‘The Wedding Banquet’ Remake Inspired Kelly Marie Tran to Come Out as Queer

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As a film enthusiast with a heart for representation and inclusivity, I am absolutely thrilled to see Kelly Marie Tran stepping into her power and embracing her identity as a queer woman. Her journey from Star Wars to The Wedding Banquet is not just a testament to her acting prowess but also a powerful statement about the importance of visibility and representation for marginalized communities in media.

The actress Kelly Marie Tran, known for her role in ‘Star Wars’, has recently found the confidence to publicly declare herself as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. This announcement comes following her part in the remake of Ang Lee’s film, ‘The Wedding Banquet’. Notably, this remake is being directed by queer filmmaker Andrew Ahn, who also boasts other notable LGBTQ+ figures such as Bowen Yang and Lily Gladstone among its cast. The original 1993 rom-com was added to the Library of Congress just last year due to its enduring cultural significance and positive representation of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Talking to Vanity Fair regarding her role in the film, Tran expressed that being surrounded by numerous other queer individuals gave her the courage to openly declare her identity for the first time. In her own words, she stated, “I’ve never said this before, but I identify as a queer person.” Tran further mentioned that working on Ahn’s film felt incredibly personal because she felt like she was portraying someone she knew well. She added, “What truly excited me about it was that I got to play a character I felt I understood intimately. In this movie, I don’t feel like I’m acting at all.” Tran also credited the acceptance and support from her fellow queer colleagues for boosting her confidence.

Currently, I’m part of an extraordinary film project alongside some exceptional individuals. This is my first experience working within a community that openly embraces diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. For the first time, I feel a profound sense of acceptance.

As a movie enthusiast, I’d like to share my thoughts on a film that originally followed a bisexual Taiwanese man named Gao Wai-Tung who entered into a ‘lavender marriage’ with an immigrant Chinese woman for her green card and family approval. However, complications arose when his parents became deeply involved in planning the wedding banquet, forcing him to hide his gay partner from them. In this adaptation by Ahn, the main roles have been swapped, with Tran portraying Angela, a woman trying to conceive through IVF with her partner Lee (Lily Gladstone). They live with their close friends Chris (Bowan Yang) and Min (Han Gi-Chan), who finds himself pressured by his family to return to Korea and manage the family business. To do so, he contrives a fake wedding with Angela to secure a green card, fund her IVF treatment, and of course, appease his traditional parents.

Kelly Marie Tran is On Her Way to Becoming a Queer Icon

Despite the significant role Tran’s involvement in Ahn’s “The Wedding Banquet” remake played in her personal coming-out journey, it wasn’t her first instance of advocating for the LGBTQ+ community. After lending her voice to Raya in Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon,” Tran fueled speculations about her character potentially being queer by expressing a desire for a queer sequel. She expressed, “I’d love to see a Disney warrior who — I don’t know, can I say this without getting in trouble? I don’t care — is openly in the LGBTQ community.” Tran desires to live in a world where everyone, regardless of their identity, can identify with movies like these. Although no plans have been made for a queer “Raya” sequel as of now, Tran remains committed to developing narratives that encompass various communities.

Despite enduring an immense amount of opposition for her role in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy, it appears that actress Kelly Marie Tran has finally found her unique space in the industry. Although she reprised her role as Darth Rose Tico in “LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy,” it’s unlikely that she’ll physically return to a galaxy far, far away. Instead, her forthcoming projects include a psychological thriller on Hulu Originals, scheduled to premiere early next year, and the much-anticipated remake of “The Wedding Banquet,” slated for release in 2025. In the interim, you can stream the original 1993 version of “The Wedding Banquet” on Amazon Prime Video.

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2024-11-23 02:31