Standing Together: Building bridges between blacks and Asian Americans

By Louis Chan
ASAM NEWS

Crazy Rich Asians’ director Jon Chu joined a host of other celebrities Tuesday night for a candid conversation about the sometimes tense relations between Blacks and Asian Americans.

The webinar produced by Jose Antonio Vargas’s Define American took place Tuesday evening on Facebook and other social media. MSNBC’s Joy Reid moderated the one hour discussion.

There’s no solidarity without healing and no two communities need healing and solidarity in the era of coronavirus more than Black and Asian communities. So, what does it look like when Asians and Black people show up for each other,” Reid asked.

“Covid 19 or the coronavirus is a racial justice issue,” she continued. “The pandemic has exponentially amplified the injustice faced by Black people in America resulting in an alarmingly high death rates and economic strain. Asian folks have been the targets in surges in hate crimes, racist rhetoric and economic hardships. While our experiences may not be exactly the same, we recognize marginalized communities coming together with one another improves all of our chances of achieving equality.”

-Joy Reid, News Anchor, MSNBC

Joining Chu and Reid on the virtual panel were designer to the stars Prabal Gurung, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah Jones and film executive Franklin Leonard. Gurung is a Nepalese American fashion designer and founder of Shikshya Foundation Nepal.

“There is a divide, there’s a division no doubt about it,” Gurung said about Asian-Black relations. “You hear your aunts and uncles talk about it. It’s important that we acknowledge that it (racism) exists. The racism within each community especially the Asian community, it exists and that we all participate in it consciously or unconsciously. We have to acknowledge and try to unlearn these things. We have to question it. How do we deal with it? How do we have this conversation? Change is not going to happen overnight.”

Jones works with the 1619 Project, a program organized by the New York Times to examine the impact of slavery in the United States. She said both Blacks and Asians have been considered unassimilable by White Americans. Where there have been anti-Black laws passed, if there were Asians in the area, anti-Asian laws were passed as well.

“Only Asian American men could come here initially, then you would come back home (to China) because they wouldn’t let you bring over women to be your wives,” she said referring to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. “The Chinese Exclusion Act was very effective, followed by racist immigration quotas.”

Blacks, on the other hand, are the products of “forced migration.”

Both Jones and Chu agreed Asian Americans have been taught a “put your head down and work hard” mentality. It’s the same mentality, Jones said, that Blacks have had when immigrating to other countries. That ethic teaches people to keep quiet when something bad happens. Chu even wondered who would speak up when a hate crime happens.

“I’m scared as sh*t to be that person,”Chu said while describing himself as a “baby activist.” He said he made a movie that connected with people and now he’s been appointed a spokesperson, a position that makes him feel uncomfortable. “To hear other people, it gives me more courage to say those things. I think it’s important to be that person. We’re at a learning point of learning to have that courage.”

Leonard praised Crazy Rich Asians and said films like it and Black Panther are reasons for optimism. He’s seen the reaction to both films from Asians around the world. He said he will never forget comments from Asians about Black Panther who said, ‘”It was amazing. We have never seen Blacks in this way. Usually, when we see Blacks on the screen, they’re criminals or hip hop artists.'”

“A good storytelling has never had a racial border,” Leonard explained. “A good story, well told, is one way we humanize ourselves to each other. Hollywood bears a great deal of responsibility for the reality we live in where there are assumptions made by other communities.”

Gurung praised the way Crazy Rich Asians helped him understand his worth.

“I understand my worth but the world didn’t see it until Crazy Rich Asians happened,” said Gurung who said he left the theater crying. “Finally someone sees me as a living individual. I have to tell myself constantly I am worthy of every single space. I needed a movie to tell me my worth. I didn’t realize it.”

One of Chu’s best memories is after the 2018 Oscars when the casts of both Crazy Rich Asians and Black Panther celebrated together.

“We held each other. We held each other tight,” he emphasized. “We got to first base. Here we are.”

INSTAGRAM / JON CHU

The casts of 'Black Panther' and 'Crazy Rich Asians' recognized their common achievement at the 2018 Oscars.

All the panelists agreed the model minority myth has been used against both Blacks and Asian Americans.

“It’s a classic dog whistle,” said Jones. “This idea that Asian Americans would ever be considered a model minority is actually a tool of White supremacy. It comes in direct opposition to the civil rights movement when Black people are demanding their rights. Here we have this group of hard-working intelligent folks who put their head down and do work. If you don’t know your history you don’t understand the ability to just do your work, put your head down comes on the backs of the bloody civil rights movement where all kinds of legal barriers in doing have been collapsed because of what Black Americans have done.”

She said a lot of Asian Americans who came to this country after the Civil Rights Movement don’t realize that. Gurung added that it was important to emphasize that only White supremacy benefits from a fight between two oppressed groups

“We have to be very clear about who’s benefiting from two communities fighting against each other, said Gurung. “The division of the two minorities always benefits the majority. “

He says he’s put his faith in the younger generation which has learned to see race differently than the generations that preceded it.

Chu said the topics discussed during the webinar must continue.

“This is not an event. This is life,” he said.

Sponsors for the webinar included MACRO, Gold House, Color Of Change, CAPE, and the UTA Foundation.

Crazy Rich Asians Jon Chu proposes a Rose Tico series

The mini-revolt by Star Wars fans is still bubbling after the latest episode of the 9-movie space saga was released 10 days ago spilling into a huge PR problem for Disney Studios.

At the center of the controversy is the virtual disappearance of Rose Tico, played by Kelly Marie Tran. Tico was one of main heroes of the previous episode, The Last Jedi, but in the latest chapter, The Rise of Skywalker, she is onscreen only 1 minute and 16 seconds.

Tico's prominence in The Last Jedi was hailed by Asian Americans as the long-awaited arrival of Asians in "the galaxy far, far away," where the storyline takes place. 

Movie director Jon Chu has joined the fray by offering to direct a TV series featuring Rose Tico.

On Friday (Dec 27), the Crazy Rich Asians director took to Twitter to mamke his proposal: “Ok @disneyplus. Put me in coach. Let’s make this series happen. #RoseTicoDeservedBetter @starwars.”

It's ironic it took so long for the franchise to pay some recognition that the series owe so much of its lore and initial storyline to the popular samurai movies of the 1960s. Creator George Lucas admits that he was inspired by Jajpanese director Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortrress and the style of sword-fighting from the samurai in Kurosawa's period flicks.

Disney Plus is the studio's pay-for-view streaming network which already features a Star Wars spinoff, The Mandalorian and have plans for  a Rogue One prequel series and an Obi-Wan-centered series, both of which feature original Star Wars film actors returning to their roles.

Chu didn't offer any further details but an offer by one of Hollywood's in-demand directors should be taken seriously. Besides the groundbreaking Crazy Rich Asians, his latest project, In the Heights, looks to be another hit. Also among his credits are the moneymaking franchises, G.I. Joe Retaliation, Step up and Now You See Me.

Tico's character was heavily criticized by a small segment of Star War fans who didn't like an Asian woman playing such an important role in a franchise they somehow believe should be populated by strong, white men and princesses that need rescuing. They mounted an intense social media campaign infused with hate and racism forcing Tran to shut down her social media account at one point.

So when Tico's role was seriously reduced in the ninth and final chapter of the space saga, it appeared to fans that the producers and studio were caving to the unwarranted criticism.

In such a diverse universe, one would think there would be room for an Asian or two considering much of the lore for the initial Star Wars movies were co-opted from Japanese samurai movies, from the use of The Force, costumes and style of swordfighting. George Lucas, who created the Star Wars story, admitted that he stole from Japanese director Akira Kurosawa and his Japanese period film The Hidden Fortress and other samurai films popular in the 1960s.

Chris Terrio, co-screenplay writer of The Rise of Skywalker, tried to temper the rising controversy by responding to the Rose Tico defenders in interviews with several publications. 

Well, first of all, J.J. and I adore Kelly Marie Tran. One of the reasons that Rose has a few less scenes than we would like her to have has to do with the difficulty of using Carrie’s footage in the way we wanted to. We wanted Rose to be the anchor at the rebel base who was with Leia. We thought we couldn’t leave Leia at the base without any of the principals who we love, so Leia and Rose were working together. As the process evolved, a few scenes we’d written with Rose and Leia turned out to not meet the standard of photorealism that we’d hoped for. Those scenes unfortunately fell out of the film. The last thing we were doing was deliberately trying to sideline Rose. We adore the character, and we adore Kelly – so much so that we anchored her with our favorite person in this galaxy, General Leia.

Terrio's explanation doesn't seem adequate enough considering the high level of special effects used in the movie, but it is the only explanation so far. If a studio can create  a universe where all kinds of aliens can co-exist and travel to distant planets in minutes, it seems that it could overcome this technical glitch.

Neither Disney Studios or J.J. Abrams, director for The Rise of Skywalker, has responded to all the hoopla surrounding the Rose Tico controversy. If Disney though the fanboys' trolling was intense, they would be wise to not anger the Asian American online army.

TGIF Feature: John Chu denies Brenda Song allegation that she wasn't Asian enough for 'Crazy Rich Asians'

ASAM NEWS

It was one quote in a long article about the career of Brenda Song, the woman dubbed the original Crazy Rich Asian for her role as London Tippin in the Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
In a profile in Teen Vogue, buried deep in the article, Song mentions her heart break when she said she couldn’t get an audition for the landmark film, Crazy Rich Asians.

“A lot of people don’t know this, but I never got to read for Crazy Rich Asians, ever,” she said to Teen Vogue. “Their reasoning behind that, what they said was that my image was basically not Asian enough, in not so many words. It broke my heart,” she says. “I said, ‘This character is in her late to mid-20s, an Asian American, and I can’t even audition for it? I’ve auditioned for Caucasian roles my entire career, but this specific role, you’re not going to let me do it? You’re going to fault me for having worked my whole life?’ I was like, ‘Where do I fit?’”

That quote was picked up by numerous publications including USA Today and Entertainment Weekly. Song’s disappointment had such an impact that director Jon Chu felt compelled to comment about it on social media.

Chuas said that’s not how it happened.



Chu followed up by explaining why Song didn’t get an audition. He said it wasn’t necessary because he’s already a fan and well aware of her work.

Song is half Thai and half Hmong. Her mom is Thai, but adopted into a Hmong family. So Song says she was raised primarily Hmong.

She told Teen Vogue she’s always been proud of where she came from even if her friends didn’t always understand. Song, to many Asian Americans, is remembered as the first Asian they ever saw on TV.

Currently, she’s part of an ensemble cast that includes Shay Mitchell and Kat Denning on Hulu’s Dollface.

Screenplay writer leaves 'Crazy Rich Asians' sequels

Screenplay writer Adele Lim will not be working on the Crazy Rich Asians sequels.

A treatment for the sequels to Crazy Rich Asians has reportedly been handed over to the studios, but it doesn't involve Adele Lim, who co-wrote the CRA screenplay with Peter Chiarelli.

Lim has withdrawn from the project over the issue of pay disparity, according to The Hollywood Reporter. For the CRA sequels, Chiarelli was reportedly being paid about $1-million and Lim was offered about one-tenth of that sum.

"Being evaluated that way can't help but make you feel that is how they view my contributions," Lim tells the Hollywood Reporter.

Warner Brothers hired Chiarelli to adapt Keven Kwan's first book into a movie. Malaysia-born Lim was added to the writing team to make sure the script adhered to cultural correctness since the movie takes place in Singapore and significantly, has an all-Asian cast.

The Hollywood Reporter says that Warner Bros. searched for another Asian or Asian American writer to replace Lim but finally offered Lim a new contract more cloasely aligned with Chiarelli.

Chiarelli reportedly offered to share part of his salary to even out the disparity but Lim rejected to offer.

"Pete has been nothing but incredibly gracious, but what I make shouldn't be dependent on the generosity of the white-guy writer," Lim tells THR. "If I couldn't get pay equity after CRA, I can't imagine what it would be like for anyone else, given that the standard for how much you're worth is having established quotes from previous movies, which women of color would never have been [hired for]. There's no realistic way to achieve true equity that way."

Writing fees are usually based on previous credits. Chiarelli had written several movie screenplays but Lim's previous credits have been for television.

For now, Chiarelli is working with director Jon Chu in adapting the next two books in Kwan's trilogy for the movie sequels that will be filmed concurrently. Chu was not involved in the contract dispute with Lim, reports THR. They have reportedly gave Warner Bros. a 10-page treatment for the upcoming project.

Lim has also moved on. She has signed a four-year deal with Disney. Her first project is writing the screenplay for the animated story of Raya and the Last Dragon, based on a Southeast Asian myth.

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Ken Jeong cast in 'Crazy Rich Asians'

Ken Jeong

DON'T FEEL SORRY for Ken Jeong, who learned earlier this week that his TV sitcom Dr. Ken had been cancelled by ABC after two seasons.

He barely had time to say goodbye to the cast and crew of his show when it was announced that he had been cast in the movie Crazy Rich Asians, a romantic comedy directed by director Jon Chu and based on the novel of the same name by Kevin Dwan.

Although the character he would portray hasn't been revealed, wouldn't it be fitting that he plays the role of lead male character Nick Young's father, who also happens to be a physician. Before he became an actor, Jeong was a real life doctor. Dr. Ken was inspired by Jeong's transition from doctor to comedian.

Filming of the Kevin Kwan novel is already underway in Singapore and Malaysia. Jeong will be joining the all-Asian cast that will also feature  Constance Wu, newcomer Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh and a host of other actors from Australia, Singapore and the U.S.

Before he got his own sitcom, Jeong was best known as Mr. Chow in The Hangover franchise and Ben Chang in the NBC hit Community, 

Filming of 'Crazy Rich Asians' starts; Awkwafina, Ronnie Cheng added to cast

Awkwafina

FILMING of Crazy Rich Asians begins today (April 25) on location in Malaysia and Singapore.

"Three years ago I sat across a table from (Executive producer) Nina Jacobson in L.A. and told her that my dream was to make Crazy Rich Asians a showcase for the amazingly talented actors of Asian descent from all over the world. Nina promised to make my dream come true, and she kept her promise," said author Kevin Kwan on his Instagram page.

The production under the helm of veteran director Jon M. Chu, made more announcements of its all-Asian cast in the romantic comedy based on Kwan's best-selling novel, the first book of a trilogy.

Perhaps most familiar with American audiences is Awkwafina, an Asian/American comedian/actress, who has been cast as Peik Lin, Rachel's college friend,

Awkwafina's career got a major boost in the last two years when she was cast in the nabbing in Neighbors 2 and the upcoming female Ocean's Eleven spinoff, Ocean's Eight, with major box-office stars Cate Blanchett and Sandra Bullock. 

Ronnie Cheng on The Daily Show.

Another comedian, Ronnie Cheng, best known for his hilarious reports, many with an Asian perspective, on Comedy Central's The Daily Show hosted by Trevor Noah. The role played by the Asian/Australian is unspecified in the reports coming out of the Warner Bros. production.

Chris Pang

Chris Pang (Marco Polo and Destiny) nabbed to role of Colin Khoo, Nick's best friend and whose nuptials with Aramita Lee, played by previously cast Sonoya Mizuno (La La Land)spur the visit to Singapore. 

Also named in unspecified supporting roles are Jing Lusi (Stan Lee’s Lucky Man), as well as a number of Singaporean actors, including Pierre Png, Fiona Xie and Tan Kheng Hua round out the supporting caIt st, according to the Hollywood Reporter, which broke the casting news yesterday (April 24).

The film stars Constance Wu (Fresh Off the Boat); Henry Golding, making his feature film debut; Gemma Chan (Humans); and Michelle Yeoh (upcoming Star Trek: Discovery,  and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).

The story follows all-American Rachel Chu (Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Golding), to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. Visiting Asia for the first time and preparing to meet Nick's family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick is not only the scion of one of the country’s wealthiest families but also one of its most sought-after bachelors. Being Nick’s girlfriend puts a target on Rachel’s back, with jealous socialites and, worse, Nick’s own disapproving mother (Yeoh) taking aim. 

It appears the heat and humidity of Kuala Lumpur is taking its toll on Wu based on her Instagram post:

The second book of the trilogy, China Rich Girlfriend, which takes the plot to Hong Kong and Shanghai, has been out for two years. The final book, Rich Peoples' Problems, will be released next month.

In an interview with Entertainment, Kwan teases what we might find in Rich People Problems:

"I always knew the story of Crazy Rich Asians would unfold as a trilogy, and in many ways this final book was actually the first story that I had mapped out. Rich People Problems continues the story of Nick, Rachel, and Astrid. It’s 2015 now, and all three of them are being confronted with profound changes that will affect the rest of their lives. Not to give away too much, but there will also be a whole new crowd of characters, unbelievably fabulous locations, and heart-stopping drama. Things come full circle, and the long-buried secrets of these privileged families may just come back to haunt them."

UPDATED: Earlier versions did not name the role played by Chris Pang.

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Did Philippine actress win a role in 'Crazy Rich Asians'

Kris Aquino

UPDATE: May 8, 2017 - Filming has started but Kris Aquino has not been mentioned as a member of the cast. Aquino has not said anything about Crazy Rich Asians since she made that mysterious trip to Hollywood on Easter Sunday. The production team has not mentioned Aquino in any of their cast announcements. When reading this posting, keep in mind her earlier hints on her social media accounts may be false.

RUMORS WERE RIFE all weekend that Kris Aquino, an actress and TV hostess from the Philippines, had been offered a role in the movie adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians, the best-selling novel by Kevin Kwan.

The Manila rumor mill hit fever pitch Sunday when Aquino, got on a flight to meet with her agent in Los Angeles.

Well, the rumors were turned out to be true. She spent Easter Sunday flying across the Pacific to meet her agent. Before she left Manila, she couldn't say anything about the "project" she was being considered for because of non-disclosure agreements.

Only five roles have been cast by director Jon M. Chu. Which character will Kris portray? She told her friends that she willl play the role of a princess. That doesn't tell us much but here are some possibilities.

• Cassandra Shang: AKA "Radio One Asia", Cassandra is Nick Young's gossip-hound cousin who seems to hear the juiciest gossip first and broadcasts to her firends and family half-way around the world. Aquino's experience in the Philippines earned her the nickname, "Queen of All Media." This character sounds right up Kris' alley.
• Francesca Shaw: Nick Young's vain and snobbish ex-girlfriend. A poor little rich girl? Hmm, does this sound familiar?
• The Sultana of Borneo: She is a  Malay princess "covered head to toe in diamonds." This sounds just like the description Kris told her friends.

The major roles have been filled by Constance Wu, Gemma Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding and Sonoya Mizuno. Wu and Golding play the pivotal couple of Rachel Chu and Nick Young. The biggest roles that have not been cast are that of Nick's best friend, Colin Khoo and the matriarch of the Young clan, Rosemary.

Of all the people cast in the movie, Aquino, 46, is the one who might be the most familiar with the lifestyle of the super-rich families depicted in Crazy Rich Asians. On her mother's side, the Cojaunco's are "old money" and is among the most powerful and richest families in the Philippines. 

She is the youngest daughter of the assassinated Philippine senator Benigno S. Aquino, Jr., and Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, who served as the 11th President of the Philippines right after dictator Ferdinand Marcos was ousted. Her brother is Benigno S. Aquino, III, who served as the 15th President of the Philippines.

The Cojuanco's are descended from a Chinese immigrant to the Philippines. The family fought with Filipino patriots against the Spanish and the Americans. How the family acquired their initial wealth and made the big jump to super-rich is rather cloudy. Growing sugar cane was the source of their wealth, however, as in the Kwan novel, marriages with other old families, increased their wealth and influence even more.

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'Crazy Rich Asians' movie adds Sonoya Mizuno to its cast

Sonoya Mizuno

A JAPANESE/ARGENTINIAN ballerina/actress has joined the Crazy Rich Asians cast that is shaping up to be one of the most attractive casts ever assembled.

Sonoya Mizuno, whose mother is Japanese and father is Argentinian, is the latest actor to join the ever-growing cast of the movie adaptation of the Crazy Rich Asians novel by Kevin Kwan. She will be playing the role of Araminta Lee, a beautiful actress and fiance of Colin Khoo, the best friend of Nick Young, the lead male character. It is their wedding that spurs Young's return to Singapore with his American-born girlfriend Rachel Chu. 

She grew up in Great Britain, which seems to fit the British accent requirement of the fictional characters of the novel. She is the third thespian with that background to be case in the movie, which will be filmed mostly in Singapore. Newcomer Henry Golding (Nick) and Gemma Chan (Astrid, Nick's cousin) have similar backgrounds.

Also in the cast of beautiful people thus far, is Constance Wu (Rachel) and Singaporean Michelle Yeoh -- both beautiful, by the way.


This is Mizuno's biggest role to date in her young career. Mizuno played the cyborg assistant, Kyoko, in Alex Garland's sci-fi thriller Ex Machina. She also appeared in La La Land as Caitlin, one of Emma Stone's choreographically inclined onscreen roommates. 

Watch Mizuno and her dancing skills in this scene from Ex Machina:

“I grew up in Somerset, in the middle of the English countryside, where most people, who were white, were born and raised in the area," Mizuno said in an interview with Resonate. "I am one of six siblings who all have the same parents and therefore same ethnicity. We were definitely an unusual family in the area but there was a sense of alliance among us.”

“I was the only mixed-race girl in my primary school class and I do remember being called names such as ‘Chinese take away’ and ‘chocolate brownie,’ as well as classmates imitating Japanese gestures and language. I was definitely an outsider. When I moved to London to study at the Royal Ballet School from age 11, that changed to some degree. The backgrounds were slightly more diverse, but still there were only three or four of us who were considered ‘ethnic’ in my class,” she said.

The cast includes, top left, clockwise: Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan and Henry Golding.

Director Jon M. Chu says Crazy Rich Asians will feature an all-Asian cast, a rarity in Hollywood-produced movies. The last Hollywood film was The Joy Luck Club in 1991. It will be interesting to see if an incredibly attractive cast in a movie based on a best-selling novel with an international fan base and characters that can make you laugh and cry, can cross-over to non-Asian audiences.

It might not even have to do the latter. Recent polls have found that the fast-growing Asian/American audience sees more  movies than any other ethnic group. And there's a huge audience in Asia waiting to see how Hollywood tackles this movie with its interesting characters.

I like what Chu and Warner Brothers have done with the film's pre-production efforts so far. The director is reportedly in Singapore right now scouting locations. Announcing a major cast member a week for the last month or so has been building up anticipation and interest among fans of the book. We should be hearing who will be playing Colin Khoo soon.

I don't want to put any pressure on Chu and the cast, but ... in the context of the current discussion about whitewashing, #OscarsSoWhite, yellow face and the stereotypes of Asian males and women in Hollywood, Crazy Rich Asians could be a turning point for Asian representation in the motion picture industry and open the door to more opportunities to tell our stories; or ... if it doesn't live up to its hype, it could be another 26 years before  Hollywood dares to make another movie with an Asian theme starring Asians. That's a lot to put on a single film but that's what's at stake and why I'm rooting for Chu and his cast.

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Gemma Chan cast in 'Crazy Rich Asians' movie

British actress Gemma Chan cast in 'Crazy Rich Asians.'

MORE AND MORE people are going to discover Gemma Chan. The Asian/British actress has just been picked to play Astrid Leong in the movie adaptation of Keven Kwan's novel "Crazy Rich Asians."

Up to now, Chan was best known only to a narrow sci-fi audience from her role as a artifcial being in the British television series Humans.

It has been rumored that Chan was going to play Astrid, the beautiful cousin of Nick Leong in the novel, because she fits the physical description of the character, a woman who causes heads to turn when she walks into the room. Plus - growing up just outside of London, she speaks with that British accent that director Jon Chu was seeking.

The movie takes place mostly in Singapore and will have an all-Asian cast, a rarity for a Hollywood studio.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, “Crazy Rich Asians” follows a Chinese/American economics professor Rachel Chu and her boyfriend Nick Young — the heir to an extremely wealthy family living in Singapore.

Chan will join Constance Wu (Fresh Off the Boat) playing Rachel, Malaysian actor Henry Golding as Nick Young and international star Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) who plays Nick's mother who is not crazy about her son's ABC (American Born Chinese) girlfriend. 

Chan, 33, studied law at Oxford University and volunteered working in Syria helping refugees.

Although Humans has given her some notice, she knows she's the exception when it comes to getting roles.

“I’ve been fortunate in my career,” she told The Telegraph, “but, yes, there have been many times when I have been told my audition has been cancelled because they’re only going to see white people.

"The statistics are really depressing," she laments. "I remember reading something that made me think, ‘Oh, you are more likely to see an alien in a Hollywood film than an Asian woman.'"

Last call for actors for 'Crazy Rich Asians' motion picture

Director Jon Chu is looking for new talent and fresh faces for parts in his latest movie, Crazy Rich Asians.

THE CASTING SEARCH for the upcoming movie adaptation of the novel Crazy Rich Asians doesn't bode so well for Asian/American actors.

Either director Jon M. Chu isn't satisfied what he's seen so far, or he's turned his search for the all-Asian cast into a great marketing ploy.

He's issued a video asking for anyone to send in a 2-minute video to him if they want a part in the movie based on the bestselling book by Kevin Kwan.

Crazy Rich Asians tells the story of Rachel Chu, a Chinese-American economics professor who unknowingly enters the realm of the outrageously rich and famous when she meets her Chinese boyfriend’s family for the first time in Singapore. It's full of beautiful people.

In a video posted to YouTube on Thursday (January 19), Chu acknowledges the lack of Asian representation onscreen and how difficult it can be for actors with Asian roots to receive opportunities for big breaks so he's opening up the auditions to anyone who wants to break into the world of acting. He urges actors or would-be actors to apply from Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam or any other country in Asia.

“You may or may not know, but this is the first all-Asian cast from an American Hollywood studio in a long, long time,” he says. “So it’s a huge step in representation and a great opportunity to showcase all of the most talented Asian actors out there.”

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and may reside anywhere in the world. No professional acting training or experience is required.

The deadline to submit videos is February 10. Filming for Crazy Rich Asians begins in April. For more information about the casting call, including the full list of guidelines, click here.

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