Bobby Lee and Mako make interesting observations about the power of Bruce Lee's popularity. The former believes that because of his popularity as a martial arts master on and off screen, it made it even worse for Asian and Asian-American actors because they now apparently had a built-in gift for karate. The latter sees that popularity as pure accident and thinks that Bruce Lee would have gladly taken more serious and complex roles after the popularity of Enter The Dragon if he had lived (Lee died shortly after the film was finished). I'm more willing to believe Mako's opinion considering that had Bruce Lee been given Kung Fu, he would have been able to gain experience in a role that didn't always require martial arts.
Director Gene Cajayon discusses the film Romeo Must Die, which was a remake of Romeo and Juliet done with Jet Li in the Romeo role and Aaliyah (in her acting debut) as Juliet. When a screening was done with the end showing Li and Aaliyah kissing, the audience rejected it in favor of the one that was put into the actual film — a mere embrace between the two. I would have actually been shocked if they kissed, considering that Aaliyah and Jet barely had any on-screen chemistry to begin with. Perhaps that conflict with what an audience would accept was the reason the screenplay's more "romantic" moments came off so forced.
Justin Lin had to fight to bring in an Asian male co-star in The Fast and The Furious: Toyko Drift. The studio (as he tells it) originally wanted the role of Han to be played by an African-American. It probably was right of Lin to fight for that considering they had already done that in 2 Fast 2 Furious. Then again, I didn't really like that film that much. But everyone has to start somewhere.
Lois Salisbury, a former director of a program known as Children Now, and Heidi Levitt, a casting director, chime in in this documentary, one in regard to how Asian children feel about the images they are given on television and film and the other with revelations on casting choices in Hollywood for Asian men. I personally would have liked to hear from the Asian children who aren't in Hollywood on how they feel about being short-changed in the media. To give me a representation of their thoughts through Salisbury is good, but there's something telling about the impressionable minds of children.
Article comments
1 - Ian Woolstencroft
Nice review, sounds like an interesting documentary.
I find your opening comment about Will Ferrell a little bizarre though. It's not like there aren't any black actors who make big money in Hollywood, what about Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock and particularly Chris Tucker ($25n for Rush Hour 3, a lot more than Jackie Chan's getting). And that's just the comedy actors.
I've always thought that the romance in Romeo Must Die didn't work due to age rather that race, Li was 37 and Aaliyah only 20. The fact that the film was crap didn't help either.
2 - Matthew Milam
But just as with black men, only a few Asians have ever risen to stardom. The point I'm making is that Hollywood will give a chance to a white man over a black man because they are much more sellable, not to mention the stereotyped ideas they have of us. Asian males do seem to have it worse because they are always seen as great intellecutals, but not great lovers or dramatic people.
I do agree with some of the interviewers that it's gonna take a combination of quality scripts from their culture, as well as Asian men in power in hollywood to make the right choices.
3 - Ian Woolstencroft
But surely it's a question of proportion? Over 80% of the US population is White, only about 13% Black and less than 5% Asian. If you look at the current top ten films at the US box office 2 star Black actors (assuming you count Halle Berry as Black)and 1 features an Asian actor in a leading role. That sounds about right to me.
4 - Matthew Milam
But you notice it's always the same people? That's because there's very few of them that manage to break the barrier. The percentile stuff doesn't matter much to me because that still doesn't explain the lack of Asian and Black film roles.
5 - Ray Ellis
I guess my question is, why would you, in your right mind, want a Black version of Will Farrell in the first place?
6 - Ian Woolstencroft
But surely there should only be an equal number of Asian and Black film roles as there is percentage of the population?
Picking a week at random (2nd February) shows a higher percentage of Black leading roles than than there are Black people in the US in the top ten films.
Epic Movie - Asian actor and Black actress in leading roles
Night at the Museum - Black actor in a supporting role
Smokin' Aces - 2 Black actresses in starring roles and 2 Black actors in prominent supporting roles
Stomp the Yard - A Black actor or actress in every major role
Dreamgirls - As above
The Pursuit of Happyness - Black actors in the 3 leading roles.
Now that may have been an unusual week but my point is, I really don't think there is a problem with roles for Black actors in cinema anymore (although there certainly used to be). Asian actors however do have some ground to make up.
The other question is - what's the breakdown by race of people in the acting profession? Asian's may account for a little over 4% of the total US population but how high a percentage of actors are Asian? My guess would be much lower than 4% and if the actors aren't there you can't expect them to get the parts.
7 - Phillip Winn
I'm sure a long list of failed actors would tell you that there are only a few -- relatively speaking -- white lead actors, too. I haven't done the math, so I don't know if the proportions truly hold out over the long term, but generally I would expect to see mostly white actors, then black actors, then latino actors, then asian actors, and so on, if the roles are expected to match the racial makeup of the U.S.
Of course, a strict adherence to quotas is silly, too, but I think it's funny to hear people complaining about the lack of asian representation in films, given the recent spate of martial-arts films; more, I think, than the box-office earnings would suggest.
8 - TV and Film Guy
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9 - Wang
Phillip Winn I think you're a funny guy, of course being white with white priviledge I'm sure you are going to tell me that there are no such thing as white priviledge and that everyone in America is treated fairly and equally too right? Let me ask you something, how often in hollywood have u seen white men taking on roles that belonged to other race of men? I'll give you a few examples of how hollywood glorifies the white man, last samurai, the mexican, shanghai noon are just the few movies where white men are in main roles and ALWAYS end up with the girl. Of course i understand that in a country being ran by whites, I'm sure it's understandable, but this movie does bring up many good points of where asian roles are so limited, it's time to step up and let them know that we(asians) are more than just martial artists, we can play any roles any of your top actors can play , maybe even better...
10 - Ymmltyk
The whole argument that asian-american males don't get roles in the movies because they don't make up a large percentage of the population anyway is nonsense. If asian males aren't allowed roles in movies due to them making up less than 5% of the population, how is it that they're so conveniently selected when the role calls for an evil character? In Rush Hour, the majority of bad guys were asians. In Rush Hour 2, the majority of bad guys were asians. In Rush Hour 3 which was set in France, the majority of bad guys were asian. In Shanghai Knights, the majority of bad guys were asian despite it being the 1800s in England. In the Corruptor, the majority of bad guys were asian. In fact, in just about the majority of movies that has an asian male, the asian male is usually the bad guy, idiot, the gay guy, or some evil foreigner. According to Hollywood movies, it seems like asian males make up 60% of the population.
11 - When Asian Guy Gets The Girl
That's the reason I don't watch Hollywood movies anymore.
12 - Victor
I have seen a Hollywood movie in 7 years. I just find it ironic that I was watching a bunch of white people on TV, but in real life, I have very close white friends, some even were racist to me.
13 - Danny Hill
Thanks for a unique perspective. There're no shortage of great and charismatic Asian male actors, be it the silent era or the talking times, just exposure or lack-of. Your example of Enter the Dragon is an Asian made movie with a Asian male lead and that movie made its way thru the Asian diaspora to western theaters. Otherwise, Bruce Lee will still have remained Kato in western memories and not Bruce Lee the fantastic martial artist. Btw, Bruce is very much like your "silent" actors as he doesn't really talk that much in all his movies. He's an action man.