Push Admin

Hollywood's Asian stars welcome 'long overdue' breakthrough at Oscars

Article (news)

Andrew Marszal, Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Michelle Yeoh rocks in " Everything="" Everywhere="" All="" at="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/entertainment/07/01/20220701-michelle-yeoh.jpg"/><figcaption>Michelle Yeoh rocks in &#x27;Everything Everywhere All at Once&#x27;</figcaption></figure></div><p>HOLLYWOOD, United States - From Oscars favorites &quot;Everything Everywhere All at Once&quot; and &quot;RRR&quot; to an unprecedented four acting nominations, Asian representation in Hollywood has finally achieved a remarkable and overdue breakthrough this year, industry insiders say.</p><p>Among many records tumbling this awards season, Malaysian &quot;Everything Everywhere&quot; star Michelle Yeoh is only the second Asian best actress nominee in 95 years of Oscars history, with a strong chance of becoming the first winner Sunday.</p><p>Only four Asian actors have ever won Oscars. That is the same number nominated this year alone, including Yeoh&#x27;s co-stars Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu, and Hong Chau of &quot;The Whale.&quot;</p><p>Then there is India&#x27;s all-singing, all-dancing &quot;RRR,&quot; heavily tipped to win best original song, and Nobel literature laureate Kazuo Ishiguro&#x27;s nominated screenplay for &quot;Living.&quot;</p><p>Behind the camera, best picture frontrunner &quot;Everything Everywhere&quot; -- a $100 million box office hit with 11 Oscar nominations -- has an Asian co-director, Daniel Kwan, and an Asian producer, Jonathan Wang.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/02/27/23/everything-everywhere-wins-nearly-all-at-sag-awards">&#x27;Everything Everywhere&#x27; wins (nearly) all at SAG Awards</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/03/05/23/everything-everywhere-sweeps-spirit-awards-ahead-of-oscars">&#x27;Everything Everywhere&#x27; dominates Spirit Awards week before Oscars</a></li></ul><p>&quot;There&#x27;s something really beautiful about being able to show that if you put people in these roles, people will go see it,&quot; Wang told AFP.</p><p>&quot;Why is it only white characters who go on the fun adventures, but Asian and Black characters and Latino characters have to experience the suffering?</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s time to flip that on its head. And people are going to run to the box office.&quot;</p><p>It is all a far cry from Hollywood&#x27;s past.</p><p>At the recent Screen Actors Guild awards, James Hong, the 94-year-old veteran who appears in &quot;Everything Everywhere,&quot; reflected on how white actors with &quot;their eyes taped up&quot; once played leading Asian roles because producers thought &quot;the Asians are not good enough and they are not box office.&quot;</p><p>&quot;But look at us now,&quot; he said, to a huge ovation.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/byS-fQdC6sQ?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><strong>&#x27;Long overdue&#x27; </strong></div><p>Back in 1965, Hong co-founded the East West Players, a Los Angeles theater group created to boost the visibility of Asian American actors and issues.</p><p>The company has welcomed this year&#x27;s diverse Oscar nominations, which artistic director Snehal Desai says are &quot;much appreciated and long overdue.&quot;</p><p>&quot;These are artists who have been doing this work for decades. We are glad for the visibility and recognition, but it really should not have taken this long,&quot; he said.</p><p>Vietnam-born Quan, a major child star in the 1980s with &quot;Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom&quot; and &quot;The Goonies,&quot; all but abandoned acting for decades due to a lack of roles.</p><p>&quot;Quan&#x27;s story of his prolonged absence from the industry in particular strikes a resonant chord for our community, as we continue to fight for more opportunities and quality representation,&quot; the group said in a statement.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpAj4DcrlE4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"> </div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"> </div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpAj4DcrlE4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:550;line-height:18px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpAj4DcrlE4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><div style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpAj4DcrlE4/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Ke Huy Quan (@kehuyquan)</a></div></div></blockquote><div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Kristina Wong, an actor and comedian currently appearing in a one-woman show co-produced by East West Players, said she had been driven to write her own productions because it was the only way to see &quot;weird&quot; immigrant stories told.</p><p>&quot;It is either this, or sit around and audition for bubble gum commercials,&quot; she told AFP.</p><p>&quot;I&#x27;ve done that life. And it sucks. It&#x27;s not fulfilling creatively.&quot;</p><p>There is still &quot;a lack of opportunities in general,&quot; said Wong.</p><p>But with her &quot;Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord&quot; a Pulitzer drama finalist, and &quot;Everything Everywhere&quot; racking up awards and box office receipts, &quot;I think we&#x27;re ready&quot; for new stories, she said.</p><p>&quot;We&#x27;ve been seeing the same tired old stories about... this white guy action hero, going &#x27;I&#x27;m going to fix this with a gun.&#x27;&quot; </p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s made me excited, thinking maybe there&#x27;s an audience ready to be challenged.&quot;</p><div><strong>&#x27;Pull the ladder&#x27; </strong></div><p>Still, Asian success at the Oscars has remained limited to a tiny group.</p><p>Just 23 Asian actors&#x27; performances have ever been nominated, representing a mere 1.2 percent of all nominations, according to a New York Times study.</p><p>Only Ben Kingsley, whose father was Indian, has been nominated more than once. And there has never been a year in which more than one Asian actor won.</p><p>Could this be the year representation goes beyond a few, specific individuals?</p><p>South Korea-born Joel Kim Booster, who wrote and starred in gay rom com &quot;Fire Island,&quot; said having his work championed by two Asian executives at Disney-owned Searchlight had &quot;really pushed this project through and made sure that it was going to get made.&quot;</p><p>&quot;For a long time, there was this pull-the-ladder-up-behind-me mentality&quot; among many minorities who found success in Hollywood, he told AFP.</p><p>&quot;There was a scarcity... a mentality of &#x27;there&#x27;s only room for one of us at the table and that&#x27;s going to be me.&#x27;</p><p>&quot;I think that has dissipated in a big way.&quot;</p><div><strong>amz/sst</strong></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wxN1T1uxQ2g?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

From Oscars favorites 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' and 'RRR' to an unprecedented four acting nominations, Asian representation in Hollywood has finally achieved a remarkable and overdue breakthrough this year.

Hollywood's Asian stars welcome 'long overdue' breakthrough at Oscars

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Showbiz

Hollywood's Asian stars welcome 'long overdue' breakthrough at Oscars

Andrew Marszal,

Agence France-Presse

Published March 12, 2023 08:33 AM PHT

Read More:

Oscars

Academy Awards

michelle yeoh

ke huy quan

rrr

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Stephanie Hsu

hong chau

anc promo

daniel kwan

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.