Hollywood

January 5, 2020

Congratulations to Nora Lum, known professionally as Awkwafina. She  is the first Asian American to win a Golden Globe for Best Actress!

Awkwafina won for her role in "The Farewell" in the category of Best Performance in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards. 

Here is a Youtube.com link to her acceptance speech.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EQlY2UrCN4

(Photo credit: The Farewell / A24)

Her role in 2019's "The Farewell" follows her breakout role as Peik Lin in 2018's 'Crazy Rich Asians' which made her a globally known actress to watch. 'Crazy, Rich Asians' also catapulted her into another Hollywood movie, "Ocean's Eight' with cast mates Cate Blanchette, Anne Hathaway and Rihanna. 

(Photo credit: Sanja Bucko/Warner Bros. Pictures)

After her 2018 breakout role in Warner Bros feature film "Crazy, Rich Asians," the first Hollywood movie with an all Asian cast in 26 years since "Joy Luck Club" Awkwafina played a pick pocket in Ocean's 8 with cast mates

(Photo credit: Warner Bros/Barry Wetcher)

Prior to her breakout role in "Crazy, Rich Asians" she was best known as a popular Youtube star where she posted her rap videos and comedic routines. 

October 8, 2019

Hollywood

Actor Tim Lounibos wrote on his Facebook page  about the positive changes he is currently experiencing in Hollywood.

We caught up with him to share his thoughts with us.

Asian Americans have historically found limited opportunities as actors in movies and television in Hollywood, but fortunately for Tim he had a great start as a busy actor in the 1990s, but then his career went off a cliff - temporarily. 

We thank Tim for sharing his personal thoughts with our readers.

In the 1990's Tim Lounibos was a busy actor in Hollywood with roles in hot shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Suddenly Susan, and The Nanny, and recurring roles in Beverly Hills, 90210, The Practice, JAG and The West Wing, plus starring in one of the first US films shot in Hong Kong, Erotique.

At the local café with tears in my eyes – because of joy not sadness…

I’m an actor. 

I left for seven years because of the lack of opportunity for those like me. That was heartbreaking but necessary. Family comes first. Always. On returning, I’ve been very fortunate; because as an actor, I’m relevant again and working consistently, but merely working is not the be all and end all.

Something happened that reminded me of why I act.

I was asked by Jess Ju and Michelle Sugihara to participate in one of their 2019 CAPE New Writers Fellowship Table Reads. I’m always down with supporting our community and helping upcoming artists (usually through...

Unveiled at town hall honoring 50th anniversary of Chinese for Affirmative Action 

San Francisco Bay Area newscasters, editors, reporters, producers, podcasters, filmmakers and pioneer internet content creators came together to mark the emergence of Asian American journalists in mainstream news media where there none before 50 years ago. 

Hollywood

September 15, 2017

by Suzanne Kai

The controversial practice of whitewashing movies has been going on for nearly a century in Hollywood.

In the 1930's even the starring role of the Charlie Chan movies, scripted to be a Chinese man, was given to white actors pretending to play Chinese men. 

Fast forward to 2017 - Ed Skrein, an English actor and rapper, wins the "Hellboy" movie role of Major Ben Saimio, a character of Japanese heritage in the original comic books.

Social media erupted negatively to his casting.

Unlike actors who won and defended their roles which were originally written as Asian characters, such as Scarlett Johansspn (Ghost in the Shell), Tilda Swinton (Doctor Strange), Matt Damon (The Great Wall), and Emma Stone (Aloha) Ed Skrein gave his role back.

Ed received favorable social media reaction, and Daniel York, writer for Time Magazine wrote this commentary Skrein is setting an example other actors should follow. If only more people in the industry had his integrity, courage and common humanity.

(full article at Time magazine "Ed Skrein Proved Actors Can Resist Whitewashington, Too" - click here)

 Ed Skrein issued the message below.

Skrein is best known in America for his role as Daario Naharis in the third season of Game of Thrones, and his roles in The Transporter Refueled, and Deadpool. Now he is known for

"It is clear that representing this character in a culturally accurate way holds significance for people, and that to...

by Suzanne Kai

July 5, 2017

A year after the 2016 Oscars ceremony host Chris Rock made stereotypical jokes out of the Asian American kids on stage - Asian actors are still fighting for parity and roles.

Actors Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park, co-stars on the CBS series 'Hawaii Five-0' since 2010 asked for equal pay to that of their white co-stars, Alex O'Laughlin and Scott Caan.

According to Variety, CBS' final offer was 10 to 15 percent lower than what O'Loughlin and Caan are paid.

Grace played Kono Kalakaua, and Daniel's character was Chin Ho Kelly. They acted in all of the 168 episodes of the series.

Daniel Dae Kim posted on his Facebook page on July 5, 2017: (excerpt from a longer message to his fans)

By now many of you have heard the news, and I’m sad to say it is true. I will not be returning to Hawaii Five-0 when production starts next week. Though I made myself available to come back, CBS and I weren’t able to agree to terms on a new contract, so I made the difficult choice not to continue.

As sad as it feels to say goodbye, what I feel most is gratitude. I am so deeply thankful to our crew, writers and everyone associated with the show – and especially the cast, who have been nothing but supportive through this entire process. They and the crew have been my second family for seven years and I wish them nothing but success for season 8 - and beyond.

I also want to say thank you to Peter Lenkov, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and everyone at CBS. I will...