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[LionPride]

There's a lot of Ethnic diversity in Europe / America as well.

Definitely, but for the most part that appears to be a bigger difference in Asia than Europe idk

 

[MHWilliams]

Honest question, how does this differ from a German or British actor playing an American, or vice versa?

For what I've seen, I'd say it's around the same, because for the most part Asian-Americans as a whole are still looking for stronger representation in Hollywood.

Past examples have run the gamut, usually depending on how rooted the role is in a specific cultural spot. Folks had issues with Zhang Ziyi as the lead in Memoirs of a Geisha, because that was a pretty Japanese story. In contrast, most don't seem as bothered by say, Randall Park (Korean) playing Louis Huang (Taiwanese) in Fresh Off The Boat, because hell, you have an all-Asian-American family on network TV.

Generally, it's the latter situation because as I said, Asian-American actors and actresses get so little play that everyone sort of grits their teeth and goes with it. There was an article about it somewhere around the internet.

You will run into native Japanese folk who will have an issue with it due to a very specific history between Korea and Japan.

EDIT: Here's one perspective, written by an Asian-American, using the example I actually gave before.

So when I saw that ABC sitcom Fresh Off The Boat cast well-known Korean-American actor Randall Park as the head of a Taiwanese American family, I felt unsettled by what seems like a persistent trend in Hollywood.

Seeing a Chinese man being played by someone who to me so clearly looked Korean made me uncomfortable because of the potentially dangerous message Hollywood is sending to the public: that all Asians are interchangeable with one another.

It implies ignorance of the centuries of history, hardships, and culture each country has built up over the years that are wholly distinct and unique.

Of course, every culture bears certain similarities, especially when those countries are geographically linked. But it's troubling to me that others might believe our identity doesn't matter in representation, supporting the stereotypes of squinty eyes and stinky lunches, without telling a specific story about a specific ethnicity immigrating to the US. It becomes cookie cutter, a representation of all Asian stories.

Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely pleased that there is finally a show on television portraying the Asian American experience. It's wonderful to see any person of color being cast in major leading roles. As a Chinese American myself, I was ecstatic to see people who look like me on the television who weren't relegated to play the token scientist or mystic sage.

I don't necessarily blame Park, or any Asian actor who takes these kinds of roles. Major roles written for any Asian ethnicity are few and far between, and actors must take what they can get. And perhaps the casting choice also represents a dearth of Chinese actors in America. All we can do is hope that the casting director at least tried to look for Chinese actors before looking at any other ethnicities.

But I can't speak for Asian-Americans. When it comes to black actors, we accept Idris Elba and John Boyega as African-American characters despite their being English because we still hold to some shared experience ethnically.

 

[Curufinwe]

There's a lot of Ethnic diversity in Europe / America as well.

White Americans and white British people are the same ethnicity.

Japanese and Korean are two different ethnicities.

 

[Madness]

? He's Korean, though.

To the studios he's not white and he's asian. That's good enough for them to get over the controversy. They're probably choked they had to do this in the first place.

White Americans and white British people are the same ethnicity.

Japanese and Korean are two different ethnicities.

This is wrong. You are thinking of Koreans and Japanese as distinct ethnicities and then saying all whites in UK and America are the same only nationality difference. A lot of white Americans have first nations, african, dutch, german, irish genetics. There is greater homogeneity between Korea and Japan than there is UK and the US. A lot of white Americans have far more increased indigenous, and african DNA and genetics. Just like African-Americans are different than a lot of Africans now.
Go back far enough and you are right. But the same could be said for Japanese and Chinese.

 

[Bornstellar]

White Americans and white British people are the same ethnicity.

Japanese and Korean are two different ethnicities.

That's not true in a lot of cases.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Definitely closer to the actual character. Still have the "any Asian" problem, but we're closer.

Is that like when they cast Get Out?

 

[excelsiorlef]

Good for DDK


Still have to work on the fact that Asians are cast for all regions instead of their specific one issue.

But definitely a step forward for Hellboy specifically

 

[dancingphlower]

I remember Sam Jackson having issues with Daniel Kaluuya playing an African-American in Get Out, do people here have issues with that casting?

 

[Osukaa]

Good for DDK


Still have to work on the fact that Asians are cast for all regions instead of their specific one issue.

But definitely a step forward for Hellboy specifically

Yeah baby steps I guess. Good on the guy though and hope this boosts his career.

 

[Dead Man]

White Americans and white British people are the same ethnicity.

Japanese and Korean are two different ethnicities.

That's not always true. Is a Bulgarian the same ethnicity as a Spaniard and a Swede? Is a Swede the same ethnicity as a Sami from the north? Is a Spaniard the same ethnicity as a Basque?

Is a white American with any of those ethnicities the same as white British people?

Edit2: On topic, nice for Kim, really seems a solid actor.

 

[D i Z]

Cool. I thought of him when this all dusted up because of his exit from his previous gig.

 

[MHWilliams]

Is that like when they cast Get Out?

Somewhat. Some folks did have an issue with that casting, notably comments by Sam Jackson. Most did not, because a) we don't really differentiate Black American from Black English and b) most folks didn't and don't know who Daniel Kaluuya is, so they have no clue that he was born in London and lives in the UK.

See also, Selma with David Oyelowo playing Martin Luther King, Jr, Elba in most of his Hollywood and television roles, and Boyega in Detroit, where far more people have a problem with Bigelow being the one to tell the story, not Boyega being in a role in the film as an African-American. There's probably also a bit of understanding that Black British folk don't have as many chances on their side of the pond, compared to the offerings in Hollywood. (Even Sam Jackson noted this in his comments.)

More reading on the subject:
https://www.theringer.com/2017/3/11...son-black-british-actors-get-out-12dd63d97242
https://psmag.com/social-justice/whats-the-problem-when-black-british-actors-play-americans
http://www.vulture.com/2017/04/black-american-and-british-actors-what-the-debate-gets-wrong.html

 

[FinaruDensetsu]

But I can't speak for Asian-Americans. When it comes to black actors, we accept Idris Elba and John Boyega as African-American characters despite their being English because we still hold to some shared experience ethnically.

As a Taiwanese person the Randall Park being in Fresh off the Boat thing was ok for me. I was just happy to get a show that wasn't just about Asians, but as specific and niche as the Taiwanese coming to America experience, which I experienced.

That isn't to say that it's always ok to just cast any Asian. It really depends on context and what kind of effort they put in. I mean, a very large portion of Americans I've met don't even know where Taiwan is or that there is a distinction between Taiwanese and Chinese. But with FOTB they actually cast Constance Wu, who's specifically Taiwanese-American. They've also done episodes actually filmed in Taiwan, so they've shown that they actually care about respecting the culture instead of just casting any Asian and calling it a day. To me that's putting in some real effort.

That said, I do hope we keep progressing and Hollywood gives some other Asians a chance instead of how it is now where we see the same Asian actors and actresses over and over again until they age out and then repeat the cycle.

 

[Draxal]

Yeah, like I said, you run into Hollywood's "Any Asian" problem. Like, it's better than a white guy, but still not great.

Coming from a half causcasian/half korean; I think its a bit more nuanced than that.

You have a population of 1.4 million Japanese Americans with 1.8 million Korean Americans and approximately 4.7 million Chinese Americans.

Compared to 37.1 million African American people in the United States.

For me personally, If I want to see a movie about a Korean American in the US, I'd much rather have Japanese American or a Chinese American than a Korean star from Korea taking that role.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

Happy for him, but man does the casting for this movie worry me. The producers walked right into a controversy for absolutely no reason, then they can't even find a Japanese actor for the part? People like DDK so they'll roll with it, but again...they're stumbling for absolutely no reason. And this is just for a supporting role. The producers for this movie must be completely out of touch.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Yeah, like I said, you run into Hollywood's "Any Asian" problem. Like, it's better than a white guy, but still not great.

Is that this significant? I'm pretty okay if a Welsh role is portrayed by a British actor of Hungarian heritage. If Americans of Japanese heritage were systematically discriminated against in favour of Americans of Korean heritage, then I can see the complaint, but after that I'm quite indifferent.

 

[shiftplusone]

edit: eh, not something to care about

good for DDK but what a goof up in the first place

 

[Zoe]

I have mixed feelings about Randall Park in FOTB. If mixing up the races doesn't matter, why did they cast Ken Jeong as his brother?

Edit: funny enough, all of the adults in the parents' generation are played by Korean Americans except for Jessica.

 

[Draxal]

Yeah I think it was nice that one of the two Taiwanese Americans in the show was of Taiwanese descent.

I mean it'd be really weird if none of the main characters in the Sopranos were Italian American.

I guess it's like-- if the movie has multiple Asians playing multiple roles (like maybe a group of five Japanese Americans), then it's fine if a couple are just Asian American. But, if a movie has only one or two Asian Americans and their ethnicity matters in any way, it'd be nice if they could have that ethnicity.

Personally I have a feeling of Asian American actors, Korean Americans will dominate. In some ways it makes sense as the entertainment industry in Asia is heavily influenced by what comes out of South Korea, so it's not surprising there may be more Korean Americans who feel as if they can go for that sector (entertainment).

Well in Margaret's Cho show about being a Korean family, she was the only Korean.

I almost wonder if that was an impetus for Korean Americans to be more forceful in getting Korean Americans into acting.

However, I do think the other problem is that once you have one Asian actor, you use that Asian actor in every role possible requiring an Asian.

 

[Not]

Think of all the Asian actors who don't get work like this because Hollywood casting execs are "colorblind" when it comes to casting Asian characters and Asian characters alone

DDK deserves it

Personally I have a feeling of Asian American actors, Korean Americans will dominate. In some ways it makes sense as the entertainment industry in Asia is heavily influenced by what comes out of South Korea, so it's not surprising there may be more Korean Americans who feel as if they can go for that sector (entertainment).

It's interesting, because Chinese Americans outnumber Korean Americans by a factor of 3.

 

[Takuan]

I have mixed feelings about Randall Park in FOTB. If mixing up the races doesn't matter, why did they cast Ken Jeong as his brother?

Edit: funny enough, all of the adults in the parents' generation are played by Korean Americans except for Jessica.

My friend's in the industry. I asked him about casting issues and whatnot and he framed it as a supply problem; there are simply far less Asian-American actors, for cultural reasons.

I don't know why there are so many Korean-American actors, though. I know there are a lot of 'em in LA, but I'm pretty sure there's a hefty Chinese population as well, so I can't explain why we don't see more Chinese-American stars.

 

[Messofanego]

It's a shame there aren't many Japanese actors in Hollywood yet but baby steps.

It's the same as Indians being cast as Pakistanis, but I've gotten used to it for so long.