Actor and filmmaker Randall Park has reflected on Asian representation in Hollywood, his directorial debut film Shortcomings, and how Hollywood didn’t take the right lessons from Barbie‘s success.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, the Korean-American actor, and filmmaker, renowned for his roles in the Marvel and DC cinematic universes, talked about his journey and the challenges of Asian representation in Hollywood. Park also identified a discrepancy in Hollywood’s priorities, citing an example of the recent blockbuster Barbie, to highlight the industry’s misguided approach.
“I feel like, just in general, this industry is taking the wrong lessons,” Park said. “For example, Barbie is this massive blockbuster, and the idea is: Make more movies about toys! No. Make more movies by and about women!”
Park’s comparison of the industry’s flawed perception of Barbie’s success highlights the need to reevaluate Hollywood’s strategy for underrepresented groups, like Asians, Park emphasized. Park expressed his gratitude for Crazy Rich Asians and its impact. He noted that the film marked the beginning of a cultural shift for Asian Americans, and it resonated beyond just the Asian audience. He emphasized that the success of Crazy Rich Asians demonstrated the large appeal of narratives that originate from Asian and other underrepresented communities, dismissing the notion that they wouldn’t connect with mainstream audiences, particularly in Middle America. Park also praised the Academy Award-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once for an original story that resonated with audiences.
“For me, I was very conscious and in support of the importance of [Crazy Rich Asians],” Park said. “It felt like the beginning of something, you know? Of a shift in culture for Asian Americans, and I think it really spoke to the massive success of that movie. It wasn’t just Asians watching that movie — it was so many different people. From my perspective, in this industry, we had been told time and again that our stories wouldn’t connect with Middle America. They won’t understand it and won’t be able to identify with our stories. It proved that these stories are universal, ultimately, and for everybody.”
Park also reflected on his early experiences forming Asian American theater companies during his time at UCLA. He reminisced about the growth of these organizations and the talents that emerged from them, including Ali Wong and Michael Golamco. These connections have contributed to a thriving Asian American presence in the entertainment industry. He acknowledged the challenges he faced as an Asian actor and his perseverance through auditions for stereotypical roles. He credited his mindset of focusing on the opportunities he could control and making incremental changes to overcome obstacles. Addressing the difficulty of producing Shortcomings in present-day Hollywood, Park noted that despite initial rejections, they found financial support from companies like Topic and Tango.
Shortcomings Was Released During the Barbenheimer Phenomenon
Shortcomings follows Ben, played by Justin H. Min, as an Asian American slacker who manages an arthouse cinema. The character challenges stereotypes by portraying an Asian character with unique complexities similar to iconic roles played by actors like John Cusack. The film also touches on themes of pretentiousness, relationships, and internalized racism. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews. The film was released in selected theaters amidst the box office phenomenon, “Barbenheimer,” which Park playfully re-dubbed as “Barbenheimercomings”.
Shortcomings and Barbie are playing in theaters.
Source: Rolling Stone
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