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Roundtable: Asian Americans in Drama and FilmA discussion with the cast of the Steppenwolf Theater production of After the Quake
The Participants
Andrew: …it was really exciting to be part of a show that was totally all Asian Americans within a piece originally taken from a Japanese writer. But [being] Asian American wasn’t what it was about; it was about just being a human being, and that was such a cool thing. So often, how you make money in this business is when you’re pigeonholed. So it was exciting to be part of an Asian piece, but it being about human conditions, basic philosophies. Hanson: That’s what drew me to acting…the exploration of the human condition. What it is to be human, and to explore the whole range of what that means – that’s what we’re here for. Alec: What kinds of experiences have you all had negotiating the acting landscape as Asian Americans? What challenges, frustrations, openings does that give you? Keong: Hmm, where to start? Hanson: It’s pretty frustrating [laughs]. We could start with that. Alec: What’s the most frustrating? Hanson: There’s not really that much available to us… I feel like – and it’s true of all actors, I guess, but I also feel in a strange way it’s true of Asian actors – the people who are getting the work are sort of the people who they approach first, and I feel like there’s a sort of bias even within the Asian acting community that you don’t want to take a chance on somebody that you haven’t seen before. In a way – I don’t know if you guys have felt this – but I feel like it’s almost even stronger within the Asian acting community. Keong: Being an actor, period, whatever type you are, you learn a lot about yourself. You realize that the things that you have control of are limited, but you do have control over how you react to things. So you know, you’re sobered up by the reality that, I’m either playing the delivery guy or somebody with an accent, so that’s not very fulfilling…
There’s a certain point where you’re just like, okay, well, this is the way it is, so either I wait it out and find satisfaction in doing what work that I can do that’s enjoyable (with a rare thing like this show coming up) or you do something about it. I know Asian actors who have finally been kind of fed up and like, well, ‘no, I’m going to go on the other end of it, and I’m going to write stuff, and I’m going to get behind the scenes, producing and directing.’ It’s only until I think there’s kind of a watershed, like a critical mass that’s reached with that, in terms of people in a position of power… Alec: Is there anybody that you can mention off the top of your head who is in that situation right now? Keong: Just right off the top of my head…Some people didn’t like the movie, but Better Luck Tomorrow, the Justin Lin movie…I think that was kind of groundbreaking. He’s a young dude who’s starting to make stuff happen. Andrew: In terms of film, Mike Kang, who just did The Motel; Alice Wu, who did Saving Face; Georgia Lee, who did Red Doors… and then [playwright] Han Ong, who did The Chang Fragments at the Public Theater – and he also got a MacArthur fellowship. There are a lot of people who have been getting more involved… I’ve been an actor for about fifteen years, and when I got out of school, it was the exciting time. All-American Girl with Margaret Cho had come out, and Joy Luck Club, and there was a sense then [that Asian Americans were] at the brink of a big change. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. But it’s been interesting, my experience in New York seeing it evolve, and having the opportunity also to work with a lot of Asian American actors that struggled in the fifties and sixties. Alec: Why wasn’t it the moment? How come it didn’t happen? Andrew: I don’t really know, but one thing I can say is, I just did a national tour [and] my role was kind of unique: I had a chance to get the girl – who was a white girl. And it was interesting to see the reaction to that across the country – to see people’s reactions about me and the other Asian actors walking around in these cities. It’s not as integrated as you might think, and it’s filled with a lot of prejudice… But something about our Asian cultural backgrounds and stuff, I think that was probably the reason why [things didn’t take off for Asian American actors fifteen years ago]. What’s exciting now [for me], because I grew up in Virginia where [there were] few Asians, is the younger people that I meet who are involved in the arts. That Asian American population is very hungry for films and stories to be told. Not only about themselves and about their culture, but just having their persona up there. And I think that type of crowd is now bringing more support to some [Asian American arts and media]. There are more things happening now that we’ve gotten past the second-generation thing or whatever. Alec: Can you talk about the response specifically to your role and what would be the ‘nontraditional’ ending of the Asian American guy getting the white girl? Andrew: I have to say I might have been a little paranoid, because in one sense, the other character that was supposed to get the girl happened to be a white character. He was a character the audience really grew to love, too, and the actor in it was really wonderful, so I think there was definitely disappointment in that. But, it was kind of interesting that as we [toured], the middle of the country was very quiet when that happened: sometimes no response, sometimes there might be a little bit. But as soon as we broke to the Pacific Northwest, and Seattle, and went down to Oregon, all the way through Los Angeles, that moment [in the play] got a huge response. (Maybe Chicago was a little bit supportive.) That was kind of telling. And also, when we did the Equity Fights AIDS drive, the cast members would go out to try to get contributions, and it was… some people said some pretty harsh things… insulting things, very ignorant things. You know, I don’t blame them, they’re in the middle of nowhere, whatever… but yeah, it was pretty telling. And a little scary at times. Aiko: I think the reason there wasn’t a huge explosion of Asian projects was that the ratio of other types of stories and very good Asian stories that someone would want to [produce], you know, [wasn’t so favorable]. We need more writers of Asian stories. Not necessarily only about Asian themes, but just everyday themes. Or, we need more color-blindness in the casting of things. I did the play Stop Kiss, in which my character doesn’t necessarily have to be an Asian person. There was no real reference to her having to be Asian, but she was. Sandra Oh played the original when it first came out. I don’t know if the writer said, ‘I want an Asian person in this role, I want a Black person in this role.’ Do you know what I mean? But when it went regionally, the casting people got an Asian person for that role. Hanson: That premiered at the Public [Theater] first, right? Which is known for pretty nontraditional casting – at least in Shakespeare in the Park. Aiko: Things like that, and the movie Sideways… Hanson: That was very exciting to me, to see Sandra Oh in that role… Aiko: Yeah, but she was the wife of the director and writer of the show. So it took him, who loves this person, to take a leap of faith, saying that, ‘Oh, this can be anybody, it doesn’t have to be a white person.’ If it was a Tom Cruise movie, who are you going to get opposite him? Would they necessarily say we’re going to get an Asian person in it? I don’t know…but I do believe that it’s changing… Alec: What would be your dream role or dream situation as an actor?
Andrew: I don’t really have a dream role. After being batted around the business for a while, and doing a lot of different things, I would love to produce just really good stories, hopefully with some reflection of the Asian American community, whether or not it’s the central focus. That would be the ultimate thing to make a contribution that way. Alec: Stage or screen? Andrew: Do it all, man. Aiko: I’m just happy that I’m being looked at as an actor. I came from mostly musical theater, and it was such a hard transition to get people to see me as just a straight actor. Keong: I don’t know about a specific dream role, but I would want to be in a position [where] you can pick and choose the projects that you want to work on and with people and different mediums that you respect. And also to do stuff that’s not just about being in front of the camera: writing, producing, directing … Why just be the actor? Do everything, see what you jibe with. Hanson: Well I’ve always wanted to play Bruce Lee [laughter]; Jason Scott Lee beat me to it. But maybe they’ll have another one: the remake, Dragon II! No, but I don’t know about that being a dream role; I don’t know that’s what my heart and soul would go in to play. You know, what Keong was saying about having a choice in being able to really pick and choose the projects – that seems like such a luxury right now. And, you know, to live comfortably doing art, doing this, bringing awareness to our situation as Asian Americans, or doing it in a way that’s sort of under the radar. Ideally, I’d like to see more Asian roles out there, without people thinking, ‘Oh, there should be more Asian roles out there,’ because we’re part of the fabric of America, you know? We see ourselves that way, and other people see us that way.
Other Readings of Interest at the Village
On the Net
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