Hollywood
February 26, 2013
What?!! An Asian American male star in a Hollywood movie that isn't a Kung Fu film?
Justin Chon ("Twilight"), steps into the spotlight as the lead character in the comedy 21 and Over, opening in theaters nationwide March 1.
Chon, 31, was born in Garden Grove in Orange County, California, and was raised in Irvine, California. He attended business school at the University of Southern California. At age 20, Chon began taking acting lessons, inspired by growing up watching his father in black and white films. His father is a former child actor from South Korea.
AsianConnections' Suzanne Joe Kai chatted with Justin about his new role, breaking stereotypes, and what's next in his fast-rising career. (For the full interview transcript click on the blue headline link above.)
Justin: Hey Suzanne, thank you.
Suzanne: You’re right from Orange County, California!
Justin: Yeah, Irvine. Yeah, born and raised. I was born in Garden Grove Hospital.
Suzanne: Can you describe your role in your new film 21 and Over coming out in theaters March 1, 2013?
Justin: Yeah. I play a character named Jeff Chang. It's his 21st birthday and my two friends come up to celebrate with me but I have a medical school interview the next day. They convinced me to have one beer and obviously that beer turns into absolute chaos. My character's just an average kid. He's actually not that...
New York City
stop. reset., a new play written and directed by Regina Taylor which has performances in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center in New York through September 29, 2013, tackles powerful questions of legacy, identity and survival in a world where the real and the virtual are more closely tied than we think.
Photo by Joan Marcus of Teagle F Bougere as Chris, LaTanya Richardson Jackson as Jan, Donald Sage Mackay as Tim and Michi Barall as Deb in Signature Theatre’s world premiere of Regina Taylor’s stop. reset.
Photo by Lia Chang of Ismael Cruz Cordova in stop. reset, written and directed by Regina Taylor.
In stop.reset., e-books are outselling printed books, and Alex Ames (Carl Lumbly), the owner of Chicago’s oldest African American book publishing company, is faced with the task of questioning each of his employees, Deb (Michi Barall), Chris (Teagle Bougere), Jan (LaTanya Richardson Jackson) and Tim (Donald Sage MacKay), to determine who is still relevant in a rapidly changing world. When he meets J (Ismael Cruz Cordova), a mysterious youth plugged into the future, Mr. Ames is forced to discover just how far he will go to survive.
Photo by Lia Chang of castmembers LaTanya Richardson Jackson and Michi Barall starring in Regina Taylor’s stop. reset. on September 21, 2013.
Photo of Lia Chang of Michi Barall.
Signature alum Michi Barall, and member of the ensemble cast of stop.reset. is a...
Congrats to Kristi Yamaguchi and her husband, NHL player Bret Hedican on the birth of their second daughter Emma Yoshiko.
Congrats to Kristi Yamaguchi and her husband, NHL player Bret Hedican on the birth of their second daughter Emma Yoshiko. The Olympic Gold medal figure skater gave birth on Nov. 17 in Raleigh, N.C, according to the News and Observer. Their first daughter, Keara, is 2.
Human Rights Campaign Equality Award for Director Ang Lee
Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee will be honored with the Human Rights Campaign Equality Award on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2006, at HRC's Greater New York Gala Dinner.
"Ang Lee's vision is changing hearts and minds," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "Ang Lee's career has been defined by bold artistic choices and Brokeback Mountain is no exception. Through his moving directorial work, Ang Lee proves the old adage, 'Love is love is love.' We are honored to be awarding Mr. Lee with the Human Rights Campaign's Equality Award."
Lee's Focus Features film " Brokeback Mountain," based on a novella by Annie Proulx, stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. The film has been racking up awards and nominations around the world including the Golden Lion Award for Best Picture at the Venice Film Festival this year, "Best Picture" nominations from New York and Los Angeles Film Critics Associations and has been nominated for 7 Golden Globes.
Born and raised in Taiwan, Lee moved to the United States in 1978. After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater from the University of Illinois, he went on to New York University to complete a Masters of Fine Arts Degree in film production. At NYU, his short film "Fine Line" won Best Director and Best Film Awards at the NYU Film Festival.
Lee's first feature film, "Pushing Hands," was screened at the 1992 Berlin Film Festival and won Best Film at the Asian-Pacific Film...
Ang Lee Becomes the First Asian to Receive a Best Director Oscar for Brokeback Mountain
When Taiwanese-born filmmaker Ang Lee accepted his Best Director Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain"at the 78th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles tonight, he became the first Asian to win the coveted prize.
Making his mark on the Hollywood scene with his films "The Wedding Banquet" and "Eat Drink Man Woman," he earned back-to-back Oscar nominations for foreign-language film for 1993 and 94.
Since then, Lee has spanned numerous genres including the Jane Austen costume romance "Sense and Sensibility", a best-picture nominee, "The Ice Storm", "Ride With the Devil", a Western, and the martial-arts epic "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", which won the Oscar for foreign-language film five years ago.
His Crouching Tiger follow-up was the comic-book adaptation Hulk, an unusual commercial departure for the independent-minded director.
"Brokeback Mountain" also won Oscars for best original score and best adapted screenplay.