TGIF FRIDAY: Actress makes her character hapa.

Vanessa Hudgens (center) has made her 'Powerless' character Emily Locke a Filipino/American,

THREE CHEERS for Vanessa Hudgens!

The actress starring on NBC's Powerless made her character half-Filipino!

I'm pretty sure that when the concept for Powerless was first thought up and they wrote for the lead character, Emily Locke, they weren't writing for a person of mixed race, much less a Filipino/American. I searched for the DC backstory of Emily and couldn't find any reference to her ethnicity.

When Hudgens was cast in that role, it would have been easy to  stay silent and let the writers fill out her character. I'm almost certain that she must have said something to the creative team behind Powerless about being Filipino/American to help flesh out her  character's back story.

This is the first role the California-raised actress has played in which her character reflects her real-life heritage.

Powerless is a sitcom about an insurance company that cleans up after the havoc and destruction created by various super heroes.

You can count on one hand the TV roles that are identified Filipino/American:

• Josh Chan of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend played by Vincent Rodriguez III. This role opened the door for an entire Filipino/American family to be introduced - a television first.
• Sgt. Wu of Grimm played by Reggie Lee. Not much is known about Wu's character outside of his life chasing Vessens, but in one episode, he talked about his grandmother scaring him with tales of the mythical Aswan, a Filipino monster that eats children.
• Mateo of Superstore played by Nico Santos. Originally the character was supposed to be Latino and straight, but once Santos got the role, he was able to tailor the back story to mirror his own.

And ... uh, that's it!

There are another handful of Filipino/American actors on television but their ethnic background has never been explored or deliberately kept mysterious or, in the case of those appearing in space sagas, are from some other planet.

RELATED: 'Powerless' premieres

Watch the video. It's just a snippet and her line, "I'm half Filipino," is passed over so quickly you might miss it. What's wonderful is that it was in the context of the episode's plot, the revelation was no big deal. There was no music swelling, dramatic drumbeat to emphasize or knowing looks to mark, what in some states, is a common, everyday moment.  

When someone like Hudgens -- with her star power growing with each role that she undertakes -- uses her influence to define her ethnicity rather than play a white or Latina woman, it's a big deal at so many levels; from the youngster looking for role models, students struggling with their identity to those Americans whose definition of what an American looks like is limited to being white.

Well done, Miss Hudgens. Salamat!

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Filipino/American lands role of Spider-Man's best friend

Filipino/American actor Jacob Batalon, left, plays Ned Leeds and his best friend Peter Parker (AKA Spider-Man) played by Tom Holland, are smitten by a girl in their high school.

SPIDERMAN'S best buddy in high school - it turns out - is a Filipino.

In Spider-Man: Homecoming, the latest chapter in the Marvel superhero's franchise, Hawaiian-born Jacob Batalon plays Ned Leeds, the best friend of Peter Parker's (AKA Spider-Man).

"I play Peter Parker's best friend in the film," Batalon told KHON2. "We are both in high school; we are about fifteen. And it's just about Peter dealing with being a superhero and going through puberty. He still has to worry about homework; he still has to worry about his crush liking him, while trying to save someone who's probably in a burning building. He can't tell anyone because he's not the cool kid, so he's just stuck with this really cool life that he can't tell anyone about."

After high school, Battalion attended the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts before getting his breakthrough role as Ned Leeds. 

This new interpretation of Spider-Man takes place when he was only 15 years old, younger than previous iterations of the superhero. Thank back when you were a sophomore in high school. Pretty socially awkward and struggling with that irrepressible need to interact with the opposite sex. That's the environment Parker and Ned find themselves in.

The Spider-Man movie will have a very diverse cast including Batalon, Tom Holland (Peter Parker) Zendaya, Donald Glover, Laura Harrier and Kenneth Choi, veteran stars Marisa Tomei, Michael Keaton and Robert Downey, Jr.

The film will be released July, 2017. Catch Batalon in the trailer below:

Expect to see a lot of 'barong tagalogs' on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend tonight

In 'Crazy Es-Girlfriend's' first-season finale, Josh Chan's parents played by Amy Hill and Alberto Isaac meet Lea Salonga's character, Aunt Myrna, (center) while Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III) and his girlfriend Valencia (Gabrielle Ruiz) look a bit befuddled.

A FILIPINO/AMERICAN wedding, Lea Salonga singing and the family of the Filipino character, Josh Chan, together on television again. 

This should be a must-see episode of Crazy ExGirlfriend as its first season ends tonight (Monday, April 18).

Add jealousy, unrequited love and alcohol to the mix and that's an explosive concoction that is sure to create some memorable scenes in the romantic comedy musical world of CEG.

It is the wedding of Josh's sister, Jayma, played by Fil/Am actress Tess Paras, so expect Josh's family - including Aunt Myrna (played by Broadway star Salonga) come from far and wide. This could be the largest group of Filipino/Americans on television at one time, EVER - outside a Manny Pacquiao fight.

For sure, the guys will be wearing the traditional Philippine camisa (shirt) called the Barong Tagalog that is the garb of choice for men at Filipino celebrations.

Salonga, as Aunt Myrna, an almost-winner in a reality TV singing competition, sings "One Indescribably Instant," from an animated movie that has had such an influence on the show's main character Rachel, played by award-winning actress Rachel Bloom.

The season-one finale of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, directed by co-producer Aline Brosh McKenna, airs tonight (Monday, April 18) on the CW, 8 p.m.

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For more news about Asian/Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

TGIF FEATURE: The Crazy Ex-Girlfriend cast takes on love; returns Jan. 25

Rachel Bloom and Vincent Rodriguez III, the main leads in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,
break into song during an interview.

INTRIGUED by Crazy Ex-Girlfriend? During the last two weeks, you probably saw Rachel Bloom, who plays the television show's - well, crazy - title character, win the Golden Globe's Best Actress in a Comedy series and the Critics Choice Award in the same category. Not bad for someone who was a virtual unknown just 10 months ago.

In the show, the character, who is the object of her obsession, is Josh Chan, portrayed by Filipino/American Vincent Rodriguez III.

The musical romantic comedy is noteworthy for having an Asian/American romantic male lead. If that wasn't historic enough, it also brought the first Filipino/American family to U.S. audiences.

RELATED: Why you should be watching Crazy Ex-Girlfriend; TV's first Filipino/American family debuts

The finale will have Tony Award-winner Lea Salonga making a special singing appearance. We have no information on what her role will be like or if it will be a recurring character.

Crazy will have its 18-episode mid-season premiere on Jan. 25, Monday, 8 p.m. on the CW network. The show's future is uncertain beyond this first season because of its dismal ratings. Hopefully, Bloom's awards will bring some attention to one of the brightest and innovative comedies on television.

Thirteen episodes were originally ordered but a few episodes into the debut season, CW asked for five more episodes to bring the total number of episodes to 18. Invited to put the best possible spin on the mediocre ratings-to-date for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, CW president Mark Pedowitz … admitted he was unable to. “But we believe in the show, we stand by the show … we’re going to give it a chance to get seen,” he said. “I hope it comes back” for Season 2.

That's where you come in, friends. 

If you're a newcomer to the show, let the cast introduce you to their characters in the above video.

RELATED: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend star wins Golden Globe; speaks on value of diversity

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"Crazy Ex- Girlfriend" star wins Golden Globe; Lea Salonga will make an appearance.

Photo: Tyler Golden/CW

"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's" Filipino/American family, from left: Tess Paras as Jayma, Coryn Mabalot as Jastenity, Vincent Rodriguez III as Josh, Amy Hill as Lourdes, Rachel Bloom as Rebecca,
and Alberto Isaac as Joseph.

LETS HOPE that Rachel Bloom's Golden Globe award for Best Performance by An Actress In A Television Series (Comedy or Musical) gives a much-needed boost to the groundbreaking television show "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend."

Her win over better known actresses in more popular shows clearly surprised Bloom and Sunday's (Jan. 10) Golden Globe audience, which combined the stars of motion pictures and television.

The show, which features a Fiilipino/American love interest (Vincent Rodriguez as Josh Chan), hasn't exactly been breaking ratings records. In fact, in some polls, it is at or near the bottom as the least watched shows on television. CW hasn't indicated if a second season is in the works.

However, CW President Mark Pedowitz told TV Guide, that his network has great faith in Crazy.

"At the moment, I wish I had more optimistic [ratings] statistics. I don't. What we do have is great faith in the show, great faith in the showrunners and the creators, Aline Brosh McKenna and Rachel Bloom. We believe in the show. We stand by the show," Pedowitz said, adding that he has no plans to make a "homogenized version" of the show in hopes of attracting more viewers. "We believe there is a place on our schedule today for a show like this and we're going to give it a chance to get seen. You can't beat quality like this. ... The fact that Rachel is nominated (and won a Golden Globe) is a testament to what they've done. ... I wish the numbers were better."

Watch Bloom's teary and breathless acceptance speech below:

As Bloom explained to reporters in the press room following the Globes, having a diverse cast allows a show to organically explore a wider range of stories because of her Filipino co-star. Read her comments in an interview with Vulture right after the ceremonies:

"I have learned so much about Filipino culture. What’s insane is we are not fresh off the boat about specifically being Filipino. One of our characters happened to be Filipino, so when we realized that no one had made the effort to show a Filipino family on an American comedy, it is talking a lot about Filipino culture, mabuhay, but it has also taught me really about how important diversity is if you want to tell a new story. Anything else I do from now ... I would want to make it about people who are diverse, gay, trans, because those are stories that have not been told before, and America is a melting pot of immigrants, and I don’t think it is acknowledged half as much as it is on television. 

"In episode 18, we are so proud Lea Solanga will be guest-starring, and when Vincent, who plays Josh Chan, [saw her,] he literally fainted to the ground. We are so excited to be seen as a show that supports all different sorts of people and supports diversity because that’s what America is, and we are just showing what America really is."

I don't want to underplay the little "tease" she threw in about Lea Solanga, but I want to dwell a bit on her comment, her show and diversity.

True diversity in the media is not about tokenism: Cast an Asian guy and put him in the background. It's about reflecting the world around us and the stories emerge organically from everyday interactions. CEG is not seeking a pat on the back for casting Rodriguez because as the producers said, they grew up in Southern California and there were plenty of hot guys who were Asian. And they didn't stand on a soapbox to shout out, "Look at us! We have a Filipino family on the show. Hooray!" 

On this particular show, diversity includes having a Filipino/American writer, Rene Gube, who, incidentally, played a hip priest (80 percent of Filipinos are Roman Catholic) on the same show. Gube wrote the historic Thanksgiving show that featured an entire Filipino clan at a family celebration. Gube wasn't hired because one of the lead characters was Filipino, it's just that sometimes, the stars align. But his presence on the writing staff helps the authenticity of the scenes with Filipinos. 

RELATED: Why you should be watching 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'TV's first Filipino/American family debuts

“To have an opportunity to create a fully developed Filipino character, a male romantic lead, I’ve never seen that before, and I was super excited about that. It is a great opportunity to show a Filipino family on network television, and show how American that Filipino family truly is,” said Gube in a Vulture interview.

Lea Salonga

Back to Salonga: The singer let the cat out of the bag in her Twitter account that she'll be featured in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's finale. “I guess the news is out!!! I’ll be appearing on the season finale of @CW_CrazyXGF! And singing, too! How fun is that?!” Salonga tweeted to her followers. Presumably, she'll tape that episode when Allegiance closes its Broadway run on Feb. 14.

Congratulations to Rachel Bloom! Hopefully her award will have the same boost for Crazy as the same award gave to Jane the Virgin when its star, Gina Rodriguez, won the honor last year.

Even without the Filipino actors, its a brilliant show. How can you describe a show that has a compulsive-obsessive woman as its lead character chasing after the love of her life who she thinks is her key to happiness? Don't be put off by the musical numbers. The witty songs and production add to the story and they're not thrown in willy-nilly just to have a musical number.

Meanwhile, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend returns with its mid-season premiere on Jan. 25, 8 p.m. Eastern on the CW. Tell all your friends and relatives to tune in to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, the show that gets things right on so many levels.

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TGIF FEATURE: The Brothers, Monstress and Remember The I-Hotel

A scene from "Monstress"

AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATER (ACT) will be presenting another story by Filipino/American writer Lysley Tenorio after producing the world premieres of two one-act plays by the same author last week in Monstress.

The Brothers is from Tenorio’s debut collection, "Monstress" (HarperCollins, 2012).

Tenorio had this to say about the origin of “The Brothers:”

"There’s a bar in San Francisco called Asia SF, which is famous for its “gender illusionists”: the transsexual and transgendered Asian-American waitresses who perform hourly atop the bar/runway, lip-syncing disco classics and power ballads. I wouldn’t call them drag queens; they don’t really possess that winking camp that lets everyone know they’re in on the act. Instead, the women of Asia SF have worked and sacrificed to turn themselves into the people they truly want to be. 

"On one visit, I met a Filipina-American waitress who told me about her family in the Philippines, and how they weren’t necessarily cool with how she was living her life. I was moved by her story, and immediately thought of ways to render that kind of experience in fiction, to imagine a life so defined by change. But as I worked on the story, I found myself more compelled by the opposite, by someone who utterly lacked the daring and guts to break free of the role he’s expected to play – that of the dutiful and obedient son, the one who sacrifices his own happiness to maintain the familial order."

And so The Brothers, became the story of Edmond, a man who couldn’t even begin to imagine the difficult but ultimately fulfilling life his recently deceased transsexual brother, Eric, had the bravery to live. In this way, Eric isn’t the lonely, isolated, and tragic brother; Edmond is.

The story is adapted by Colman Domingo, who stars in the TV spinoff Fear The Walking Dead. No, he is not Filipino but he says since he grew up in the Bay Area, he has Filipino friends and is familiar with the community.

His website is www.lysleytenorio.com.

The Brother(s) by Colman Domingo  

Adapted from a short story by Lysley Tenorio  

Friday, October 16, 10 p.m.
Sunday, October 18, 12 p.m. & 7 p.m.
A.C.T.'s Costume Shop, 1117 Market Stre
*Tickets are free but reservations are required. 

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THE TWO one-act plays presented in ACT's Monstress were Remember the I-Hotel and the title story Monstress - in that order.

The latter is an out-and-out farce that has some funny lines about Daly City and other Bay Area cities, which might play well outside of the Bay Area. Taking place in the 60s and 70s, it is a tale of immigration, of improbable, lofty dreams gone awry, as reality hits the characters.

RELATED: Two Filipino American stories debut

The storyline is a little forced (farced?) but the cast is excellent. I shouldn't be surprised but I'm continually amazed at all the talent that's in the Asian/American community that is going largely untapped and unnoticed.

The same corps of actors in Monstress play different roles in the opening play,  Remember the I-Hotel.

The I-Hotel has a totally different tone. It is more bitter-sweet, touching and full of irony. It touches on larger societal issues without hectoring the audience.

Vicente (Ogie Zulueta) is comforted
by Fortunado (Jomar Tagatac) in
“Remember The I-Hotel"

As regular readers may recall, the  International Hotel was the last remaining residential hotel in old Manilatown, west of Chinatown. The struggle to keep the low-cost housing for its elderly tenants, mostly Chinese and Filipino men sparked the tenant rights revolution even though the tenants were eventually evicted in the 1970s. This is the setting of Remember the I-Hotel.

At the end of the play, you can almost hear the audience let out their breath after trying to keep their emotions in check. Some couldn't ... and tears were rolling.

I don't know why the director doesn't reverse the order and let Monstress open the couplet of plays and let I-Hotel be the final act. It would be a more powerful thought-provoking evening.

As it is, I left the theater, located on the edge of the new Manilatown, South of Market, happier perhaps, because of the farcical Monstress but still wondering about the fate of the characters in the poignant Remember the I-Hotel.

Monstress, 
A.C.T.'s Strand Theater, 127 Market Street, San Francisco

Running time: 2 hours, plus one 15‑minute intermission

For tickets, click here. 

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