Almost a month before their movie was released, Chinese Americans the group was invited to the White House to screen the new Disney+ show, to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. When I asked the cast—what features some new Oscar winnersno big deal—and how does the creative team feel when they see their work in the presence of President Joe BidenEveryone is very humble.
In fact, they were so humble that all they could tell me about the experience was the snacks and table setting, along with what kind of footwear I should wear, if I was lucky enough to attend. attend a movie screening at the White House.
“If you go to the White House, don’t wear heels,” Yann Yann Yeo, who plays mother Christine Wang, told The Daily Beast’s Obsessed over Zoom. “You will walk a long way just to get to the hall. It’s a mile and a half walk.” note.
Chin Han, who plays opposite Yeo as the patriarch Simon Wang, told me that the napkins at the White House in particular are “awesome.” Gene Luen Yangthe author of the original Chinese Americans graphic novelist and executive producer of the Disney+ adaptation, glittering as he raves about the show’s logo-stamped bags of popcorn. Everyone was playful and funny in reflecting on the screening as they were honored and touched, which is the true ethos of the show. Chinese Americans.
There are touching parts of the film — like new student Wei-Chen (Jimmy Liu) standing up to protect his friend Jin Wang (Ben Wang), after Jin is bullied by the whole high school — but there are also moments of great exploding joy, like Jin’s gruesome attempts to flirt with his beloved, Amelia (Sydney Taylor). That balance is reflected in our conversation. When the actors and EPs chatted with me, about half of our conversation was spent joking about popcorn, while the other half was spent contemplating what it means to “build an all-star game. Asian Americans”.
Carlos Lopez-Calleja/Disney
None of this even touches on the two fantasy elements of the Disney+ action comedy. First, these high school protagonists are immersed in Chinese mythology, where the gods (such as Hou Wang, Sun Wukong, etc.) Daniel Wu) and goddesses (like Guanyin, portrayed by stellar people Duong Tu Quynh) fight to find their place in the human world. Then there’s the behind-the-scenes contributions, thanks to the fact that almost everyone is in for Best Picture. Everything Anywhere All At Once—from Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan to Stephanie Hsu and James Gong—joined in the series.
Before release Chinese Americans On May 24, the cast (Wang, Yeo, Han, and Taylor) and EP (Yang and Melvin Mar) chatted about teaming up with legends like Yeoh and Lucy Liu, creating a clever storyline for for teenagers, and why now is the perfect time for a show like Chinese Americans.
President Biden holds a pre-screening Chinese Americans‘S premieres on Disney+. How was that experience?
Melvin Mar (Executive Producer): That is an honor. For a program called Chinese Americans coming out in May, it’s really important to make a statement: Here we are. We can see. And the White House loves that message, too. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime, once-in-a-lifetime experience. We should talk about Gene’s American Dream here, starting with his graphic novel reproduced at Kinko’s, all the way to the White House. That in itself is an American Dream story.
Gene Luen Yang (Author and Executive Producer): The whole thing is just unbelievable.
Chin Han (“Simon Wang”): It was a surreal experience for us. We were stunned and speechless in the presence of the president. Then to have [the series] was led to a room with a very, very supportive audience, who followed the whole story, followed every emotional beat, understood what we were trying to achieve—which made us very excited. .
Carlos Lopez-Calleja/Disney
Lucy Liu directed Episode 6, which featured some great fight scenes. How did she get involved? And what was it like working with her as a director?
March: Lucy was a friend of mine for a short time. Along with being a great actress, she’s also a director. One day, while we were drinking coffee, I said to her: “Do you want to direct an episode? Chinese Americans? It’s going to be an honor.” She was like, “Sure.” It’s so simple! It fits with what we’re doing here, which is trying to build the all-star American game. Asian descent, both behind and in front of the camera.
Sydney Taylor (“Amelia”): She’s one of the best directors I’ve worked with, I think because she was an actress from the start. She really knows how to convey what she wants in a scene and she takes that very seriously. She’s very outspoken—but in the best way!
Before the episode, she sent us all this very long email in preparation, that she wanted to have fun too, but know your line. People come to set that week on their game. You can’t let Lucy Liu down!
Ban Wang (“Jin Wang”): And [she’s] just the kindest person. Halfway through that episode, I banged my head on the door. No purpose. It is not part of the program. I didn’t do that one bit. She gave me medicine to reduce the swelling.
How does it feel to watch? Everything Anywhere All At Once The Oscars scanning team earlier this year, worked together on this show?
King: Selfishly, I thought, “Ah, now there will be more viewers Chinese Americans! Yes, this is the best thing that can happen to me!”
Taylor: We don’t film when they win, but we film when the movie comes out. Next [Huy Quan] organized this screening for a lot of cast and crew, so we went to the movies together. Me and Ben, like, were sobbing through it all. It’s too good! We cannot handle it. To see how hard that movie worked, to see it sweep the Oscars — winning not just one or two but seven — it was heartwarming to watch and incredibly proud of all of them. I was attached to the movie.
March: Unbelievable. Michelle and Ke, with whom we worked very closely, and Jonathan Wang and Daniels—they are your team. It’s like cheering for a sports team. You see those people, and you say, “I need them to win the championship.” They are like the Los Angeles Lakers to me.
Han: We attended the movie premiere in downtown LA. I couldn’t be happier for them. [Yeoh and Quan] are such hard workers, above all incredibly talented. I just want to quote lines from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom to Ke, but I haven’t done it yet.
Yann Yann Yeo (“Christine Wang”): When Michelle won the Oscar, I was in Hong Kong. The next day, this woman said, “You don’t sound like you’re from Hong Kong, where are you from?” I was like, “I’m from Malaysia.” Then she was like, “Congratulations! For Duong Tu Quynh!” Like, oh my god, thank you Duong Tu Quynh! Because of you, I am congratulated just for being from the same country as you.
Ben Wang is a great young lead as Jin, who is so clumsy with impeccably humorous timing — what was it like working with him?
March: We were so lucky to have a casting director with whom I worked a lot, Leslie Wu. She invited Ben in, and within two minutes of watching his audition, we agreed. So far, we’ve said that the roles of Ben and Wei-Chen are the heart and soul of the matter. We’ll be in big trouble if that doesn’t work – no show. The fact that we can find Ben and Jimmy, it gives it a complete focus so you can build everything else around it.
Positive: I’ve heard Ben describe it as “Gen-Z Michael J. Fox.” And I think there is something for that! The way he can portray vulnerability in a believable yet funny way, that really draws you in. He’s the perfect actor for that role.
Yew: If I have a son, I want him to be Ben Wang. That’s totally how I feel. He’s talented, his timing is perfect, everything. He can sing, he can dance, he can play all kinds of instruments. He can write scripts, he can write songs. I want him to be my son!
Han: We can put in the papers for him.
Yew: OK, I’ll adopt him.
Ben and Sydney, your characters have a romantic backstory for young adults. Is there a movie that inspires you in portraying that?
King: I like comedies about coming of age. Growing up, and even now, it’s one of my favorite genres. One of my favorite movies of all time is Juno, and I feel like Jin might have a bit of a Michael Cera awkwardness. It was a seductive awkwardness.
Taylor: My own life inspired a clumsy 15-year-old boy [character]. Personally, I really did tap into my younger self there.
King: Well, I just touched my current self. [Laughs]
What do you hope this show teaches young people?
Han: I hope that it inspires young children in any setting, who are disenfranchised or feel outside, to know that there is a place for them.
Yew: I pray that all mothers will say to them, “It’s okay. Really, it’s okay. You are enough.
King: For the character Jin, it was a lesson in confidence. Where does it come from? His relationship with Wei-Chen teaches him a bit. I feel like when I was 15 and lacked a lot of confidence, I had this idea in my head that confidence is something you earn. You become confident by earning it through work, or something like that. If you don’t do things, you can’t become confident.
But then you grow up a bit, and you realize that real confidence can be built. You can just make it out of nothing! It’s something you can only have. Once you have it, other things will come. Wei-Chen’s character, a lot, has it. He walks in with confidence, Jin doesn’t, and the two learn from each other.
