MovieChat Forums > Man of Tai Chi (2013) Discussion > Back to his Asian roots?

Back to his Asian roots?


Keanu is Asian after all, but has been playing a few roles pretending to be white. Do you think he made this movie in part to reconnect and make peace with his Chinese and Polynesian roots?

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i think so and i hope to see more! and well he his white, but ive seen enough cop movies and "dude" roles from him!

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I don't know about the "pretending to be white" charge, that's kinda harsh - his mom is from England. Keanu has always been a world citizen; he grew up all over the place and seems above/beyond any tight racial or national affiliation - though I hope he's a proud Canadian!

Having said that, for some reason it was really moving to see Keanu's name in the credits in Chinese characters.

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I hope he didn't make the film for the money, cos he fcked that up big time.


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I hope he didn't make the film for the money ...
He made the movie primarily because he wanted to make a film with Tiger Chen who is Yuen Wo Ping's protege and Keanu Reeves' kung fu teacher and close friend.🐭

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He's bi-racial. Who said he was pretending to be white? I don't recall him stating in any of his Hollywood movies that his character was white. Unless you're just assuming so because his love interests and friends in the movies were white rather than Asian.

Otherwise he has as much right to pass himself off as white as anyone. If he never revealed his roots, everyone would assume he was white anyway. He looks white with barely a hint of ethnicity. And Hollywood is all about the audience perception so why shouldn't he pass himself off as straight Anglo?

By the same token, he is part Asian and the Asian community will always accept a big Hollywood star who embraces his ethnicity. In Hollywood you have to play the game and let them use you how they see fit. Raquel Welch and Cameron Diaz have Latino roots. Do you think they would have been as successful had they only marketed themselves as Hispanic actresses and only taken Hispanic roles?

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