East West Talks to John Cho About Race and Hollywood [Cho-licious]
East West Magazine is back! And for their first issue, they interviewed John Cho about his experiences with race and acting:
He recently followed in idol George Takei’s footsteps as Sulu in the Star Trek remake and is set to star in A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas when buddy Kal Penn wraps his presidential advisory gig next summer.
In the meantime, he hopes to settle in to life on the small screen and continue to make a mark in terms of diversity. While Cho admits he’s seeing many Asian Americans on TV – from Lost to Grey’s Anatomy to Melrose Place to The Office – he still sees room for improvement.
John Cho, ABC’s Flash Forward“Don’t get me wrong, the FBI agent is great – and I’m very happy to see the numbers. But I mean, they got hospital shows wrong for so many years – so to this day, I’m just happy to see Asians as doctors on TV.” says Cho. “But my character on Flash Forward was not written as Asian, and I think that’s still pretty common. When I was cast, David [David Goyer, creator of Flash Forward] asked me if I wanted to change the character’s last name to a Korean name, and I said yes, so we did.”
While this attests to the level of success Cho has reached after nearly 15 years in the business, he still sees the trend as problematic. “The landscape has changed – with the exception of Harold I haven’t played a character written as Asian for many years.
But that’s not something to brag about either,” he says. “It’s sort of double-edged. Ideally you’d want brilliant, fleshed out characters that were already written Asian. But there still is that shortage. My point of view is that things are getting better, yes, but things aren’t nearly where they should be. But I am feeling a bit more optimistic than I was before.”
He credits the surprise success of Harold & Kumar, in part, as a propeller of change. “In the beginning, I felt very concerned about representing – I felt a lot of pressure to play the right role,” he says, noting the model minority stereotype. “I sweated that, but eventually it got to the point where I wanted to go against the grain and play more vulgar characters. Harold is the straight man, but he’s also sort of an everyman.” [...]
To this day, Cho is surprised by fan reaction to the film. “It taught me a lesson in identity, and I realized that maybe there was a generational shift that I had been unaware of,” says Cho. “The moment of clarity for me was this young Asian American woman that came up to me and said, ‘Oh, thank you for Harold & Kumar, thanks for representing us. Us stoners.’ That threw me a curveball, you know. It made me see that just because we’re the same color doesn’t mean we’re the same – everyone processes identity in a different way, and that’s a very healthy thing.”
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
Iggles wrote:
Yay! I love John Cho. He is awesome on FlashForward. After reading this interview, I realized he is one of the most visible Asian American actors out there.
There are are a lot of Asian actors from overseas, like Jacky Chan and Jet Li. I do know a few Asian American actresses – Lucy Lui and Sandra Oh (she is amazing!). Overall all, I agree much more representation is needed.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 12:41 pm ¶
Mary wrote:
Kind of funny to watch Harold & Kumar and realize its lead actors are probably two of the more sane, intelligent people in celebrity land. Cho did another (very long) interview here that really made me look at him differently (in a very good way). The man has a brain.
And on a superficial note… excellent choice of accompanying pic.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 1:36 pm ¶
Sara wrote:
John Cho is awesome (and gorgeous), and I love how self-aware he is about the racial issues still going on with Hollywood. He makes an excellent point that, while it’s great to see Asians (or other people of color) play characters that aren’t explicitly written as Asian – since Asians can, yes, be FBI agents or anything else! – it also represents a failure of imagination that no one thinks to explicitly write an Asian character that’s not stereotypical. That’s one of the things I loved about H&K – here are two stoners played by Asians who were both identities at the same time. They didn’t ignore their race, nor did they come off as caricatures.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 1:40 pm ¶
Denarii Monroe wrote:
Firstly…sexy picture, lol…
Secondly, in regards to this comment:
“‘I felt a lot of pressure to play the right role,’” he says, noting the model minority stereotype.”
I think that’s something many folks of color and otherwise oppressed groups deal with in the entertainment world. However, I think for many blacks and Latinos, it seems that it’s the opposite. We want to be seen as intelligent, capable, and “not lazy”, whereas people are appreciative of Cho for representing the “stoners”, so to speak. Very fascinating.
Thirdly…sexy picture…lmao
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 2:05 pm ¶
vcious wrote:
I didn’t consider Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle anything but a stoner comedy before I watched it. Then I got curious after I liked John Cho in Kitchen Confidential (underrated, 10-episode long sitcom FOX canned) and Kal Penn in The Namesake, and watched it, and saw that it was actually a pretty clever film about racism, stereotypes and representation besides being a stoner comedy.
A real wake up moment was the fantasy sequence where Harold and Maria kiss. I was like “why does this feel weird to me?” and realized it was because the Asian guy never gets the girl in Hollywood or American TV. He’s always the nerd or whatever. It’s kind of scary how representations and stereotypes become so natural to one that it takes an exception to make one go “Hey wait a minute, why is it always like that?”.
Much later I saw the documentary Slanted Screen (highly recommend, even if it focuses on actors, and doesn’t mention actresses at all), which talked about Asian actors in Hollywood throughout ages, which details how rare it is to see Asian guys as romantic heroes.
I’m definitely with Cho that there’s been improvement but there’s still a long way to go.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 2:11 pm ¶
9jah wrote:
His point about writing explicitly Asian characters raises a point rarely talked about regarding minority representation in the media. It strikes me as potentially problematic though.
The fight has typically been for PoC to be considered equally for race-neutral roles rather than white folks being the automatic default. But other than select instances (I immediately think George Lopez show and Latino specific dialogue regarding food/culture etc.) what exactly would constitute an Asian/Asian-American character? Given that these race-specific efforts tend to cause disagreement within a given PoC community itself, it’s a virtual minefield for white writers/producers/directors.
I like the idea of equally considering anyone with the talent and then letting a PoC actor invoke his/her own cultural influences to the extent it does not take away from the character (e.g. changing to a Korean last name – excellent!). And of course a continued push for structural change that allows more PoC in the decision making space usually reserved for white folks – Shonda Rhimes alone is responsible for a chunk of the diversity on Prime Time TV.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 2:45 pm ¶
Cindy wrote:
I also found it an interesting perspective that Cho wants to see more characters written specifically for Asian actors. The argument for so long has been focused on PoC being cast in a role for which they were the best choice as an actor regardless of race (or even gender).
Maybe having mainstream roles written with an Asian/Asian American character in mind is the next natural evolution.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 3:14 pm ¶
Jadey wrote:
re: “race-neutral roles”
Are there any race-neutral roles? I feel like this is an impossiblity (at least right now and in history leading up to now). I agree that getting outside the box of White assumptions is difficult for white writers, directors, and producers right now (and even for some non-white writers, directors, and producers, because these narratives are harder for everyone to tap into when they are suppressed and not as widely disseminated), but I feel like opening people up to the idea that they are making more assumptions about their characters than they realize is the better strategy. I think some of these writers, etc. don’t even realize how their creativity is restricted by their presumptions about the human experience. The creative people I know are generally all about innovation and pushing boundaries, but it’s hard to surmount an obstacle or challenge an assumption you aren’t acknowledging exists. (Of course, I’m sure a fair number just don’t care, but screw ‘em.)
I would love to see fewer “neutral” (e.g., white, straight, cis, TAB, middle-class, male) roles out there, especially when plots focus around identity struggles. I am immensely bored by them, and I think that the potential power of many of these stories is totally undermined by how over-played these identities are. (Also, I may have recently watched WAY too many movies about the midlife crises of exactly these kinds of characters.) I am all for A) more POC involved in the creative processes (without being forced to conform to the current standard or being devalued and marginalized), and B) more white people getting a clue, and learning how to apply their critical and creative thinking to the White default.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 3:20 pm ¶
Snarky's Machine wrote:
Smart, gorgeous, funny and critically conscious. Please give him a meaty role on television ASAP.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 3:26 pm ¶
shemari wrote:
I think I get what Cho means when he says he wants to see more characters written specifically for Asian actors. My interpretation is that he wants characters where their race/ethnicity is recognized and represented, but not stereotyped. More often than not, roles written specifically for PoC fall into the typical mostly negative stereotypes.
I love John Cho even more after reading this interview AND seeing that picture. Whew!
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 3:34 pm ¶
Lola wrote:
I’d settle for seeing roles that were specifically about Asian-Americans actually star them instead of being white-washed like Avatar:the last air bender and that casino movie.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 3:46 pm ¶
mieko wrote:
Firstly: John Cho gives me hope as an actor of color, that because of him it’ll be easier for me to do my job when I get out there (someday). Hopefully there will come the day when our experiences and backgrounds are woven into storylines without making caricatures or confining our characters’ futures.
Secondly: John Cho looks hella fine in that suit.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 5:19 pm ¶
PPR_Scribe wrote:
Are there any race-neutral roles? I feel like this is an impossiblity (at least right now and in history leading up to now).
Great question, Jadey. I think the answer is “no.” Or at least, there should not be. There is a way that POC often present to others outside of their racial/ethnic group that may seem “non-_____.” But internal thoughts and the ways that we interact with others often reveals another layer that is very related to racial/ethnic group membership.
Thus, a “race neutralized” character of color only seems that way, IMO, because the frame through which we are seeing her/him is the White frame. If we never get to know the character well enough to see the more racially coded elements of her or his personality, then we are missing out.
A while back there was a very short-lived show featuring young middle class couples in which one couple was a Black man and woman. The show could have just been another one with de-racialized Black BFFs except that there were a few scenes in which the Black couple discussed with each other their White friends in ways that were very familiar to me as how POC often talk when White people are not watching.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 5:20 pm ¶
9jah wrote:
@Jadey/PPR_Scribe –
To clarify, I think there are subjects dealt with by film, TV that do not (or need not) touch on the race of a character. For instance, I would generally categorize the role of a lawyer as a race-neutral role. Until recently, it would appear that only white males could be lawyers where PoCs should have always had the opportunities for such roles.
I do agree with you though that where PoC do play race-neutral roles, such roles should explore whatever cultural dimensions the character would likely have in real life.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 6:21 pm ¶
Beth wrote:
Smart and helluh handsome. More John Cho!
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 7:37 pm ¶
honeybrown1976 wrote:
Damn, he’s fine
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 8:54 pm ¶
Digital Coyote wrote:
I have nothing constructive to offer except that man is intelligent, under-appreciated, and fine as hell.
That is all.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 9:51 pm ¶
Tracey wrote:
The more interview snippets I read from him, the more I adore him as an actor. Doesn’t hurt that there doesn’t seem to be a suit on the planet he doesn’t look damn fine in. Stop it already, just stop it.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 10:35 pm ¶
Calvin wrote:
Nice to see him on “Flash Foward.” So much better than “Harold and Kumar” (which is on my list of worst films to watch).
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 11:22 pm ¶
ashlynn wrote:
I confess that I totally just imagined that in the photo, he’s looking at me coming around the corner. And that I have the twin to that ring on his finger Alas, my love remains unrequited. :’(
Haha… but to add more to the conversation, John is on point about wanting to see more multi-dimensional POC characters- on a whole, minorities have worked to assimilate and blend in and fit into White, mainstream, “neutral” roles, when really, MSM should be taking our measurements.
Posted 16 Nov 2009 at 11:34 pm ¶
pololly wrote:
God, he’s hot.
Posted 17 Nov 2009 at 6:38 am ¶
Emmeaki wrote:
First of all, I must say that Mr. Cho looks oh so delicious in that pic!
Anyway, I think that there needs to be more roles for Asians that are not stereotypical, for example if there is a role for a random “guy in the bookstore”, what difference does it make whether he’s Asian, black, Indian, or whatever?
This is America and Americans are of all ethnicities. I’d like to see more characters on TV and in movies who are Asian, Indian (technically Asian well), Latino, etc. that are American and not foreigners with bad accents.
Also, as a black person, I’d like to see black characters who are normal Americans and not slang-talking, swaggering, wanna-be gangstas.
At the same time, I think that “race neutral” means that POC characters aren’t defined by their race/ethnicity, but at the same time doesn’t pretend that said race/ethnicity doesn’t exist–think of movies and TV shows where the token POC never seems to interact or have close relationships with other POC’s.
In any case, John Cho should be all over the place, on magazines and on TV because unlike some other popular stars of today, he can actually act!
Posted 17 Nov 2009 at 6:56 am ¶
Persia wrote:
Add me into the chorus, damn he’s fine.
hoping to secure a role in the sequel
I hope this is just movie-speak for ‘the contract isn’t signed yet.’ A Star Trek without Sulu is unpossible.
Posted 17 Nov 2009 at 2:39 pm ¶
Matt wrote:
A different aspect that’s probably not as immediately visible to people: It should be interesting to see them do Christmas, as the writers of the series are Jewish. (The first one, btw, if anyone didn’t notice, has some amazing Jewish touches.)
Posted 17 Nov 2009 at 3:26 pm ¶
Orville wrote:
John Cho is gorgeous! I love the fact that John is a leading man with sex appeal. I think John is the first Asian American male movie star. He is clearly at the head of the pack.
I also love Flash Forward and John’s relationship with Gabrielle Union. It is so rare to see an attractive Asian man and a beautiful black woman in a relationship together on television.
Sandra Oh is NOT American she is Canadian and she was born in Ottawa Ontario Canada. Sandra was a huge star in Canada prior to moving to America for work. Sandra has starred in some very successful movies such as the CBC TV movie about Evelyn Lau, and the indie film Double Happiness.
Posted 17 Nov 2009 at 9:43 pm ¶
sandeep wrote:
I kindof think there’s always going to be a discrepency in parts written for asians when the majority of the writers are going to be white. look up wikipedia’s demographics for america and you’ll see only four percent of the country is titled asian and thats an amalgamation of indians chinese and everybody else. americans dont measure race like the europeans do. bottom line is there just arent very many of us and while its great that the trickle down effect is happening and since they’ve opened up immigration a bit more to asians you might see that demographic shift a bit but things are going to be majority/minority for a long time.
Posted 19 Nov 2009 at 4:10 am ¶
nick wrote:
“A while back there was a very short-lived show featuring young middle class couples in which one couple was a Black man and woman. The show could have just been another one with de-racialized Black BFFs except that there were a few scenes in which the Black couple discussed with each other their White friends in ways that were very familiar to me as how POC often talk when White people are not watching.”
I’m interested in seeing the show you refer to – is it available online?
Posted 20 Nov 2009 at 2:12 pm ¶
brownstocking wrote:
please stop objectifying my future life partner and father of my children. It hurts my future babies’ hearts to read all of this.
John and Kal bring a little hope that Hollywood is thawing, but we still have the writer from Heroes (correct me if I’m wrong) talking about how diverse the writing rooms are, dammit, and he doesn’t get why we’re still complaining about lack of diversity! I just want all of our actors and writers of color to persevere and know we truly appreciate their art and effort. Except Alicia Keys. Stick to music, pookie.
Posted 22 Nov 2009 at 3:32 pm ¶