MovieChat Forums > Double Happiness (1995) Discussion > Sandra Oh is Korean not Chinese!!!!!!

Sandra Oh is Korean not Chinese!!!!!!


I don't understand how you can cast Sandra Oh, who is clearly Korean and not Chinese, in this role.

There is a part in the movie where the casting director is saying they can't cast her because she is not Filipino, and then tells her that they will have a role for her for a Chinese part because she is Chinese. She also says that there are only two experienced Chinese actors in town, Sandra Oh's character being one. Perhaps this is a comment on how they couldn't find a Chinese American actress they felt was good enough to play the role, but then really they just didn't look hard enough. I even remember a time in Grey's Anatomy when Sandra Oh gets mad at someone for thinking she is Chinese. It is shocking to me that people seem to think all Asian people look alike and should be able to play interchangable roles, as evidenced by the casting and subsequent failure of Memoirs of a Geisha, which could have made lots more money and not alienated both China and Japan if it had simply cast Japanese actors for Japanese characters.

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Have you ever even seen this movie ??
Sandra is awesome in this movie ,you can really relate to it (even if you dont come from a chinese background) so why does it matter if she is Korean playing chinese ???

The bottom line is , shes great in this movie .
also this is a independent film if you havent noticed , and its also canadian.

I doubt hollywood threatened Mina to cast a Korean Actress to be Chinese.

Iam sure Mina saw that Sandra was a talented actress and wanted her in the movie.

as for the Memoirs thing , its called marketing buddy.

Zhang Ziyi , Gong Li , Michelle Yeoh
have all been in movies that made lots of dough in the states (hero,house of flying daggers,tomorrow never dies,crouching tiger etc..etc..) (And they can all speak english pretty well & can act with it.)
it has nothing to do with race , I mean zhang ziyi looks more japanese then lets say cameron diaz .

Both are big stars but if they both auditioned for the role the likley canidate would be Zhang. because she resembles an asian female.

Cameron Diaz is only half white and half cuban and always plays white roles , are you pissed about that ??


The thing about Hollywood that it seems you have no idea about is , familiar faces & Names sell Tickets.

Zhang Ziyi is a familair face to US/CAN audiences compared to Fujiwara Norika.

I'm pretty sure you have no idea who that is .
probably because she hasnt been in any movie in the USA/CAN theatres.

Now if you are making a movie about japanese geishas and want it to make money ,you would put actors in their that people remember who they are or have seen other movies by them .

One thing thats always bothered me about the whole chinese actors in MOAG is
the movie was written by a white guy .

the bottomline is .....
Its not that big a deal
and Iam terribly sorry that your that hung up over nothing .


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Sandra Oh actually talked about this in an interview, and I think she makes a good point:

BUST: "You have no compunction about playing characters that are Japanese or Chinese, I see."

Sandra: "Yeah, I started that way. I played a Chinese girl, Evelyn Lau; the very first thing that I did...I encourage it. I completely understand saying that you want to be specific to the ethnicity, but that rule never applies to white people...Ralph Fiennes can play an English person, a German person, a Polish person, a Jewish person. He can play anything, and no one questions him. He is a handsome, Caucasian-looking-ish man. So, to American audiences, Europe looks like that. Europe does not look like that...that is the image we have been fed for 60 years, so we accept that. But what I have big problems with is when people put those limits on me...there always has to be a quantifier or qualifier when it comes to me."

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I read this in a magazine myself. I was going to post it until I saw that you did,curlysue!
In this movie Sandra Oh( who, by the way, doesn't have a face that screams "Korean") plays the part really well and all the other Chinese are Chinese, so it's not that big a deal. I agree with what Sandra Oh says about the issue, but there are limits. I am Chinese and I hate the old movies with whites playing us! And with the stupidest stereotypes to boot! Sandra Oh is Korean-Canadian, so is she supposed to only play Korean-Canadians? Of course not. I do wish the movies didn't just use orientals interchangeably, but sometimes, as in the case of this movie and Long Life, Happiness, and Prosperity, it works. Also, though, I did not buy into Memoirs of a Geisha, with all Chinese (almost) playing Japanese. But 1 or 2 characters, sure, why not?




"If we only play ourselves, it's not acting"

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Hollywood doesnt make distinctions between race of actors and race of characters. A white man or woman can play a white person of any nationality or religion and no one really questions it. White actors have and still play latinos, asians, blacks, mediterranians and Native Americans. Nobody complains about that. Blacks play jamaicans, africans, Australian aborigines, muslims and sometimes latinos or Native Americans. Latinos play any and all types are light to dark complexioned peoples (native americans, muslims, hindus, blacks, inuit, etc.). So Sandra Oh playing a chinese shouldnt really shock anyone since she's an asian portraying an asian.

Filipinos are markedly different from asian races such as chinese, koreans and japanese who share similar physical traits. Filipinos are a mix of asian & spanish and share more in common physically with Cambodians, Burmese, Vietnamese and Malaysians. Their features are varied in complexion and eyes are less narrow and more round. Hollywood still wouldnt care and would have no problem casting Oh as a filipina, though her features are limited to playing a certain asian look.

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Hey, how are ya' doing? I was hoping that you could help me out. I watched this film the other day and enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately, I think that I missed part of it on a bathroom break or something. So I am hoping that you can help me out by filling me in: What happened to the brother? I know that he died from all of the little "confessional/interview" clips throughout the film but I missed the part where they explained what actually happened! Can you tell me what happened to him PLEASE?

"It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself."

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I've been meaning to post here for some time, but kept forgetting... I couldn't sleep one night, so I had the pleasure of watching this film on HBO.. It was very entertaining.. I've never watched Grey's Anatomy, so I'm more or less unfamiliar with Sandra Oh... I was really impressed with her acting.. As for a Korean playing a Chinese person, I'm not Asian, so I don't want to minimize anyone's opinion.. If some feel offended by it, then who am I to question them?? I will say, Sandra's response as quoted above was a very intelligent one.. She made a lot of sense...

williehellenbach, to answer your question, the family disowned the brother, Winston... They never explain why, but the scene in the beginning where the mother is speaking (on the phone) with the woman Winston moves in with is very funny.. She's distraught because she believes the woman isn't Asian, since she couldn't speak a particular dialect of Chinese.. LOL.. Funny that HBO decided to broadcast this film years following its release.. I'd never even heard of it...

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And what about "Sideways?" Great film and talent-filled Oh performance!

"It's a great thing when you realize you still have the ability to surprise yourself."

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Thanks williehellenbach.. I didn't even realize she was in "Sideways".,, For some reason, I didn't make the connection.. When I saw her name as the end credits rolled, I knew immediately, she was from "Grey's Anatomy", but I didn't make the "Sideways" connection.. Yeah, she's a very talented actress.. She isn't as beautiful as other Asian actresses like Gong Li, Kelly Hu, Lucy Lu, Ziyi Zhang and even Michelle Yeoh, but she's good.. She was hilarious in this film.. The scene where she's rushing home after her night with the white boyfriend was really funny... The blind date was funny too.. LOL.. Really good film.. According to IMDb, it's received a few accolades...

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She's a very good actress. I haven't seen Double Happiness (so I'll try to find it in my DVD rental store) but I do watch Grey's Anatomy and own the Sideways DVD.

BTW NB7, did you know that Michelle Yeoh and Gong Li are rumoured to be in talks for a part in Mummy3? I guess it's the same part and I assume it's going to be the bad girl role.

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CT (oops, I mean Raz..LOL), I'm sure you'd like "Double Happiness".. It's about a movie about a woman finding her independence.. Yes, I'm guilty of watching and enjoying yet another chick flick, but it was late at night.. Oh forget it, no excuses..LOL.. The film was worth it..

They're actually making another Mummy film?? Ai'ight.. Okay, if Michelle Yeoh or Gong Li is involved, then I'll definitely pay to see it during its cinematic run..

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I think you like chick flicks more than me. As if late at night is an excuse.

So you'll overlook the problems you found with original film for a hot chick? Men. Tsk, tsk!

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I think you like chick flicks more than me. As if late at night is an excuse.

LOL.. Very true.. But, the best way to understand psychosis (women) is to study it and observe it.. LOL..

So you'll overlook the problems you found with original film for a hot chick? Men. Tsk, tsk!

Guilty!!

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Nice idea but....women are much more complicated than what is observed in the chick flick. We will never give you the upper hand. Keep on guessing what we are thinking though...

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Hey, I was only kidding, Raz.. LOL.. Darn, I've got to get used to your new name! I wouldn't dream of snatching your hand(s) (whether low or high) or taking them from you without permission... I'd simply hold it (them) to help you onto your pedestal, if you'd allow..LOL..

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I'd simply hold it (them) to help you onto your pedestal, if you'd allow..LOL

Very good. I can see you are going to make fine husband material. Let us know when the time is near. We'll throw you a cyber party.

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Thanks.. Right now, it looks like a Carribean/boat wedding set for next Spring/Summer.. I'm not really participating as much as I should.. Just tell me where to be and I'll be there.. That's my take!!

Thanks for the party idea though.. Does it have to be a special occasion for you to throw me a party?? LOL.. I'd suggest May 7th as the next party date (in honor of J's Anniversary) but I wouldn't want to go there again.. Last year, a festive and celebratory thread led to The Sunday Massacre and weeks of strife between J. and I... No thanks!!

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Sounds very romantic.

I guess we could throw you a party for no reason. That way it will be a surprise. It would have to be on RZ's board, we are relatively sane there, most of the time.

I've been lurking on other boards lately...there are some real fruitcakes on IMDb.

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Question:

"Hey, how are ya' doing? I was hoping that you could help me out. I watched this film the other day and enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately, I think that I missed part of it on a bathroom break or something. So I am hoping that you can help me out by filling me in: What happened to the brother? I know that he died from all of the little "confessional/interview" clips throughout the film but I missed the part where they explained what actually happened! Can you tell me what happened to him PLEASE? "

Answer:

He did not die, the father "considered him dead" because he obviously did not follow what the father wanted, much like Evelyn (Sandra Oh's character).

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I knew a guy who was Chinese who said he couldn't tell the difference between a person from China and a person from Korea.

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I am going to guess your friend did not grow up in China (or Singapore, Malaysia, etc). Most Chinese can tell the two apart most of the time, although there are times when it is hard to tell ( as with Sandra Oh!).

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Yeah, but in the movies you can be an Alaskan if you are a Mexican who resembles an Aleutian.

Nothing is more beautiful than nothing.

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you are funny.

Do you think that only black actors should ever play Othello? Can a Haitian play a Jamaican? Or a Brit play a Canadian?

Are the different Asian strains of humanity so dissimilar in your view? If the casting director was casting monkeys in the roles of Asians, I would understand your point. As it is, you just seem a bigot.

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I'm not a bigot, but I have played one on tv. I'm more of a smallot.

Nothing is more beautiful than nothing.

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