As a long-time gamer who’s spent countless hours immersed in various virtual worlds, I can’t help but draw parallels between Jimmy O. Yang’s journey in Hollywood and my own adventures in gaming. Just as he found himself breaking out of the background in projects like “Crazy Rich Asians” and now “Interior Chinatown”, I too have gone from being a mere extra in some games to becoming a central character in others, albeit digitally.
One of the latest new on streaming releases for those with a Hulu subscription is Interior Chinatown. The series based on the bestselling novel from Charles Yu of the same name discusses the unfortunate realities of Asian-Americans being sidelined in the media as it follows a background character living in the world of a Law & Order-esque show called Black & White. Interior Chinatown’s star, Jimmy O. Yang spoke with TopMob about the first time he felt central to a project in his own career with Crazy Rich Asians.
In “Interior Chinatown,” Jimmy O. Yang portrays Willis Wu, a restaurant waiter whose mundane existence is upended when he witnesses a woman being kidnapped. During our conversation with the actor, he mentioned that Jon M. Chu’s film was the first time he felt he had stepped out of the backdrop in Hollywood productions. In his own words:
It was intriguing in Crazy Rich Asians, as I wasn’t a primary character, but it seemed like everyone got their moment to shine. We could essentially portray ourselves authentically without being stereotyped as “the Asian guy on set.” I had the chance to embody a unique billionaire playboy character and express myself genuinely. In that instance, even with other talented actors around me, it felt like we were in the limelight for once.
In 2018, Jon M. Chu made a significant mark in cinema history by directing the film adaptation of “Crazy Rich Asians,” which was the first time an entire Asian cast led a contemporary Hollywood movie for a quarter of a century. This film also became the highest earning romantic comedy in the last ten years. Despite Jimmy O. Yang having a supporting role as Bernard Tai, a former classmate to Henry Golding’s Nick, the actor expressed that he didn’t feel like he was merely supporting. When asked about how much Chu (who is currently receiving accolades for directing “Wicked”) influenced this, he replied with:
Indeed, that’s correct. The atmosphere of the set was truly exceptional as everyone got an opportunity to excel, regardless if they were top-billed or further down the list. From number one to number thirty, each person had their shining moment there. And it’s an experience that remains uniquely memorable.
The film “Crazy Rich Asians” provided a platform for performers such as Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, and Ronny Chieng to make their mark in Hollywood, leading them to an influx of additional projects. To the point that, even now, a sequel to “Crazy Rich Asians” has yet to materialize due to their ongoing work commitments.
In the narrative of “Interior Chinatown“, Jimmy O. Yang’s character is joined by Chieng, portraying Willis’ coworker at the Chinese restaurant. Over time, Chieng’s character evolves into a significant figure as a waiter, while Willis advances in roles like “tech guy” within the series “Black & White“. In an interview with Yang, we learned that his background as a standup comedian has played a role in honing his skills as a storyteller. To put it simply, he mentioned:
Stand-up comedy offers an unparalleled opportunity for mastering storytelling in every aspect. That’s because when you engage in stand-up, you must write, perform, and refine your material continuously. Additionally, if you create a special or any video content, you’ll need to edit those clips as well. Essentially, stand-up comedy serves as an all-in-one learning experience for writing, performing, editing, and even video production. Moreover, the constant refinement process in stand-up can be likened to the art of honing a story, where you chip away at it bit by bit, much like the process of perfecting a joke night after night.
Jimmy O. Yang has reached incredible heights with his standup comedy, leading him to embark on a North American tour. This journey will see him perform at esteemed venues like Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, you can catch his performance in “Interior Chinatown” right now, and don’t forget to check out our exclusive interviews with Chloe Bennet and Ronny Chieng for the series on TopMob!
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-11-22 23:39