It's really quite baffling that there are so few Asian actors in Hollywood. It's rare to see an Asian actress and even rarer to see an Asian actor. When you do see them, they're either not really 100% Asian (like Olivia Munn or Keanu Reeves), or they're typecast into a few predefined roles (ninjas, kung foo guys, computer nerds).
Will there ever be more Asians in Hollywood? How long will it take and what must happen for there to be more Asians?
One of the reasons is the involvment of politics in the movie industry.
shareHollywood is very politically left - yes, but they are part of the great capitalistic hypocrisy.. They will hire anyone who puts asses in seats (theaters) or puts viewers in front of advertisers (tv). It doesn't come down to anything but money.
That's the answer.
You cannot blame them. It is almost like the lobbying corporations and stock holders in the American economy. These producers want to see a return on their investment for films and if they do not get that, they may never invest in that film nor future films again. Any money that you see, being thrown to fund a movie, is the executive producer's; there is no pool of money that they use to fund future movies. It is kind of sad really, because through all the rushing, the writers get shafted and most of the crew does too.
shareNot blaming them Arvin; I'd do the same thing. I'm a capitalist but unlike Hollywood, I not only admit it but I'm proud of it and all the accomplishments it's wrought for the West. Of course Hollywood is doing the right thing by crafting their films using effects, locations, stories, and yes - actors to guarantee a good return on investment.
I can promise you that if an Asian actor is a good draw and makes them money, they'll use him/her. I can also promise that if Hollywood can make money instead by using virtual actors (coming to a future near you), they'll dump humans so fast you won't believe it.
Well, that is a scary thought and here I was expecting extra work to always be in demand.
But then again, I highly doubt people would want to see actors, who are virtual. I could be wrong though because people like animations. I am a huge fan of warm bodied people, but maybe it will get to that point where we cannot tell the difference between a virtual individual and a real one? Scary.
A little bit of everything. But I want to highlight about Asian cultural factor, more specifically for the East Asian.
Most Asian parents don't want their children become an actor (or any other art worker for that matter). They want them to be doctors or engineers. As stereotypical as it is, but it's true to some extent.
Things are changing in China because they didn't get their traditional values anymore since Mao abolished most Chinese culture. But that didn't happen outside China. American-born Chinese descent still taught since childhood that being an artist doesn't pay. Also true for any other Asian descents.
Secondly, Asian even when living in western countries for generations still has a strong connection with their original teachings and views, their heritage. Kinda like Jews actually.
That's why a Korean American most likely still regularly consume Korea produced movies, tv dramas, reality shows, music, etc. Also true for Chinese, Japanese or Indian. They don't give a substantial demand for Hollywood products featuring fellow Asian American actors. Original Asian contents are aplenty and closer to what they actually want.
This situation contrasts what African American experienced. I myself is an Asian so I don't really know how they felt, but we can safely asume that African Americans or any other western countries' black population don't consume native African produced contents. Because let's get real, there aren't any.
That is sort of true. My parents wanted me to become either a dr., lawyer, or engineer. Bad thing is, because of this dream, I am on the brink of feeling like I may not be even average in society. When I moved to KY, and graduated university; I actually went out of my way to do movie/tv related stuff. I had searched for a film office and found a casting director. From then on, I have been an extra in movies and just recently, a stand in for an Indian actor (Kiran Soni..anyone? Taxi driver in Deadpool?)
But yes, I still remain an extra because of demographics. Because of Louisville's film incentive, there are independent movies shot here and there are many speaking roles being cast. I find it hard to be cast in those and most are, well, Caucasian. In the industry, it is really about who you know, not what you do. I have tried finding legit agencies and it is so hard NOT to be scammed; yet Jennifer Lawrence takes a trip to NYC and now she becomes big? WHAT?! She hardly ever makes an appearance here because she is A-list and god knows what list these movies are, that shoot here.
Another thing you will notice is that there are not many Indian American actors in these shows/movies. Kunal Nayar is from the UK and Kiran Soni, is from New Dehli. Why are they not searching for an actual Indian ethnic that resides in the U.S.? I have no idea! I think Hollywood likes the stereotype thing and if they can find an Indian with an English accent or an Indian accent, it triumphs an individual who is just seen as a minority.
Ikr. In one of my thread, I asked for people's favorite Asian American stars and most would mention Asian actors instead of Asian American ones, or mixed them up.
It's just really hard for Americans to be cast in American movies if you happened to be an Asian descent. It's ironic, isn't it?
Producers seemed to prefer native Asians because at least they were already somewhat popular in their home country. It shows that there's maybe too insignificant market for local American audience.
I think I had put down Jackie Chan.
shareThanks to millennials, forty years after Hollywood started to improve its racist casting policies against African Americans... shows finally are starting to portray Asians as human beings and not just martial art masters and computer nerds. True, there still are negative roles like the Uncle Tom that plays in Two Broke Girls... or Ken Jeong's Mr. Chow... but there are at least roles like Ethan in Chicago Med, Chin Ho and Kono in Hawaii Five O, Josh Chan in Crazy Ex Girlfriend and Dev in Master of None.
shareAsian cast as kungfu fighting martial artists is rather complicated. It's a stereotype yes, but also a stereotype embraced by Asian themselves.
If you watch a Hong Kong or other Chinese movie, more often than not you will find kungfu fighting Asian in it. Police officers, gangsters, street vendors, basically everyone and their mother know kung fu.
Exaggerated fighting scenes are even more prevalent in Indian movies! Not only everyone is a martial arts master, but also pretty much a cousin of Superman or Hercules.
And they are trying to save a gal.
The hilarious part about Indian movies is that they use guns, which is a very western thing.
I get Asian films having martial artists... what I don't get is American films having them all the time. I mean... of course I get it from an economic angle... those films were super popular when Jet Li and Jackie Chan were in their primes... but it was offensive that the 5% of the American population who are Asian and don't bust out martial arts were not represented for several decades.
However, I prefer to look forward... it was good to see Rick Yune play a quirky, non stereotypical character in Prison Break recently.
Yeah.. it's baffling. I just watched Resident Evil: The Last Chapter a few weeks ago and out of nowhere a random Asian henchman kicking ass and flipping roundhouses kungfu style. In a zombie movie... which everybody else uses guns and flamethrowers.
It's just felt out of place and ridiculously stereotyped Asian cast as a kungfu fighting one-trick pony.
I'm so expected to see it I believed the Asian doctor in Manchester by the Sea to start somersaulting and jumpkicking other characters in any second! Hiyaaaah!
Dunno.
😎
It is a Chinese and North Korean plot so westerners will forget so many of them exist and one day we'll all wake up to find they have taken over, probably ditto Japan. True story.
shareWell, I find myself to be on both sides of the issue about this.
In the U.S., the people within the country, still do not recognize this country as being a melting pot of cultures. I am not sure of the statistics; but I think the U.S., by ethnic groups, has larger amounts of ethnic diversity than other countries. Germany and India are almost uniform in terms of holding one kind of ethnic group (correct me if I am wrong). So for the U.S. to adapt to allowing everyone or every ethnic group to be represented, we would have to first figure out how many different ethnic groups are out there. Then we would have to find out what % would make it so we would be satisfied in that representation. Right now, people are saying Caucasian are represented the most, yet there are more Caucasians than everyone else. African Americans want their shot, but by percentage, they are the first largest minority group in the U.S. (not really, Hispanics are). So in terms of if every ethnic group should be represented, of course they should; however, the U.S. is still majority Caucasian (not really, more Hispanics are coming in).
Technically, if we looked at each individual ethnic group, you will find that in their country of origin, they are making efforts in representing themselves. In places like India, Bollywood is HUGE! So right there, Indians cannot complain that they are not represented. In the U.S., they can. Then again, if a Caucasian went there, should they not be able to complain that they are underrepresented in their movies? No. It is a double standard and why? Well because India is not really known to be diverse. The country is more of an aboriginal country, where Indians have always resided. Unlike the U.S., the U.S. was not always Caucasian.
Only time will tell when Asians are represented; however, keep in mind what % you would want to see. You will never see it to where Asians are majority in the industry. If every ethnic group were equally represented, it would be around 5%, if 20 ethnic groups or 1%, if 100 ethnic groups.
"When you do see them, they're either not really 100% Asian (like Olivia Munn or Keanu Reeves), or they're typecast into a few predefined roles (ninjas, kung foo guys, computer nerds)."
That is not totally true. Kiran Soni, the taxi driver in Deadpool, is actually authentically Indian. Kunal Nayar, from The Big Bang Theory, is actually English.
For East Indians, it is the other way around. Hollywood would much rather pick an Indian minority from their country of origin or who has an unexpected English accent than draw one from the American population.
There are less Arabs.
shareWell, now there is. There is actually a good amount of them in movies that call for them and most are international actors.
shareprobably all stereotypes
shareActually, in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay; Kal Penn, who is ethnically Indian, is stereotyped as a bad middle eastern guy. In some movies, arabs are actually portrayed as both good and the bad. In, You Don't Mess With the Zohan, there were many that played both good and bad.
shareThat piece of junk movie (wasn't my idea) was so pro-Israel, with a token.
shareIt was.
In actuality though, most U.S. movies rarely hit on the topic of ME. I mean now they do because Hollywood finds ways to profit off current events; however, in general, it is mostly about getting drunk, hooking up, or some kind of horror. Then you have movies for the kids, which are all animated.
Bones had an Iranian character and he wasn't a stereotype.