spotlight crazy rich asians
queer or a person of color… “Like, are we cool with all these other people?” We were just allowed to be with each other, it was a really great thing. It comes across in the film, too, there’s an energy, like people were really enjoying themselves. The fact that it was an all Asian cast too, was such a wonderful thing. I was so stunned to read that it had been 25 years since there had been another one. Yes, 25 years. It’s such a lovely, grand
speaking, romantic comedy… which also hasn’t been done in awhile. This genre, I think the rom-com will slowly start to make a comeback. God only knows we need some love and romance in our lives these days. Yes, exactly. It’s really lovely that not only is
it the first movie with an all Asian cast, but it’s a genre people have been missing. Also, ain’t no one in this movie doing Kung-Fu! (Laughs) It’s a really lovely story about love and family and it’s something people can relate to. Did you feel any particular kind of pressure being the only gay character? You’re playing a man who is gay, but it’s not the only thing about him that makes him interesting, he’s a well-rounded character. Absolutely, he’s fully-realized, complex and
well-rounded. Oliver is kind of the outsider as well and he relates to Rachel Chu’s character because she’s the outsider coming into this crazy family. Oliver not only being queer, but not as rich as the rest of his family, is the constant outsider who definitely wants to belong. He really feels for Rachel when she’s thrown to the wolves. I really love Oliver, he was such a fun character to play. I’m so lucky I’ve gotten to play two Asian queer
characters, one on television and now one inCrazy Rich Asians and to be able to show that gay people aren’t all just one thing. I think people when they see gay characters sometimes, especially femme gay characters, they always expect the same thing over and over again. Oliver is very different from Mateo, they’re both queer they’re both femme and they’re both Asian, but they’re such different characters on different ends of the spectrum. I was really happy that I was able to show that. One of the things I love about Mateo onSuperstore, is that he’s just a little bit of a devil... A queer little devil. Yeah. It’s hard when you are a person of color and you are queer, and you’re fighting to get
our voices and faces out there. The studio and writers are like, “We can’t depict these people as villains or in a bad light, because it will make their communities look bad.” While there is some truth to that and I agree to some extent, it’s very important to be able to show the human side to everybody. There are some bad Asian people and bad gay people out there…It’s not all glitter and fabulousness. (Laughs) We all know an evil queen! This is kind of a silly question in some ways, but what did you carry away personally from the film and what do you hope the audience will take away from it? It’s a kind of corny answer, too, but I
grew up in the Philippines and came to America in search of a better life and the American dream... yada, yada, yada. I watched American movies in the grand Hollywood tradition and to be a part of one, filled with all Asian people is really super mind-blowing. I’m so elated I get to be a part of that. This is going to be a marker in history and I’m excited that as an
immigrant to be a part of it. I hope people really take away how lovely the film is and see all the joy, because
it really was a labor of love for all of us. Like I said, it was like one big happy family and I think it shows.
Crazy Rich Asiansopens on Wednesday, August 15, check your local listings for showtimes. For more information or to watch a trailer, go to
crazyrichasiansmovie.com.
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RAGE monthly | AUGUST 2018
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