Whitewash Wars: White actor turns down role for Asian/American character

Ed Skrein did the right thing by turning down the role to play an Asian/American character in 'Hellboy.

ACTOR Ed Skrein just won over another fan; maybe millions. He turned down a role in the upcoming Hellboy that he learned should go to an Asian/Amerian actor.

"I must do what I feel is right." said Skrein when he learned about the casting controversy for a character that should be portraiyed by an Asian or Asian/American.

Not many actors would turn down a role based on a principle. Screin's parents must have raised him right.

Skrein would have played Major, a character originally portrayed as an Asian/American in the Mike Mignola comic-book series that serves as the source material for the Hellboy franchise.

When he was cast, social media protests exploded on the Internet pointing out that it was another case of whitewashing, similar to what recently happened with Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in A Shell, Emma Stone in Aloha and Tilda Swinton in Dr. Strange, all of whom portrayed characters that were Asian or part-Asian in origin.

Representatives for Lionsgate, the studio producing the film, told the press “Ed came to us and felt very strongly about this. We fully support his unselfish decision.” The statement continues, “It was not our intent to be insensitive to issues of authenticity and ethnicity, and we will look to recast the part with an actor more consistent with the character in the source material.”

Unfortunately, Skrein's decision is still the exception. He should be commended for "getting it."

"It is our responsibility to make moral decisions in difficult times and to give voice to inclusivity," Skrein stated. "It is my hope that one day these discussions will be less necessary and that we can help make equal representation in the arts a reality."

Skrein's decision didn't go unnoticed by Asian/American actors:

The British actor's entire statement follows:

I accepted the role unaware that the character in the comics is of mixed Asian heritage. There has been intense conversation and understandable upset since that announcement, and I must do what I feel is right.

It is clear that representing this character in a culturally accurate way holds significance for people, and that to neglect this responsibility would continue the worrying tendency to obscure ethnic and minority stories and voices in the Arts. I feel it is important to honour and respect that. Therefore I have decided to step down so the role can be cast appropriately.

Representation of ethic diversity is important, especially to me has I have a mixed heritage family. It is our responsibility to make moral decisions in difficult times and to give voice to inclusivity. It is my hope that one day these discussions will be less necessary and that we can help make equal representation in the Arts a reality.

I am sad to leave Hellboy but if this decision brings us closer to that day, it is worth it. I hope it makes a difference.

Skeinn is not a household name and he could have used this role to springboard to bigger parts, but he chose not to take that selfish path. He'll get other roles and the publicity from his decision will likely open more doors. (That is an option that's not available for most AAPI actors.) Let's hope that Skrein's precedent-setting act inspires other actors with even bigger names to think twice before taking roles meant for Asian or Asian/American actors. _________________________________________________________________________________

Three upcoming movies will feature all-Asian casts

DISNEY

Who can fill these iconic roles? Jasmine, right, looking for Mr. Right - Aladdin.

THREE HOLLYWOOD MOVIES in various stages of production are looking for all-Asian casts.

It took 25 years since the Joy Luck Club before Hollywood had the guts to again cast an all-Asian cast for the movie version of Crazy Rich Asians. The extensive casting hunt was a long-drawn out effort because the producers were unable to find the right actors in the historic all-Asian cast. 

Flash forward to 2017: The Disney live-action productions of Aladdin and Mulan are also seeking all-Asian casts. Sony is also doing the story of woman warrior Mulan with an all-Chinese cast. You would think that we're entering a golden period for Asian actors but all three productions are facing the same problem as Crazy Rich Asians. 

Disney is reportedly trying very hard to avoid the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag or be accused of whitewashing or yellow face, or in the case of Aladdin, brown face. Mulan is set in ancient China and Aladdin in a mythical kingdom in the Middle-east or Southern Asia.

Exacerbating the search, Aladdin is a musical and Mulan, still in pre-productioin planning, might very well become a musical. The box-office success of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast have prompted the studio to look on the live-action projects as musicals. The animated versions of both films had catchy and romantic songs and music associated with them. 

So the actors must not only look the part, but they have to be able to sing or at least carry a tune. Dancing would be a plus.

Aladdiin, further along in production than Mulan, has reportedly had over 2000 actor audition for the two leads of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine. Will Smith has already signed on for the pivotal role of the Ginie. Guy Ritchie is the director.

Some well-known names - Dev Patel and Riz Ahmed - have auditioned but apparently, haven't locked down the role. Ritchie is reportedly looking for a fresh faces to play Jasimin and Aladdin.

Mulan Director Niki Caro (Whale Rider) said that her project will be a "girly martial arts extravaganza." That was initially interpreted that her Mulan would not be a musical. Since she made that statement, she has walked back on it a bit. Apparently, the studio is still leaning towards incorporating the music from the animated version into the live-action remake.

RELATED: Ming-Na Wen seeks role in 'Mulan' remake

She is encountering the same casting problem that faced CRA director Jon Chu and Aladdin's Ritchie. Where are all the actors of Asian descent? The abilityi to speak English eliminates a wide swath of popular actors based in Asia.

Sony is also doing its own version of Mulan. Financed by Chinese - that will also feature an all-Chinese cast and directed by Alex Graves. No cast announcements have been made on that production.

DISNEY

Disney is having trouble finding Asian actors for its live action remake of Mulan. Really?

The motion picture industry is treading lightly on the issue of culturally appropriate casting. Three of four recent productions that had casting controversies tanked at the box office after a social media groundswell of criticism, most of which originated from the Internet savvy Asian/American community.

RELATED: Hollywood has a mostly black and white view of America

Casting bankable stars such as Matt Damon as lead in The Great Wall of China, Emma Stone cast as a hapa in Aloha and Scarlett Johansson as Motoku Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell failed to overcome the whitewashing protests. They lost money in U.S. ticket sales.

Only Dr. Strange, featuring Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One, managed to break even at the box office. However, it should be noted, all of the aforementioned films did well enough in the Asian market to make up for the disappointing showing at the box office in the U.S. 

With that economic argument to justify those casting failures thrown out the window, coupled with recent studies that show diverse casting increases the chances of box office success, Hollywood has had to reconsider its traditional casting choices.

Prior to the 2015 #OscarsSoWhite controversy that ripped off the institutional racism in Hollywood motion pictures and television, a study by the University of Southern California's  Annenberg School of Communications, found that over half of the 400 films and television series studied did not feature an Asian person in a speaking role at all. And most of the roles featuring Asians perpetuated stereotypes.

Asian and Asian/American actors must be breaking down the doors for an audition for these movies. Yet, all three can't find the right actors. Really?

Give Hollywood a helping hand: Who would you cast in these movies?

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Actress Tamlyn Tomita blasts 'Nihau' script and whitewashing

WWII hero Benehakaka “Ben” Kanahele, left, and actor Zach McGowan.

I DON'T KNOW actress Tamlyn Tomita personally, but my admiration for her has grown a few notches after she delivered her scathing assessment about Hollywood's latest act of whitewashing.

Tomita (The Karate Kid II, Joy Luck Club) responded by email that was originally sent to the producers of a movie project. It was shared by fellow Japanese American actress Keiko Agena (Gilmomre Girls). 

I'm not sure what spurred the producers of Ni'ihau to go ahead with this movie project that is atrocious in so many ways, as Tomita, who is half-Japanese and half-Filipino, so bluntly describes in her own words.
  
The story centers around a true incident in Hawaii right after the attack on Pearl Harbor -- in which two Japanese Americans did assist a downed Japanese pilot -- that apologists have sometimes used as the rationalization for incarcerating 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent.

In actuality, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover did not write up the report on the Ni'Ihau incident until two months after Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

To add insult to injury, white actor Zach McGowan has been cast as Hawaiian WWII hero Benehakaka “Ben” Kanahele in the upcoming film “Ni’ihau,” in yet another case of white actors playing roles that should go to Asian/Pacific Islanders. For his heroism, Kanahele was awarded a Medal of Merit and a Purple Heart.

The past two years, the issue of "whitewashing" has become a major point of contention between Hollywood studios and the AAPI community. Three high-profile roles that should have been cast with AAPI actors were cast with white actors: Emma Stone as a hapa in Aloha, Tillda Wtinton as "The Ancient One" in Dr. Strange, and Scarlett Johansson as Major Motoku Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell.

Whitewashing is not a new practice in casting. Cinema's history is rife with movies with examples, ie. John Wayne as Genghis Khan in The Conquerer, Mickey Rooney as Mr. Yonioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Tamlyn Tomita

Tomita's email in response to Agena - as written - follows:

KEIKO: "I grew up in Hawaii and I am Japanese American so the latest whitewashing in the film Ni'ihau hits especially close to home. When I saw Tamlyn Tomita's post today re: this script I had to share it. I adore Tamlyn. She is such an important member of the Asian American community here in Los Angeles. Thank you Tamlyn for your bluntness. 

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM TAMLYN:
In regards to the film, "Ni'ihau" - following is an email expressing my thoughts upon reading it in february - I cannot post the script, but the references to the story are important. This continued practice of 'white-washing' characters and fictionalizing history is not only total bullshit, but further perpetuates the idea that only white people can play the heroes. 

Tamlyn Tomita
Feb 7

to Rebecca, Nancy
heyllo rebecca

i appreciate you setting this up, but this script is a piece of shit and i am not mincing words...i appreciate you setting this up, but this script is a piece of shit and i am not mincing words...

my thoughts? 
- the writer/director has absolutely done no research whatsoever in writing about native hawaiians and japanese-americans in hawaii pre-1941 - has he ever been to hawaii? has he heard how hawaiians speak? 
the dialogue is atrocious in tone, setting, and authenticity - hey! 'eastenders' guy - write what you know and stick with it
- he has the gall to name 2 minor characters after 2 of the most cherished entertainers from hawaii - you know the hawaiian rendition of 'somewhere over the rainbow' accompanied by ukulele? that's izzy ka'ano'i, the other is named ke'ali'i reichel, you think no one who appreciates hawaiian music is going to notice that?
- the absolute WTF casting Benehakaka Kanahele with Zach Mcgowan - hey! brit-twit! ever hear of 'white-washing'? 
- a fictionalized account of a true incident and he has the audacity of tagging the film with the statement that it's often cited as the reason for bringing about the japanese-american internment camps - if he had dug a little deeper, the truth is, america's concentration camps came about because of "wartime hysteria, racial prejudice, and a failure of political leadership" - how dare he be a proponent of michelle malkin's sub-par research to lend his film a fart of credibility - what? he read the daily kos article and says, hey! what an idea for a movie!

http://www.dailykos.com/…/-Niihau-Island-How-a-Lone-Shot-Do…

AND HEY! EDGAR J. HOOVER DID NOT WRITE ABOUT THE INCIDENT UNTIL AFTER EXECUTIVE ORDER 9066 WAS ISSUED -

http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/video/1915656990/

- as to why yoshio harada and irene harada did what they did - this writer/director has no imagination as to the inner conflicts of dual heritages, identities, and allegiances and what the stakes are in making such a choice - "we're gonna be at war, so let's side with the people whom we look like!"

so, yeah, sorry, there is no way i am going in for this...

my apologies for venting, but it all just came tumbling out....

xoxo"

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The whitewashing of Preet Bharara; what's next for the former U.S. Attorney for NY

Paul Giamatti, left, plays a U.S. attorney based on Preet Bharara in the TV show 'Billions.' Damian Lewi, right, s is his target, billionaire hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod.

IN RESEARCHING the story about Preet Bharara's firing by the Trump Administration, I learned something I hadn't know before: The television  series Billions is loosely based on Bharara, whose integrity and effectiveness earned him the monicker, the Sheriff of Wall Street.

It appears, Billions is another case of whitewashing, where Asian characters are turned into white roles?

The Showtime hit series is loosely based on the real-life investigation by Bharara of hedge fund manager Steve Cohen of SAC Capital, with Paul Giamatti’s character, the hard-charging, whip-smart Charles “Chuck” Rhodes Jr. playing a version of the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

RELATED:

• Asian/Americans decry whitewashing 
• Preet Bharara fired raises more questions

We've seen this happen too often before to not acknowledge the possibility - recent examples include, Aloha, in which Emma Stone plays a hapa Hawaiian, Ghost in the Shell where Scarlett Johansson takes on the role that was originally Japanese; and in 21, based on a true story whose lead characters in real-life, were Asian/Americans but whose characters were turned into white roles for the movie.

FYI: Deadline reports that after the news of Bharara's firing was revealed, Billions creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien tweeted their support for Bharara.

“You’re a great man, Preet. An inspiration. Can’t wait to see what’s next,” Koppelman tweeted, adding, “Tech advisor + cameo?”

Levien retweeted Koppelman suggesting that Bharara should join the writing team.

Bharara is also being urged to run for political office. New York City mayor and New York governor are two posts that his fans are asking him to consider. In the past, Bharara has poohed-poohed the possibility of holding an elected office.

TGIF FEATURE: Director John Chu - From the streets of NYC to Hollywood's big-name studios.

BEFORE he hit the big-time, and before John Chu was picked to direct the upcoming movie adaptation of Kevin Kwan's best-selling book "Crazy Rich Asians" and before he directed two of the sequels in the Now You See Me movie franchise, Chu could be found in New York City taping his web series The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers. 

John Chu

In the accompanying video, watch Moose (Adam G. Sevani) and Camille (Alyson Stoner) shuffling delightfully down the sidewalk to a remixed Frank Sinatra in 2010’s Step Up? The dance sequence was shot in one long take.

Crazy Rich Asians will be filmed in Singapore with an all-Asian cast. Chu, who was born in Palo Alto, California, was able to counter a producer who wanted to change one of the lead characters to a Euro/American. No whitewashing here.

“[As Asian-Americans], we have a specific sensibility: We were born here, we grew up here, we watched these movies,” meaning the ones that have portrayed Asians as “others” and typically, the laughingstock, he told BuzzFeed. Chu said he grew up idolizing white characters onscreen because he didn’t relate to the few Asian characters Hollywood presented to him. “A hero that doesn’t look like you makes you want to be something else,” he said.

Crazy Rich Asians is a comedy of manners about the lavish lifestyles of the ultra-wealthy in Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai, as seen through the eyes of an American-born Chinese woman meeting her Singaporean boyfriend's high-society family for the first time.

It is a heavy mantle Chu has put on his shoulders. The movie Crazy Rich Asians could be be the movie that convinces Hollywood that Americans audiences can accept multi-racial casts.

“I realize that the reason why I’ve been able to [get where I am] is because other people have fallen on the sword for me and created a path for me,” Chu explained. “So it becomes only more important as I get older, and as I progress, to open more doors for people that are behind me.”

Thank you, John Chu, for standing your ground.

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

Celebrity short takes: Constance Wu, Justin Lin, Daniel Wu, Matt Damon, Vanessa Hudgens and more

The anime characters in FullmetalAlchemist and their human actors.

Director's decision counters Hollywood's 'whitewashing' practice

When the live-action adaptation of the wildly-popular manga-turned-anime Fullmetal Alchemist hits theaters next year, its entire cast of lead characters will be Japanese.
“I want to depict something that follows the original work as much as possible,” the movie’s director Fumihiko Sori told Natalie. “The cast is entirely Japanese, but the setting is Europe. However, their race and nationality isn’t expressed in a specific form.” This news is particularly refreshing in the wake of the upcoming Dr. Strange and Ghost in the Shell movies’ whitewashing of the Asian characters in their source material, tapping Tilda Swinton and Scarlett Johansson, respectively, to play them. Read the full story here.

Asian/American actors speaking out against 'whitewashing'

"AN ASIAN PERSON who is competing against white people, for an audience of white people, has to train for that opportunity like it's the Olympics," actress Constance Wu told writer Amanda Hess in the New York Times piece, titled 'Asian-American Actors Are Fighting For Visibility. They Will Not Be Ignored'. "An incredibly talented Asian actor might be considered for a leading role maybe once or twice in a lifetime. That's a highly pressured situation." Among the actors who were interviewed were heavy-hitters George Takei, Aziz Ansari and Daniel Dae Kim. Read the full article here.

AMC has renewed martial arts drama “Into the Badlands” for Season 2

The dystopian drama will return for a 10-episode second season that is slated to premiere on AMC in 2017. The show delivered the third highest-rated first season in U.S. cable TV history, averaging 5.6 million viewers per episode. “With its deep dive into authentic martial arts, the visually stunning ‘Into the Badlands’ proved to be unlike anything else on television,” said Charlie Collier, president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios. “Co-creators and showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar, along with a talented team of producers, cast and crew, brought us an artfully crafted series. We’re eager to return to the world of barons and blades and spend even more time with these compelling and evolving characters across an expanded second season.” It stars California-raised Daniel Wu as its leading man.

Lin

Vin Diesel wants Justin Lin to direct the final 'Fast & Furious'

Vin Diesel wants Justin Lin to direct the final Fast & Furious Universal Pictures and director F. Gary Gray are currently shooting Fast 8 for an April 14, 2017 release, which is planned to launch a new trilogy of films. Fast 8 will be followed by a ninth film to be released April 19, 2019 and a tenth film planned to hit theaters April 2, 2021. Forward-thinking star Vin Diesel is already coming up with a master plan for Fast 10, which a new article from Wired indicates could include the return of Read the full story


'Space Jam 2' has found its director

It's finally on now. While Space Jam 2 has lingered in the minds of basketball and sneaker enthusiasts behind a regular season filled with Curry and Kobe headlines, LeBron James' summer is now closer to set. As The Hollwood Reporter breaks, the busy Justin Lin will direct the sequel to the cartoon classic. It's nice to be in demand. Read the full story

Chinese/American actress nominated for 2016 Tony Award

Phillipa Soo was nominated as Best Actress in a musical for her role as Eliza Hamilton in the Broadway hit Hamilton.  All together, Hamilton, the diversity-setting, rap-inspired musical set a new record with 16 nominations. Read the full story

Fukunaga

Cary Fukunaga may adapt Stanley Kubrick’s 'Napoleon' as HBO miniseries

According to a new report from ScreenRant, HBO is eying a revival of Stanley Kubrick’s famously never-produced version of "Napoleon" with Cary Fukunaga directing the historical epic. If done right, this could be spectacular. Anyone who has seen the first season of True Detective (or Sin Nombre or Beasts of No Nation) knows that Fukunaga is a special talent, one that could be trusted to bring a version of Kubrick’s singular vision to the screen. The project would also have the benefit of more modern technologies than Kubrick ever dreamed of, as well as the backing of HBO, which has shown a willingness to spend big money on huge projects. An hours-long program, with frequent battle scenes, filmed in multiple countries for a massive amount of money? That sounds an awful lot like Game of Thrones. Read the full story

Vanessa Hudgens agrees to pay $1,000 fine for carving on red rock wall

Actress Vanessa Hudgens has paid $1,000 in restitution for carving a heart into a red rock wall during a trip to Sedona, Arizona. The payment resolves a citation issued to the Filipino/American on a misdemeanor count of damaging a natural feature on U.S. Forest Service land. Read the full story

'The Great Wall' aims to bridge Hollywood-China divide

Matt Damon sported a new ponytail as he told fans in Beijing about his part in the fantasy epic The Great Wall, a $150 million U.S.-China co-production which could be a game-changer for the world's second biggest film market, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The legendary fantasy film, which is described as the largest film ever shot entirely in China for global distribution, centers on an elite force making a last stand for humanity on the iconic Great Wall in China. The English-language movie is directed by Zhang Yimou and is due to finish filming in August. The global release date is Nov. 23, 2016. Read the full story

First Filipina to win 'Best Actress' at Cannes Film Festival

Jaclyn Jose has become the first Filipino to win the best actress award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Jose won for her performance as a mother who falls prey to corrupt police after being forced to sell drugs to survive in Ma’ Rosa. The movie was directed by Brillante Mendoza, who in 2009 became the first Filipino to win best director at the festival for Kinatay.

The Filharmonics

NBC winds up its 'Life Stories' of Asian/Americans

The Filipino/American a capella singing group, the Filharmonics, was one of the groups and individuals profiled by NBC as part of its 'Life Stories' series in honor of Asian/American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Other episodes of 'Life Stories', can be found here.

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Asian/Americans decry whitewashing of Asian characters

IT'S BEEN a hell of a week for Asian/American actresses. They lost out three prominent roles that called for Asian characters.

After the #OscarsSoWhite controversy regarding diversity in the movie and TV industries, some thought that perhaps if we had more Asian writers and Asian-centric stories we would be able to generate more roles  for Asian actors.

Apparently, that was a blind alley.

Recently, the Internet has been buzzing about the casting of Scarlett Johansson as Ghost in the Shell heroine Major Motoko Kusanagi.

"It was particularly heinous because they ran CGI tests to make her look more Asian," said Constance Wu during a luncheon last week. She was one of the Asian/American actresss on the panel. Paramount has since denied that the studio tried to alter Johansson's appearance via computer graphics.

Wu, one of the stars of TV's Fresh Off The Boat, explained that the problem with the alleged tests is that "it reduces our race and ethnicity to mere physical appearance, when our race and culture are so much deeper than how we look."

Speaking out on issues always runs the risk of adverse reaction by Hollywood power-brokers but that didn't prevent Ming-Na Wen of Agents of SHIELD, who upon seeing the image of Johansson "with her Asian-esque haircut," she tweeted, "Nothing against Scarlett Johansson. In fact, I'm a big fan. But everything against this Whitewashing of Asian role."

The tweet went somewhat viral, which Wen said made her feel "happy and afraid, because to get back on the soapbox is scary, but I feel I need to. It's about accepting that part of the job," as reported in the Hollywood Reporter article about the panel.

RELATED: Another egregioius case of 'whitewashing'

For those of you who are not familiar with Ghost In A Shell and feel they've been dropped into an alternate universe, Ghost is based on a Japanese comic book, created by Japanese writers and artists, takes place in a Japanese setting and features an all-Japanese cast of characters.

This is not a case of Magnificent Seven's John Sturgis stealing Seven Samurai from Akira Kurosawa. At least in Magnificent Seven, by changing the setting to the Old American West, they could easily cast Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, et al, as the lead characters.

Ghost will still take place in a futuristic Tokyo, the values and mysticism will lean heavily on Buddhist principles and values and the SUPPORTING characters will still be Japanese, or at least, Asian.

At least they died Johansson's hair black. That will make her blend in, right?

Tilda Swinton, almost an albino, plays The Ancient One.

Another role made for an Asian actress is The Ancient One in Marvel's Dr. Strange. The producers tried to throw fans off balance by gender-bending the role by having a woman play the role of the Tibetan wise man. Maybe that makes it OK that Tilda Swinton, one of the whiter than white actresses, got the role of the monk.

"Well, it's not actually an Asian character — that's what I need to tell you about it. I wasn't asked to play an Asian character, you can be very well assured of that," Swinton is quoted as saying.

Duh, well ... not anymore. But the character still wears Asian-inspired clothes, and Dr. Strange still has to travel to Tibet to learn the mystical arts. The Ancient One's "power" seems to derive from his/her mastery of chi, or inner force, much in line with goals or higher levels of consciousness espoused in several Asian religions or martial arts.

UPDATED: Earlier versions of this post did not have the reaction of screenwriter Robert Cargill, which were made to The Guardian after the original posting.

Screenwriter C. Robert Cargill gives an explanation of turning the role the Tibetan monk to a Celtic wizard:  “[The Ancient One is] a racist stereotype who comes from a region of the world that is in [a] very weird political place,” he said in an interview for the Double Toasted Podcast, via The Guardian.

“He originates from Tibet, so if you acknowledge that Tibet is a place and that he’s Tibetan, you risk alienating one billion people who think that that’s bullsh*t and risk the Chinese government going, ‘Hey, you know one of the biggest film-watching countries in the world? We’re not going to show your movie because you decided to get political.’”

But the Chinese haven't erased Tibet as an entity and still recognize it as a identifiable part of their country. And if that's the best Cargill can give as an explanation, consider this: Asian audiences, particularly China's market, identify easier with Asian characters than non-Asian characters.

Cargill went on to say that if they cast the character with a Chinese actress, they risk the ire from other Asians. “If you are telling me you think it’s a good idea to cast a Chinese actress as a Tibetan character, you are out of your damn fool mind and have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about,” he said. “Oh, ‘she could be Asian!’ Asian? She should be Japanese, she should be Indian, really? The levels of cultural sensitivity around this thing is, everyone is staking out their one particular place and not realizing that every single thing here is a losing proposition.”

Elizabeth Bank's Rita Repulsa has been updated
to be more sexy and evil-looking.

AAPI actors didn't have time to recover from this double whammy of whitewashing when pictures were released of actress Elizabeth Banks as the villain Rita Repulsa in the reboot of the Power Rangers.

The character, though not specifically Asian, was an Asian creation using Asian source material. The role has been played historically by actresses of color. In the last live-action movie, Repulsa was played by Filipina/American actress Julia Cortez.

The newest reincarnation of Repulsa has been updated so she doesn't look so comedic in her two-cone headgear. She's a villain, after all.

So what exactly is happening in Hollywood? What happened about all the promises made surrounding #OscarsSoWhite?

Nothing new is happening that hasn't been done before. There have been more white actresses playing Asian women who have won Oscars than there have been Oscars awarded to actual Asian actresses: Luise Rainer, who won the Oscar for Best Actress for playing a Chinese woman named O-Lan in The Good Earth and Linda Hunt, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for playing male Chinese-Australian photographer Billy Kwan in The Year of Living Dangerously. The sole REAL Asian woman to win an Oscar was Miyoshi Umeki  for her supporting role in Sayonara.

RELATED: Hollywood grapples with 'whitewashing' Asian roles - AGAIN!

I'm not sure which disappointed me more: the fact that these actresses were cast in Asian roles or the fact that they agreed to play those roles. I thought better of them.

I could almost understand the casting of Scarlett Johansson. She's one of the most bankable stars around. Her appeal is worldwide, not just in the U.S. Any project she's associated with will earn big bucks. But how will the film explain the existence of a white character as played by Johansson in a futuristic Tokyo and everybody else is Asian?  We'll have to wait and see. 

But Tilda Swinton and Elizabeth Banks? I really like their work but I wouldn't put them in the same category as Johansson. The economic argument for their casting is weaker. Certainly there are Asian/American and Asian actresses who are fully capable of playing any of these roles.

How can any Asian or Asian/American actress get to Johansson's level of popularity and bankability if they are never given the roles that would elevate them to that status? 

"Culturally, I think it is not in our (Asian) nature to confront these types of conflicts, to voice our concerns, to band together to voice our concerns, and that needs to change," Wen said in the panel discussion.

She said that African/Americans were right to protest #OscarsSoWhite and demand more opportunities for African/American actors. Asians should learn a lesson from that. "We have to fight our own fight," said Wen.

Hollywood grapples with 'whitewashing' Asian roles - AGAIN!

"The Martian's" Mindy Park, center and Dr. Kapoor, right, don't look Asian at all.

ITS BAD ENOUGH that Asian American actors don't get enough roles in Hollywood productions, but when a role comes up written specifically for an Asian character, they keep getting shut out.

The latest example of "white-washing" is in The Martian starring Matt Damon. In the book by Andy Weir, two key characters specifically identified as Asian were played by non-Asians in the movie.

The best-selling novel featured Dr. Venkat Kapoor, a character of Southeastern Asia descent, whose name in the film is changed to Vincent Kapoor, and is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, an African-American actor.

Additionally, character Mindy Park, who is Korean-American in the book, is played by white actress Mackenzie Davis in director Ridley Scott's film.

“This insulting practice of white-washing has got to stop,” said Aki Aleong, president of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, which has been battling the problem for decades. “Alarmingly, it has been increasing in frequency.

To be fair, we should mention that Asian actors weren’t employed in the film: Benedict Wong (Marco Polo) plays the role of Bruce Ng, the director of Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Other Asian actors playing small roles in the film include Chen Shu, Yang Haiwen, Eddy Ko, Yang Liu, Xue Xuxing and Narantsogt Tsogtsaikhan.

Perhaps producer Ridley Scott there were "too many" Asian actors in his move. Can there be too many Asians? Where's the cut off point?

“So few projects are written specifically with Asian-American characters in them, and he’s now changed them to a white woman and black man,” MANAA founding President Guy Aoki said of Scott’s casting choices. “This was a great opportunity to give meaty roles to talented Asian American actors — and boost their careers. … This feel-good movie, which has attracted Oscar buzz, shouldn’t get any awards for casting.”

"This was a great opportunity to give meaty roles to talented Asian American actors — and boost their careers — which would've enabled our community to become a greater part of the rescue team," Aoki continued. "This feel-good movie, which has attracted Oscar buzz, shouldn't get any awards for casting."

Emma Stone, Hawaiian/Chinese, uh, really?

No wonder Asian/Americans are so "invisible" in American society. We keep getting erased!

Another glaring example of the erasure of Asian/Americans: The hero of Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers, Johnny "Juan" Rico is written by the famous author as a Filipino. But ultimately, white actor Casper Van Dien got the role.

Director M. Night Shyamalan was heavily criticized for casting white actors in lead roles instead of Asian actors, for the movie adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

And apparently, it won't be the last time roles are "white-washed." Tilda Swinton has been cast to play The Ancient One, who’s identified in the comic book the film was based on as being an old Tibetan man. There’s also the upcoming Ghost In The Shell project, in which Scarlett Johansson is set to portray Motoko Kusanagi, a Japanese character in the popular anime series that the film is based on.

A live-action adaption of the anime Akira has been stuck in development hell, but fans of the original animated film have started a campaign against some of the possible changes that have leaked out, which includes replacing the Asian characters of the original with white actors.

Most recently, one of the most egregious example of "white-washing" is in the Cameron Crowe film Aloha, in which Emma Stone played a Hawaiian/Chinese character. Crowe and Stone were so embarrassed by the reaction that each made public apologies.

On a positive note, a 14-year-old Hawaiian girl, Auli‘i Cravalho, has been selected to give voice to Moana, a Disney production about a Polynesian girl learning and understanding her culture. Also cast in the same animated movie is Samoan.American Dwayne "Rock" Johnson.

Hollywood, as always, takes one step forward, ten steps back.