people watching our production see themselves reflected back from the stage at them,” commented director Michael Arden in a press statement. 

“The Gods are simply that: Gods. They are not bound by gender, race, sexuality or being human at all. I'm so very pleased to be collaborating with these four artists exploring the important and timely themes of this musical through their unique and incredible abilities.” 

The musical, which was first produced on Broadway in 1990, follows peasant girl Ti Moune and her star-crossed romance with a young man from the wealthy side of her island, a world ruled by four island gods.

The new production will be directed by Tony nominee Arden and choreographed by Camille A. Brown. 

Salonga, who just finished a concert tour in Southeast Asian and Australia, last appeared on Broadway last year in George Takei's Allegiance, a musical about the WWII internment camps for Japanese/Americans.

The show will premiere in December with previews in November at the Circle in the Square Theatre.
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TGIF FEATURE: A glimpse of Kelly Lee Tran in 'The Last Jedi'

Kelly Marie Tran will star in the 'The Last Jedi.'

WE'RE GETTING more excited about The last Jedi, the 8th installment in the Star Wars nine-movie swashbuckling space saga.

The behind-the-scenes clip released recently guves us a glimpse of Star Wars latest heroic figure played by Vietnamese American Kelly Marie Tran, 28, who is a relative unknown. But fr the part, she had to beat out some of Hollywood's big names such as Tatiana Maslany, Olivia Cooke, Anna Kendrick and Gina Rodriguez 

Not too much is known about Tran's character's role in the Resistance, except that her name is Rose and she is not one of the more glamorous fighter pilots or mysterious jedi. She's just a maintenance person. Somehow, she gets pulled into playing a bigger role in upending the evil Empire.

"I was geeking out," said Tran upon seeing the clip. "It's so cool."

RELATED: 

• Vietnamese American wins key role in 'The Last Jedi'
• The Asian roots of Star Wars 

From the clip, we can see that she is very much involved in the plotline and will play a significant role in the telling of the story.

During the 5-month audition process, casting directors were looking for an actress who had chemistry with key character Finn played by John Boyega, hinting that there might be some interaction between the two. A love interest, perhaps?

“The dynamic between them is very interesting,” Boyega told ET. “Finn sees a lot of himself in her, and she’s still trying to figure out her place. She’s not a soldier. She’s not a pilot. She’s trying to figure out what can she impart that’s important to the good fight. And so they both have to figure that out together.”

As for Tran, she told ET that she couldn’t believe that she’s now part of the Star Wars world. “Part of me was like, ‘Is this a dream? Pinch myself. Is this a dream?’ That’s kind of been the last two years of my life, a dream,” the actress said.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is set to be released in December, 2017,

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Hawaii Five-0: CBS announces replacements for Kim and Park

New to Hawaii Five-0: BEaule Koaala, Meaghan Rath and Anthony Dale.

THREE LEAVE, THREE COME IN: When Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park left Hawaii Five-0 coupled with the earlier departure of recurring regular Masi Oka, CBS had three roles to fill and a huge PR problem to overcome.

Hawaii Five-0 producers today (July 19) announced new cast members to replace the three Asian/American and Pacific Island actors who left, Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park and Masi Oka.

After being roundly crushed in the media and social media for their shoddy handling of the AAPI stars, it was not surprising that the three new cast members are Asian/American and Pacific Islander: Ian Anthony Dale is half-Japanese, Meaghan Rath is half-South Asian and Beulah Koale is of Samoan descent.

RELATED:

• Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park leave 'Hawaii Five-0'
• Aloha frm Daniel Dae Kim
• Hawaii Five-Uh-oh

Dale has recurred on Hawaii Five-0 since season two as the husband to Park’s Kono — Adam Noshimuri, a former Yakuza and trusted resource for the team who will now be recruited by McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) to work for Five-0. The casting keeps Dale in the CBS family after his lead role on the network’s little-watched summer drama Salvation. He is also starring in this summer's sci-fi show Salvation.

Rath (Being Human, Rogue, New Girl) will play Tani Rey, who McGarrett recruits after finding her working as a lifeguard at a hotel pool after she was kicked out of the Police Academy, despite being a first-rate candidate.

Koale (the upcoming Thank You For Your Service) will portray Junior Reigns, a former Navy SEAL who just returned from serving his country and asks McGarrett, a fellow SEAL, for a job, hoping to repurpose his skills as a member of Five-0.

Aloha, (from left) Daniel Dae Kim, Masi Oka and Grace Park. 

The absence of the characters played by Kim and Park, Chin Ho Kelly and Kona Kalakaua will be explained in the show's season 8 premiere in September.

CBS said that Kim and Park were offered "substantial raises," but even with the raises, they were still not on parr with their costars, who also were receiving a portion of the profits of the show's profits and revenue from reruns, which is basically offering them a lifetime revenue stream.

Kim and Park could easily have accepted the contract terms and lived a comfortable life, but at some point they decided to take a stand. While Kim has been outspoken about the need for representation in the entertainment industry, Park has yet to issue a statement and has remained silent since her departure was announced.

On his Facebook page, Kim issued a statement thanking his fans and CBS. "As an Asian American actor, I know first-hand how difficult it is to find opportunities at all," later adding, "The path to equality is rarely easy."

Costar Oka, who decided to leave the show in January, emailed a statement to NPR:

"I was as saddened as anyone to learn of Daniel and Grace leaving Hawaii Five-0 but I, probably more so than most, understand their reason for doing so. Sometimes you have to draw the line in the sand for something you believe in and something for which you stand. While pay equality was not my personal primary decision to leave ... I support [Kim] and [Park] in their decision to stand up for what they believe is right."

The Kim/Park departures also put a spotlight on CBS paltry efforts to reflect America and the tendency for the white decision makers to always put white characters in the lead and - if we're lucky - actors of color playing second fiddle.

Of CBS new shows being presented this fall, only one - S.W.A.T. - will feature an actor of color in a lead role. No women will headline a new show.

Dale, Rath and Koale are all talented actors and I wish them well. CBS and the show's producers think that replacing the departing actors might placate Hawaii Five-0's critics and dampen the uproar and stem a growing movement to boycott the show. What the CBS execs must learn is that the issue wasn't simple a salary dispute. It was about respect and equality.

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Hollywood eyes movie about Dan Inosanto, Filipino American martial artist

Dan Inosanto, left, was Bruce Lee's best student.

A MOVIE is in the works about Dan Inosanto, reputedly Bruce Lee's best student, who also introduced Lee to the Philippine martial arts escrima and kali.

The Mark Gordon Company, the veteran production banner whose credits range from Saving Private Ryan to the upcoming remake of Murder on the Orient Express, is developing the story of the Filipino/American master of several martial arts, including jeet kune do and escrima.

Dan Inosanto on the cover of 'Black Belt.'

Jeet Kune Do - derived from kung fu - was developed by pop culture icon Lee. Escrima is a Filipino weapons based martial art, often relying on two sticks.

Lee and Inosanto were best friends as each taught the other their martial art. Lee often used escrima techniques in his movies, most notably in Lee's best known movie, the classic Enter the Dragon.

Inosanto has been a fight coordinator on several movies and appeared in Enter the Dragon. Inosanto, in his 70s, continues to teach. Among his students are several movie stars including Denzel Washington and Forest Whitacker and MMA's Anderson Silva.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, MGC’s Mark Gordon and Matt Jackson will produce the film along with Diana Lee Inosanto, Inosanto’s daughter and Lee’s goddaughter.

No information about casting for this motion picture.

A Chinese actor should have been picked to play Aladdin, cast named for movie

Mena Massoud will play Aladdin and Naomi Scott will be Jasmine in the new Disney production.

ALADDIN, should have been cast as a Chinese youth. Now that we've baited you, read on.

Just days after stories came out in the movie industry's trade media that Disney was having a difficult time finding ethnically appropriate actors for its live-action Aladdin, the studio announced they found their Aladdin and Jasmine.

Coincidence? I think the media (including Views from the Edge) were played.

Yesterday, July 15, at Disney's fan conclave, D23 Expo, the studio confirmed that two relatively fresh faces will take the lead roles in the live-action production. Naomi Scott, 24, will play Princess Jasmine and newcomer Mena Massoud will portray the title character in the remake of the 1992 animated classic.

Earlier, Will Smith had signed on to play the Genie, who was voiced by the late comedian Robin  Williams in the Disney's original version, which was itself based on an Middle-eastern tale.

The selection of these two actors - in the context of cultural appropriation. has created a kerfuffle among netizens.

Massoud, whose father is Egyptian, grew up in Canada after immigrating from Egypt where he was born.

After the announcement, he tweeted, “So honored & grateful for the opportunity to help bring this magical story to life once again. Let’s get to work!”

RELATED: Three upcoming movies seek Asian casts

Although relatively unknown, he's not without a resume. Massoud has been working in television and film since 2011, amassing credits on Teen Nick’s Open Heart, The CW’s Nikita, and the Canadian series Saving Hope. But he’s largely remained under the radar — until this new boost to his celebrity stock.

“I grew up in a culturally different household,” he explained in an interview with Defective Geeks. “My parents saw certain things differently than other people. I went to schools that had a significantly large Caucasian population and I feel very fortunate because I was able to compare that perspective with my family’s. It allowed me to create a wider world view on things. Also, though, at this point in my career, being a visible minority in this industry still affects me.

“I can’t compete for roles that require me to be Caucasian or African/American, even if those characters really connect with me and intrigue me," he said. "The competition may be less, some people would say, but the amount of work to be had is less as well. However, I think the industry is growing more and more and starting to support actors of all cultural backgrounds.”

Naming Scott as Jasmine, has raised the hackles of a few netizens because, she is not Middle-eastern descent. The actress is from London. Her mother Usha Scott (née Joshi) is from Uganda and is of Gujarati Indian descent. Meanwhile, Naomi's father, Christopher Scott, is British.

Origin of Aladdin

The 24-year-old was on the television science fiction series, Terra Nova in 2011 and made a Disney movie Lemonade Mouth that same year, in which she was able to display her singing abilities. She might be best known for her role as Kimberly (aka the Pink Ranger) in this year's Power Rangers movie.

Agrabah, it should be pointed out, is a fictional locale despite a poll that says over 30 percent of Republicans would like to bomb it. Many in our pop-culture-centric world believe the original tale is one of the One Thousand and One Nights stories told by the legendary Persian (not Arabic) storyteller Scheherazade. It turns out that's not true.

The story of Aladdin, the magic lamp and genie was not in the original Arabic writings of those stories. That can be blamed on French translator Antoine Galland in the 18th century. The Aladdin story was added to the collection as well as "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves" and the "Adventures of Sinbad." (Interesting that the three most famous stories are not in the original manuscripts.

In the earliest version of the story, Aladdin is a poor youth living on the streets of China and his love interest was not the sweet-sounding Jasmine, but the difficult-to-pronounce Badroulbadour, according to Krystyn R. Moon in Yellowface: Creating the Chinese in American Popular Music and Performance, 1850s-1920s. 

In the original version, Aladdin is no foreigner abroad either: he’s a Chinese boy, not an Arabian youth who’s ended up in China. (Nor is he an orphan: in the earliest versions of the story, Aladdin is not an orphaned street urchin but a lazy boy living at home with his mother.) 

The visuals and storyline of Disney's animated Aladdin are most likely formed by a 1944 adventure swashbuckler, Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves starring Jon Hall and Maria Montez; basically a western vision of the exotic "orient." Unfortunately, it is speaks to the power of movies and its imagery that that was America's predominant view of the Middle East until 9/11. (Watch the trailer below.)

So today's Aladdin is a redo of the 1992 Disney cartoon version, which was a ripoff of a 1940's film, which was a ripoff of an 18th century French translator's story collection, which was a ripoff of a Persian tale, which was a ripoff of a Chinese fable. It is so far removed from its original source material that any controversy surrounding the current telling of Aladdin should be moot.

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