“Representation starts both in front of and behind the camera,” Awkwafina tells Variety in a new interview. Asked what the industry can do to make improvements in representing Asians on-screen, the “Ocean’s 8” actress said, “I think a big reason there aren’t a lot of our stories reflected is people don’t know how to write for us or think they can’t write for us. So I think for any minority group, you need to have writers who can reflect those stories and tell them honestly. It’s important to give people a chance. Take a chance on opening up roles, even leads, for actors of color.”
The rising star is part of “Crazy Rich Asians'” ensemble cast. The rom-com marks the first major Hollywood film led by an Asian cast since 1993’s “The Joy Luck Club.” That’s a 25-year gap. “I was just excited to see the movie come to fruition, whether or not I could be in it. I knew it would be impactful for my community,” Awkwafina observed.
The rapper reflected on how impactful it was for her to see Margaret Cho on-screen. “The first time I saw Margaret Cho on Comedy Central, she was like a unicorn. She was an Asian woman who had a perfect American accent, something I wasn’t used to seeing,” she recalled. “And she was so funny and unashamed and bold. I remember thinking, ‘That is what I want to be.’ Just seeing her made it seem slightly more possible,” she explained. “And then Lucy Liu in ‘Charlie’s Angels’ and Michelle Yeoh in her action movies. When you don’t have representation growing up, you don’t know how to materialize your dreams. You don’t even know it’s possible.”
Just seven percent of female characters in 2017’s top-grossing films were Asian. But Awkwafina feels hopeful about Hollywood’s changing tides. She just finished shooting an untitled film written and directed by Lulu Wang based on a story she told on “This American Life.” “To work with an Asian-American woman at the helm and tell her story was an extremely powerful experience,” Awkwafina said. She added, ” There have always been Asian-American directors, but they don’t always get the opportunity to direct Asians, and I think this may be a different time for them.”
“Hollywood is changing at a rapid pace in terms of the stories that are being told and the people being put in leading roles and the people writing and directing movies,” the “Dude” actress observed. “More and more, I’m seeing stories like Lulu’s that are coming to me. So I think times are changing. And it really takes discussions about whitewashing to realize America is not one color. It’s a giant melting pot, and there are so many ways people can relate to movies, to music. I think Hollywood is realizing they can reflect that. And at the box office, the numbers are very impactful. They’re trying, and now that they know, they’re taking chances. I’m very optimistic about the changes to come.”
“Crazy Rich Asians” opens today, August 15. The pic currently holds a 94 percent “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
