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ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
WHAT'S HOLDING BACK RUSSELL WONG?
(Updated
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 06:38:55 AM)
s the superfly triad enforcer in ROMEO MUST DIE Russell Wong set millions of female hearts palpitating and as many Asian Americans waiting with bated breath. Two years later Hollywood has yet to announce a significant followup role for the gorgeous Chinese American actor. And he turned 38 in March.
This isn't the first time Wong's career seemed to derail for no apparent reason. Four years earlier countless female hearts had been set aflutter by his long-lashed portrayal of the dashing quester in the syndicated VANISHING SON series. Then, for no apparent reason, the series was canceled.
It isn't as though Wong is a flash in the pan. Over the past fifteen years he has caught Asian American eyes in a dozen movies and TV dramas like JOY LUCK CLUB, EAT A BOWL OF TEA, TAI PAN, 21 JUMP STREET and CHINA WHITE. Most weren't starring roles but his looks and charisma made him a standout. Critics have questioned his range as an actor but few have accused him of being any worse at his craft than, say, Keanu Reeves who routinely commands seven figures in blockbusters.
Naturally Asian Americans wonder if Wong's career has been hampered by his surname. Like Reeves, Wong is the product of a Chinese father and a white mother. The most obvious difference is that Reeves took his white stepfather's surname after early separation from his natural father. Another thing, Wong's younger brother Michael is a major Hong Kong action star.
Is Wong's Asian ethnicity too in-your-face for Hollywood to accept him as a leading man? Or is it too threatening for white America? Or is something else holding him back?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
Definitely an imbalance in media exposure of AM actors as compared to the abundancy of AF actresses (eg. Lucy Liu, Kelly Hu, Ann Curry, Ming-Na Wen etc.) May be it's a product of the everlasting, predominant WMs fetish with AF which provides them (AFs)with much greater exposure.
k
Saturday, September 29, 2001 at 11:37:20 (PDT)
Russell Wong is definitely one of the more attractive Asian male actors that are out there. But, like others mentioned, the guy can't act well. And I agree that the guy looks like he's put on a few pounds over the last few years. And as another Asian-American male actor,it's very difficult to go out for roles that break the Asian male stereotype because quite frankly, those roles still outnumber the non-stereotypical roles. Most audition calls for Asian males still tend to be martial artists, grocery clerks, or FOBs. Plus keep in mind, he is getting up there in years so it becomes more difficult to acquire decent roles.
Asian actor dude
Thursday, September 27, 2001 at 06:54:24 (PDT)
I think that Russell Wong appeals to all women! He should try to be like Samuel L. Jackson. Just work. Go for every acting job that interests you. Don't look for one or two projects a year. Keep busy. Go for TV shows & pilots along with non B movies. Does anyone know if he's tried Broadway?Maybe he can start his own production company like others in acting who have trouble finding good material like Drew Barrymore, Salma Hayek. I think some of the Black actors & actresses have done the same. White America isn't thinking about who's missing from the movies. How many TV shows or movies have you seen with extremely few or no members of minority groups? I can think of several like Dallas, most of Dynasty, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, Savannah, Seifeld, Ed, Darma & Greg, etc. Minority (including women)actresses & actors must create their own projects. They must collaborate with other groups. I think Keanu Reeves' acting is fine. The Matrix is my favorite movie ever!!! Russell is very actractive & very talented. I love seeing him on the screen. I've heard many Black actresses & actors in interviews say that their parts were originally White parts. They went in anyway & convinced whomever they needed to that they were right people for that role.
Russell needs to go for every part of interest to him regardless of whether casting is expecting the actor to be white. White people think White & it's up to the rest of us to help them open their minds.
Alma
Tuesday, September 25, 2001 at 23:17:35 (PDT)
Perhaps he doesn't get anything is the fact that he SUCKS and he's FAT? And sorry to offend all you Russell lovers, but Vanishing Son was embarrassing. Wong just can't act. His brother's not that much better, but hello? Hong Kong is a different film market.
And please. Don't even start with that piece of crap NBC version of Journey to the West.
Greathera
Tuesday, September 25, 2001 at 23:01:12 (PDT)
How is Thomas Cruise Mapother II an
girlie
Tuesday, September 25, 2001 at 09:23:02 (PDT)
Russell Wong is sooooooo hot!!!!!! When I get to Hollywood, I can only hope to be his leading lady!
Rowdy!
Tuesday, September 25, 2001 at 07:17:55 (PDT)
i agree that hollywood totally sees keanu as white and russell as chinese. racism. period. and thus, russell is doomed. even though he has the charisma that would make me shed a few layers of clothing quite easily, white wanna see keanu up there and then guess about his ethnic makeup. and as much of a fan i am of keanu, the boy can't really act. he just looks good. first movie i saw with him was bill & ted's excellent adventure.....there's alot of that in EVERY character he plays. as far as diversity, russell played an angel in the prophecy III, which was bad, but showed he's capable of getting roles that don't pigeon-hole him. brandon was close to putting the appeal of asian/american men on the screen out there. i think russell needs to find the right script that might catapult him into the limelight that is deserving of him. take over where brandon lee (oh i miss him) left off. then just take hollywood by storm.
ps- DBL_DRGN : What's Tom Cruises real name? Interesting..
kittydarkcyde
Sunday, September 23, 2001 at 02:13:41 (PDT)
the fact that he's an asian guy...
media don't like that
dan
Sunday, September 23, 2001 at 00:19:06 (PDT)
well veronica, i'm sure mr. wong would love to diversify his roles if perhaps he weren't hampered by his asian looks in getting more jobs.
a
Saturday, September 22, 2001 at 00:02:59 (PDT)
wow!!! he's cute!
better looking than Keanu, that's for sure.
why doesn't he change his name to something foxy...like Fox (as in Michael Fox)???
just a thought. ;)
MLK
Friday, September 21, 2001 at 21:56:42 (PDT)
I've always wondered what happened to Russell Wong. I remember him from Vanishing Son and he "ok". But if you look at most of his roles, he plays "Asian Roles". I think if Hollywood gave him a chance for some other roles, we would be able to see if he could REALLY act. But of course that's the catch...Hollywood has to offer those chances.
coach41
Friday, September 21, 2001 at 13:52:29 (PDT)
Almost everyone knows that Keanu is partly Chinese, but look at all of his characters in his movies. The first movie I ever saw him in was "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" where he played a WHITE teenage guy (Ted "Theodore" Logan) from the suburbs of California. Later came other movies such as "Speed" (Jack Traven), "The Devil's Advocate" (Lomax), & even in the Matrix (Thomas Anderson) all of his roles were as White guys. It's like Hollywood is saying, "Look he's on our side". I must say, for a high school drop out, Keanu is doing really well! This proves two things:
1. Whites can be dumb as they come & get ahead faster than anyone.
2. Life is so unfair.
Alex
Thursday, September 20, 2001 at 19:49:29 (PDT)
I'm pretty sure it's because the public considers Wong Asian and Reeves white. IT's so obvious. Wong always gets roles that are meant for Asian people only, and Reeves 99% of the time gets white male roles. Russell Wong is 50000000 times hotter than Keanu Reeves. Wong's got the looks and charisma. Keanu Reeves however, still needs to work on his aura.
Sparkling
Thursday, September 20, 2001 at 13:49:34 (PDT)
I don't think Wong's etnicity is "too in-your-face for Hollywood" or "threatening for white America."
Wong's roles in film is limited. Reeves is a more diversified actor. He has played roles in films that ranged from romance, suspence, action and drama. Wong seems to be pigeon-holed into Asian-American film; the typical stereotype Chinese action films and the reincarnation of the late legend Bruce Lee. If Wong accepted more diversified roles that were not concentrated on his Asian features, he would be more successful. I would not mind to see Wong and Julia Roberts in a film. I think it would be interesting and we can his talents as an actor, instead of his ethnicity.
Veronica
Thursday, September 20, 2001 at 08:44:11 (PDT)
His father's name is Samuel Reeves, who is Hawaiian and Chinese. He left when Keanu was two and then sentenced to prison for cocaine posession.
a nobody
Thursday, September 20, 2001 at 00:13:34 (PDT)
damn, this is something that I've actually questioned. Plenty of women (of all races) pretty much worship this Asian guy. He was named one of the most beautiful people in (people magazine? I forget) but he gets no exposure. This guy would've revolutioned the Asian male image. I'm talking about previously prejudiced white chicks leaving theaters with opened eyes and finally seeing we Asian men in an unbiased light. Our collective undervalued stock would be helped on its inevitable climb to it's rightful place in the minds of easily suggestible young female minds which equals a more level playing field in the mating game. Movies are that powerful. Keanu? That boy looks like someone (full-chinese) I know who's known as a real looker. Not surprised to find out he's part chinese. Back to Russell. It has to be his surname Wong. Jealous white men in Hollywood understood full well his appeal and now this talent may be wasted as he gets on in age. Too bad, I believe he was homegrown talent instead of HK import. (American born Chinese)
just an observation
Wednesday, September 19, 2001 at 23:20:36 (PDT)
Take Tom Cruise, for example. The stagename we know him by is a Alias. He birthname is something entirely Ethnic, and rather or not in his heart he was troubled by the decision, he ultimately shed his roots to "whitewashed" by Hollywood.
DBL_DRGN
Wednesday, September 19, 2001 at 22:33:55 (PDT)
I like Russel Wong. He's cool. I've always liked him since the days of China Girl and New Jack City. The problem, I guess , with typical "AMERICANS" people are systematically "trained" to just like "Brad Renfros" & "Ben Afflecks" quicker and faster than people like Russel Wong.
Hanya
Wednesday, September 19, 2001 at 21:20:26 (PDT)
It's been mentioned ad nauseum before, the reason why Reeves gets tons of leading man roles and Wong doesn't is simply because Reeves looks "less" asian than Wong. Simple as that, doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. I don't even think the majority of people in America are even aware that Reeves has Asian blood (by the way, I heard he was a mixture including polynesian, not pure Chinese and Caucasian).
Reality sux
Wednesday, September 19, 2001 at 18:46:18 (PDT)
He's handsome, but he's a bad actor.
Then again, that never stopped anyone before --I think it's just because he is Asian looking.
chinese cdn girl
Wednesday, September 19, 2001 at 16:42:59 (PDT)
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