Asian actors underrepresented in Hollywood

World Today

Asian actors underrepresented in Hollywood

This year’s Academy Awards have been overshadowed by controversy over a lack of diversity in the nominees. For the second year in a row, no minorities were nominated in any of the four major acting categories.

The issue even inspired the hashtag “#OscarsSoWhite.” Much of the controversy around Hollywood diversity has revolved around the lack of black Oscar nominees. Several prominent black celebrities have even vowed to boycott the event.

CCTV’s May Lee reports Asian actors are also struggling to gain ground in Hollywood.

For 50 years, East West Players has been a refuge for Asian American actors who, often times, have few legitimate opportunities, especially in Hollywood.

Minorities aren’t being seen enough in Hollywood, a fact that was made glaringly obvious by this year’s all white Oscar nominations in all four major acting categories.

Many blame the demographics of the Academy. Of the more than 6000 members, 94 percent are white and 77 percent are male. Others point the finger at major studios that are in control of what gets the green light, and numbers don’t lie. Minority representation in movies, especially Asians, is low.

According to a new study by the University of California, of the 109 films surveyed over the course of 2014 and 2015, 55 movies had no Asian characters.

Case in point, “21” a film based on the true story of six MIT students that scammed Las Vegas for millions in winnings.

In real life, most of the students were Asian. But in the movie nearly all are white including the main protagonist.

STX Entertainment is a two-year-old film and television studio with strong Chinese partners including the Huayi Brothers. STX is determined to break the narrow, traditional Hollywood mold by not only meeting the needs of global audiences, but also promoting diversity from the inside.

STX Entertainment, however, is just one studio in a sea of giant tanker ships that are very slow to change direction, but perhaps the #OscarsSoWhite movement is a big enough wave to push Hollywood in a new, more diverse direction.


April Reign, Managing Editor of BroadwayBlack.com and Editor-At-Large at NuTribe Magazine talks with CCTV America’s Susan Roberts about the “#OscarsSoWhite” controversy. Twitter:@ReignOfApril