Racebending.com

Marvel Responds to Runaways Casting Concerns

Marissa — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:05:30 +0000

Marvel Studios has responded to Racebending.com and the Asian American community’s concerns about the casting of an Asian American actress to portray the character Nico Minoru in Runaways (2012).

A statement Racebending.com received on Thursday, August 26th read:

“Thank you for reaching out regarding your concerns over Marvel’s recent casting notice for THE RUNAWAYS. We appreciate your interest in our production and with Marvel Entertainment.

“To address your concern over casting for the role of Nico, as we do with all of our films, we intend to stay true to the legacy and story of the comic when casting these parts. Thus, our goal is to cast an Asian American actress as depicted in the comic series and the casting notice will be adjusted accordingly.

“We thank you again for your correspondence and the opportunity to clarify our process.”

Marvel Studios

On the public open casting call website for Runaways, smallfacescasting.com, the breakdown (revised on August 25th) now reads:

“Girl 1: Uniquely beautiful, nurturing but guarded
Female, Asian-American, must play 16-18
Must be at least 16 by January 2011

The submission deadline for audition tapes has also been pushed back to September 15th to allow Asian American actors time to prepare their monologues.

Nico as depicted by her designer, Adrian Alphona

The statement and change in the casting breakdown is the result of several phone calls and emails between Racebending.com staff and the Runaways production, Marvel Studios’ corporate communications, and Walt Disney Studios executives in the Multicultural Initiatives division. We had the support of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans and other Asian American advocacy groups during this process.

Marvel was respectful and responsive to our calls and emails, and did not give us the “run-around.” We felt they were very open to feedback from the Asian American community. (This is the huge contrast from the way Paramount and the production of The Last Airbender treated concerns from the Asian American community in early 2009.) We are really relieved and excited to have this clear response from Marvel.

Why the Casting Language Mattered

Racebending.com was first alerted to a discrepancy in the casting breakdown for Runaways on August 5th. The breakdown for the comic’s Japanese American character did not mention that the character is Asian, or that Asian American actresses should audition. This was in stark contrast to the casting breakdown for the comic’s African American character, where the ethnicity was clearly indicated, giving African American actors unfamiliar with the comic greater access to the role.

The casting breakdown for Alex Wilder noted that the character is African American.

In Hollywood parlance, when ethnicity is not clearly stated in a breakdown, the default assumption that the character is intended to be white. Because nondescript listings are frequently used to cast white characters, a nondescript listing does not guarantee actors of color a fair chance. Casting calls interested in seeing actors of all ethnicities are usually more emphatic (ie: “submit any ethnicity,” “submit all ethnicities,” “all ethnicities welcome.”) [source]

The Hollywood view that a nondescript breakdown defaults to a white character is so entrenched that casting director/producer Rueben Cannon estimated in an interview that 85-95% of agents would not think to submit a black client for a role that does not explicitly say “black” or “African American” in the breakdown. [source]. When Racebending.com spoke with people working in the entertainment industry about the breakdown, they also confirmed that without the keywords “Asian” or “Asian American,” actors of Asian descent would face barriers in accessing the role. Including the keywords would mitigate systemic discriminatory factors prevalent in Hollywood.

Nico by Takeshi Miyazawa (left) and Jim Cheung (right)

“While this is a comic book character, the public has always seen this heroine as an Asian American,” Floyd Mori, National Director of the Japanese American Citizens League, said. “Staying true to the story as it is known is critical in helping the American public to understand that heroines are not always white, but that all ethnicities can and do play that role in real life. This is a giant step in the right direction.”

Our Efforts

In our communications with Marvel, Racebending.com encouraged the production to change the casting breakdown to be more inclusive to Asian American actors, and stressed that the best person to portray an Asian American character would be an Asian American actor.

“I am sure that efforts Marvel and Small Faces make to ensure authenticity will pay off in a richer, more successful film,” Daniel M. Mayeda, Board Member of East West Players, said.

In addition to our work speaking with Marvel to encourage them to change the casting breakdown language, Racebending.com disseminated the existing breakdown language to over 30 Asian American theater troupes and performing arts organizations. We let them know that even though it is not stated clearly on the breakdown, the character was Asian American in the comic and that actors should audition. We also encouraged the Screen Actors Guild’s Affirmative Action and Diversity division to share the listings for the Alex and Nico characters with their actors. We will be contacting them with the updated breakdown, shortly.

While the significance of Marvel making a concerted effort to reach out to Asian actors through the wording of their casting breakdown is not something Racebending.com can replicate, we hoped that by spreading the word, we could ensure that Marvel will be able to find the best actor possible to represent this Asian American character.

“I want to thank Marvel for this quick response to the concerns of the Asian American community,” MANAA Vice President Lori Kido Lopez said. “We take this action as an indication that Marvel is dedicated to seeking out minority talent for this project, which is one of the most important steps toward diversifying our media landscape and providing more balanced representations of minorities. ”

We are thrilled that Marvel has changed the casting breakdown to align with their goal of casting an Asian American actress as Nico! They heard loud and clear that people of color want to be represented in their movies. We hope that more studios begin to understand, appreciate, and respect our desire to see more diversity in our entertainment!

Journalists and Critics Tackle the Casting Controversy in ‘The Last Airbender’

Marissa — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:44:29 +0000

The Last Airbender took a critical drubbing and is currently ranked 7% at RottenTomatoes.com. In part due to the awareness Racebending.com readers and other supporters were able to bring to the casting issue through our mid-June letter writing campaign, nearly every single article on or review of The Last Airbender that came out around July 1st, 2010 mentioned the casting controversy and/or even Racebending.com. Below are some of the numerous articles that mention the casting controversy.

Acknowledgement of Fan Outcry Stemming from Racebending.com

In an interview with M. Night Shyamalan, Washington Post reporter Jen Chaney commented directly on the number of emails sent to journalists by Racebending.com readers concerned about discrimination in the movie.

“I’m sure other members of the press have told you this, too – I’ve been getting a lot of e-mails from the members of the Racebending group, especially in the days leading up to the release of this film. And again, they’re expressing their concerns about the lack of Asian or Asian-American actors cast in the film.”

In part due to the public outcry over the movie, CNN explored the casting controversy in it’s article: Did the ‘Airbender’ adaptation ever have a chance?

“Some fans of the show said they boycotted the movie because the three lead actors are Caucasian. Blogs like “Angry Asian Man” and sites like Racebending.net [sic] attacked Shyamalan and the film’s parent company, Paramount, for white-washing a franchise that was overtly Asian in appearance and sensitivity.”

NPR mentions the fan outcry via Racebending.com through it’s coverage of the casting controversy on Tell Me More: National Public Radio: Tell Me More – The Whitewashing of a Nickelodeon Hit.

“At Racebending.com, a network of disappointed fans has organized a campaign to boycott the film, and call for more opportunities for Asian-American performers in Hollywood.”

Fan’s grievances were also tackled by Public Radio International and the Boston Globe, and ABC, Fox, the Los Angeles Times, and USC all covered the Hollywood protest.

Film Critics Validate Concerns About Casting

Public outcry was also reflected in film reviews of the movie itself. Many film critics reviewing the film noted that public concerns about the casting of the film were “deserved” and “valid.”

“This fiasco has deservedly generated advance criticism for hiring Caucasian actors to play leads that were portrayed as Asians in the TV show and pitting them against darker-skinned bad guys.” [New York Post]

“The Nickelodeon series, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, is wholly and inarguably centered on Asian (and Inuit) culture. But Shyamalan, a South Indian, for whatever reason — you supply the motive — chose to cast mostly white actors. Two fellow Indians, “Slumdog Millionaire’s” Dev Patel and veteran Indian-American Aasif Mandvi, play different kinds of villains, but otherwise this fantasy world is pretty white until you get to the extras.” [Hollywood Reporter]

“After the miscalculation of making the movie as live action, there remained the challenge of casting it. Shyamalan has failed. His first inexplicable mistake was to change the races of the leading characters; on television Aang was clearly Asian, and so were Katara and Sokka, with perhaps Mongolian and Inuit genes. Here they’re all whites. This casting makes no sense.” [Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times]

“The four elemental nations represent centuries of culture, with unique garments, architecture and fighting styles to distinguish them (there also seems to be some sort of impenetrable logic about their ethnicities, with people of color filling nearly all the secondary roles).” [Variety]

“The casting is peculiar: Already the subject of some Asian-American protests, the movie has made the good-guy Water Nation folks largely (and dully) Anglo, with Mediterranean and Indian and other swarthy-type performers portraying the bad-guy Fire Folk.” [Chicago Tribune]

“Even the glassy-eyed idealism has already been compromised: the film has been widely condemned for recasting the good characters as white, with south Asians only allowed to play the villains. It features the British star Dev Patel, from Slumdog Millionaire, a bright young player who deserves better than this.” [UK Guardian]

One argument that was constantly brought up in defense of racebending allegations was that the leads were chosen for their talent — but we see little of that from Ringer, Peltz, and Rathbone. Meanwhile, in scenes featuring the Fire Nation army, it’s hard not to notice that all of the villains in the film are distinctly darker in skin tone than our heroes. [Slashfilm]

“More questions: why ethnically cleanse the Asian characters of the original series (but use Slumdog Millionaire ’s Dev Patel and The Daily Show’s Aasif Mandvi as baddies)?” [UK Telegraph]

“The producers have been widely criticized for failing to cast the Asian characters of the original with Asian actors, and the criticism is valid, notwithstanding the presence of Asians in minor roles. Like the hero, Aang, the lead characters of the brave sister and brother, Katara and Sokka, are played by young and conspicuously Caucasian American actors.” [Wall Street Journal]

“More damning is the apparently casual racism of the casting, which caused outrage among US filmgoers. Shyamalan has changed the Asian/ Mongolian/Eskimo main characters into slow-talking white Yanks – but for some reason he’s cast mostly Asians to play the horrible Firebender characters. Shyamalan was born in Pondicherry, India, and raised in Philadelphia. What was he thinking?” [UK Independent]

“The movie arrives chased by controversy — protests by fans that the story has been figuratively whitewashed. Although several characters like Katara and Sokka were dark-skinned in the cartoon, here they’re played by Caucasians…Race is a factor here. Caucasian actors in the movie tend to get lines; non-Caucasian actors tend to be used as background. The movie’s Fire Nation tribe has Indian and Maori stars — but they’re the swarthy villains. For a director who is himself Indian-American, it’s a pretty thoughtless approach at best.”[New Jersey Star Ledger]

“The decision to cast white actors to play Asian characters is just nuts. Even more so, considering none of them are actually any good.”[News of the World]

“Considering all of the (understandable) outrage that came from casting four Caucasians in lead roles that were Asian in the original animated series, it is almost offensive that the lead actors are blank slates from beginning to end. This is clearly not a case of Shyamalan sacrificing the racial balance of his story for the sake of casting an irreplaceable young actor (there is no Haley Joel Osment-like discovery in the mix here). Frankly, the casting has an accidental (?) racial undertone, as the good guys of the Water Nation are all white and/or British while the villainous Fire Nation people generally all portrayed by Indian or Middle Eastern actors.” [Huffington Post]

Reviews Take Notice of Casting Controversy

Even film critics who had bigger issues with the film’s other flaws paid notice to the casting controversy…

“The film has come under fire from some Asian-American groups for not using more Asian stars. Ringer is white, while the cartoon characters were Asian. Airbender’s problem, though, is not in race. It’s in the script, written by Shyamalan…” [USA Today]

“Based on a Asian-ish cartoon series called “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” the movie has been criticized for racially inappropriate casting, but that’s the least of its problems.” [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]

“I’ve been getting e-mails for weeks complaining about the casting of ‘The Last Airbender,’ director M. Night Shyamalan’s live-action adaptation of the Nickelodeon cartoon ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender.’ The writers are upset that most of the actors, with the exception of British-born Indian actor Dev Patel, who plays bad guy Zuko, are white. They should be upset with the casting, but not for the reason they think.” [Washington Post]

“The movie’s casting of mostly Anglo actors to play the Asian airbending kids has stirred up controversy, but that’s the least of this short, disastrous film’s problems.” [Orlando Sentinel]

“The Last Airbender’’ has had more bad karma than almost any movie deserves…The core fan base has been up in arms over the casting of white actors to play characters that on the show are anime-Asian.” [Boston Globe]

“The dearth of racially appropriate casting in the U.S. simply means that fewer Asians were humiliated by appearing in what is surely the worst botch of a fantasy epic since Ralph Bakshi’s animated desecration of The Lord of the Rings back in 1978. The actors who didn’t get to be in The Last Airbender are like the passengers who arrived too late to catch the final flight of the Hindenburg.” [TIME Magazine]

“I think everybody who has criticized Shyamalan for casting white actors as Asian characters in this film should admit they were wrong. Clearly, Shyamalan tried to cast Asians, but he just couldn’t find any whose performances were lifeless enough.“[io9]

A big thank you to all of our supporters who took the time to write and spread the word!

The Expendables: Review and Analysis

Mike — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:50:57 +0000

A few weeks ago, Racebending.com was invited to a pre-screening of The Expendables. This is the upcoming action film starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, and Jet Li. It premieres in the US on Friday, August 13, 2010.

This post will give a quick review of the movie, as well as take a look at deeper gender and race issues in the film.

A quick review:
Basically, it’s a huge action flick with minimal plot, exploding bodies, and casually sliced up limbs. In terms of violence, it’s somewhere just shy of Sin City-level. It’s a pure testosterone flick, hearkening back to the heyday of pure guy movies in the 1980s.

Watching the movie was mindless fun, and there’s some fun action there. If you have a ton of nostalgia for 1980s action movies, it’s definitely worth checking it out on the big-screen. Otherwise, it’s probably a rental.

Oh, and if you’re a Jet Li fan? Prepare to be disappointed.

And the “racebending” angle:
Now to break down the racial and gender issues. The following includes spoilers, although there isn’t really much of a plot to discuss and that’s not the point of the movie anyway.

In many ways, The Expendables is a huge improvement over how women and people of color were characterized in 80s film. This was pretty surprising, given its lineage from those “pure guy” films. Even with the improvements, it was far from perfect.

Women in the Film
There are two women in the film. Charisma Carpenter has some screentime as a love interest for Jason Statham. She becomes involved with an abusive boyfriend. Statham has a fight scene with the abusive boyfriend and his cronies, then tells the girl that she made the wrong choice.

I honestly don’t even know why this plot thread was in the movie, since it’s completely independent of the main story. It feels like an excuse to give Jason Statham his big “badass” fight. We never get to really know Carpenter’s character, except as a victim and motivation for Statham. Men watching the film get to feel the thrill of telling off ex-girlfriends who left them and kicking the living crap out of the replacement boyfriend, who clearly deserves it.

The other woman is Sandra, played by Gisele Itié. She’s a young South American woman, quietly working to subvert the dictatorship of her father. She has far more agency than Carpenter’s character. She passionately believes in bettering her country and is willing to sacrifice her life for this cause. She’s not there as a romantic interest, but to inspire Sylvester Stallone’s character to a higher moral calling instead of simple mercenary work.

Of course, she is never strong enough to fight her own battles. She is captured and needs to be rescued.

Men of Color in the Film
Again, good and bad. Jet Li and Terry Crews (aka, the old Old Spice Guy) definitely have their “badass” moments. Their screentime is of course less than the “real” leads (Stallone and Statham). This was especially striking for Crews’ character – it’s easy to forget he’s part of the team for large sections of the film. He does have one moment where he gets to rescue the rest of the team.

Still, Crews felt very much like a “token” character. Couture also had little characterization, but at least he had an all-out fight scene to claim as his own. Crews never gets his own fight, but he does have the gun battle rescue moment, which may be a result of him not having much stunt experience.

Jet Li’s characterization is mostly positive. My main complaint is this: he never gets to win his own battle.

All the white action heroes have a major fight scene against some form of big baddie, where they emerge victorious. Jet Li has two encounters with Dolph Lundgren and, in both cases, he is rescued by Stallone’s character.

It would have been very easy to make Li’s characterization a little better. The first “rescue” from Stallone felt unnecessary and could have been mitigated if Li was shown to have equal advantage against Lundgren. The second – where Stallone actually shoots Lundgren – has this dialogue:

LUNDGREN: You shot me.
STALLONE: You were gonna kill him.

I hated this line, because it again established that Li needed rescuing. How about “You were trying to kill us“? A small tweak that’s actually more factually accurate given that Lundgren just had a big shooting car chase with Li and Stallone. And it has the benefit of putting Li on equal ground.

There’s some dialogue later where Li says “I would’ve won,” but the responses from the other characters feel really condescending.

And David Zayas (Dexter) plays a South American dictator, who almost gets to redeem himself, but fails. I’m not sure how I feel about this character – pretty much a cardboard cutout for a typical dictator villain, but with some small moments that show greater depth here and there. He’s bankrolled by a white ex-CIA agent, who is the “real” villain.

The other men of color are just foot soldiers and lackeys, to be killed off in waves of dozens at a time.

The Overall Plot
There’s nothing I can say about this plot – about evil white men manipulating a South American country and good white men coming to liberate it – that hasn’t already been said better in this article:

“When Will White Men Stop Making Movies Like Avatar” by Annalee Newitz

Tantoo Cardinal, Actress

Gabriel — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 04:13:23 +0000

Tantoo Cardinal is a Canadian Métis film and television actress. She is one of the most recognizable Native American actresses in the world, and has appeared in over 50 films, including Dances With Wolves and Smoke Signals.

Métis are Canadians of mixed Native American and European descent; Cardinal can trace her heritage back to Cree, Chipweyan, Lakota culture. In 1971, She discovered acting through her activism work; she’s been both an advocate and actress ever since.

Tantoo Cardinal, Courtesy of Indiana University.

On December 30th, 2009, Cardinal was made a Member of the Order of Canada “for her contributions to the growth and development of Aboriginal performing arts in Canada, as a screen and stage actress, and as a founding member of the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company.”

Racebending.com contributor Gabriel Canada interviewed Tantoo Cardinal over the phone in July 2010.

NOTE: The opinions espoused by the interviewees represent their viewpoints alone, and do not necessarily represent the views held by the staff of racebending.com

RACEBENDING.COM: You’ve said in the past, that you first started acting as an extension of your involvement in the political movement’s of the 1960’s. You have said you wanted to change the way our [Native American] history was told. Can you elaborate on this for our readers?

TANTOO CARDINAL: I came through a time when our history was not handled justly in the recording of events. It was just coming to terms with how we were being portrayed, how we were being treated. This was a time when the only real avenues of expression were political. This was before any art involvement. I always felt we were being maligned, and if only people could see how we are in the community–with our songs and dance, our stories, the way people express themselves–then they could know who we are.

RACEBENDING.COM: When you were starting out as an actress, the Canadian Content Policy was also coming in at the time. It has been singled out as having a huge impact on Native actors. What was it? How did it affect you?

TANTOO CARDINAL: It created a mandate for Canadian content in cinema. It made Canadian film makers who did Canadian stories use Canadian actors and provided funding for filmmakers to make these movies. In that same germ of thought there was an issue of personal pride–that maybe we should have Native peoples playing Native roles. It was kind of a pushback since America was really taking over much of our culture in Canada.

RACEBENDING.COM: Were there any actors or actresses you admired growing up, or that informed your portrayals throughout your career?

TANTOO CARDINAL: No. Certainly not actresses. There were no Indian women I could look at on screen. I guess my inspiration would be, you know when you see stellar actors like Audrey Hepburn playing an Indian woman. I felt I might not know about acting but hey, I know about being an Indian Woman. I’m an Indian!

RACEBENDING.COM: In watching your films again before this interview, one was very striking–Black Robe–having been widely criticized for its violent depictions of Native peoples.

TANTOO CARDINAL: Well, Black Robe was based on Church records. Our side of the story was not told, it was the Church’s perspective. Hopefully, there will be an opportunity to show our perspective, in our time in history.

RACEBENDING.COM: It was also a very three dimensional film. There was a mix of humor and sexuality that isn’t often found in Hollywood depictions of First Nation peoples. What do you think it will take to get more three dimensional roles like that for First Nations actors?

TANTOO CARDINAL: If we had the cash Black Robe had, with the filmmakers that have incubated and come out in these last few years, we could make a pretty dazzling movie that would tell our story.

RACEBENDING.COM: Speaking of big-budget depictions of First Nation peoples, there have been several high-profile examples, in recent years, of Hollywood “racebending” Native Peoples– by taking native characters from source material but casting white actors in their place. Most notably, this happened in The Last Airbender. What do you think it would take for Hollywood to give that same big budget to Native American film makers and actors?

TANTOO CARDINAL: It would take the world turning upside down.

RACEBENDING.COM: Was it the same for you starting out in the industry?

TANTOO CARDINAL: Racism and sexism have not been eradicated. When I started out, I was sitting in audition halls with white girls with all this brown makeup on and cheap turquoise jewelry. Somehow I made it in, thanks to a want for authenticity. Those struggles still persist, you know.

“Racism and sexism have not been eradicated. When I started out, I was sitting in audition halls with white girls with all this brown makeup on and cheap turquoise jewelry. Somehow I made it in, thanks to a want for authenticity.”

Someone asked me in my forties about being in my forties and how I felt with roles not available to women in their forties. Well, that’s the story of my career. Starting out, you see roles aren’t available. And then, all along the way, roles aren’t available. So it’s not a new element. It’s very frustrating for me to even watch movies because of that. There are many roles I feel I could have performed.

In America, however, they still see us [Native Americans] as dead. I don’t know what it’s going to take, but there is a serious denial element in American society. They don’t want to look at their potty training days. They tried to annihilate us. They destroyed our economic base at every opportunity, so I just sit back and watch now.

There has to be a major shakeup for us to be treated as equal human beings. Our stories, our characters, our being, has to be accepted as equal humanity to those who have the purse strings. Thank goodness we have allies, thanks goodness we have human beings who believe we’re human beings now.

There has to be a major shakeup for us to be treated as equal human beings. Our stories, our characters, our being, has to be accepted as equal humanity to those who have the purse strings.”

They don’t have any confidence they can make the money back with us. They just seem uninterested. I don’t know whether it’s guilt, or people thinking it’s just yesterday, I don’t know what the elements are. You’d have to talk to people who don’t consider us interesting or valuable.

There is also a situation where an adept filmmaker isn’t trusted with the budget unless a white filmmaker is alongside. I’d say that scenario was prevalent about fifteen years ago. It’s just a persistence among our artists that’s needed. You have to make it with peanuts and pop bottle budgets.

RACEBENDING.COM: There have been more than four thousand movies, over the course of the history of film, that feature First Nation peoples. With all of that out there, and the success of so many of those films–including your own that feature First Nation people so prominently–why do you think that fear of financial viability still exists?

TANTOO CARDINAL: I think It’s racism. You know, I played a lead in an independent film in Vermont. We had the hardest time just getting it in to screen at Sundance.

RACEBENDING.COM: It really is an incredible situation considering the films you have been in. They haven’t just had an impact on Native cinema, but on cinema as a whole. Black Robe won best Canadian film of the year, Dances with Wolves was nominated for seven Oscars, Legends of the Fall won for best cinematography and you still have to fight to get into Sundance. Just a few years later your film Smoke Signals would win the Audience Prize and Film Makers prize at the same festival. It’s an incredible success for these films, but that success hasn’t translated to wins for Native Actors themselves. Why is that?

TANTOO CARDINAL: Can you imagine, if we had all been white actors? What that would have done for our careers? You talk about a glass ceiling. We have a moon high ceiling. More than just a hundred years of cinema history, it’s four centuries of history. It has more to do with the respect of society as a whole.

You talk about a glass ceiling. We have a moon high ceiling. More than just a hundred years of cinema history, it’s four centuries of history.

The trailer for Older than America

RACEBENDING.COM: It seems to be something you’ve tackled in your films as well: respect of Native culture in society. You specifically tackled the topic of Indian Boarding schools in your films Older Than Americaand The Education of Little Tree. How important is it to address these issues in film and television? Do you think that the lack of positive portrayals of Native peoples in media contributed to that practice continuing as long as it did?

TANTOO CARDINAL: It’s essential that we continue to tell our stories. It’s not enough for us to be the backdrop. We can’t be there just to tell white stories. It’s important for the whole health of us as a people.

“It’s essential that we continue to tell our stories. It’s not enough for us to be the backdrop.”

The U.S. and Canadian Constitutions were inspired by the Iroquois Confederacy. Two elements weren’t adopted: that the women chose who the leaders are, and that they can decide when the leadership isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do. Society is supposed to be governed with women and children in mind. There has to be more respect for women and children in the overall society. Even today, we have to fight to be accepted as equals.

Another tragedy of those boarding schools is trying to sever our relationship with what they call God. For years, children were being told that their ways were “of the devil.” It put a lot of fear into people and now a lot of the healing has to take place, by praying in the Indian way, getting in touch with the Creator. I think that all cultures are the same they all have this connection far back in history.

RACEBENDING.COM:You’ve brought issues of women and children to many of your films. It seems to have been a very important part of your career. You even portrayed a victim of sexual abuse in Silent Tongue. Was it something you’ve actively sought out, or are these the type of scripts that come to you?

TANTOO CARDINAL: Well, they do come to me, but it’s both. It’s something I’m very concerned–about both the environment, and violence against women. Some of it you don’t get an opportunity to see. For instance a great movie was Loyalties; I made it in Canada about 25 years ago, about domestic violence.

For me, what I like to see in my work is that it gets people thinking, or that it ignites some kind of passion one way or another. That is the only way we will ever see change happen, is people waking up and really wanting to get to the bottom of things.

I brought up the point about the Constitutions, because I feel we are an important enzyme in society. Society can’t function healthily if women and children aren’t being treated healthily.

“Society can’t function healthily if women and children aren’t being treated healthily.”

RACEBENDING.COM: You have a very diverse career. It’s a drastic shift from Where the River Flows North to Older than America or Black Robe. Whether its horror or comedy or a children’s film, how do you deal as an actor with all these different approaches to film making?

TANTOO CARDINAL:Well, the only thing I can do really is try to be as truthful as I can. As an actor you don’t have all that much power, you only have that moment and the little space your given. You have to trust creative forces.

If I keep looking to the great big picture and my contribution, it’s very depressing. My ability to influence is very limited as an actor because I don’t have those other skills–I am no director or writer. I value with my life the people who really do want to do proper portrayals. In doing proper portrayals, it’s where you get to the issues. Art is supposed to make you want to think and discuss. I have to be satisfied with doing that.

“I value with my life the people who really do want to do proper portrayals.”

RACEBENDING.COM: In closing what advice would you give to a young actor starting out today?

TANTOO CARDINAL: Trust your intuition!

Racebending.com would like to thank Ms. Tantoo Cardinal and Gabriel Canada for this interview!

“Runaways” Movie Casting Breakdown

Marissa — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:21:04 +0000

The casting breakdown for Marvel’s “Runaways” movie was released today. You can view the official casting website here and articles about the casting here and here.

The Runaways crew is pretty diverse as comic book teams go, at various points in the story there’s African American and Japanese American team leaders, a girl who has a BMI above 20, a Latino Catholic, and lesbian and genderqueer characters.

Fans of the comics will be familiar with the characters to be used in the adaptation…

Boy 1: Very smart, natural leader, in need of a father figure
Male, African American, must play 16-18
Must be at least 16 by January 2011
(Name not listed, assumed to be casting call for Alex Wilder)

Boy 2: A rebel, ignores rules and authority, wounded inside
Male, must play 16-18
Must be at least 16 by January 2011
(Name not listed, assumed to be casting call for Chase Stein)

Girl 1: Uniquely beautiful, nurturing but guarded
Female, must play 16-18
Must be at least 16 by January 2011
(Name not listed, assumed to be casting call for Nico Minoru)

Girl 2: Chubby oddball, smart and verbal
Female, must play 16-18
Must be at least 16 by January 2011
(Name not listed, assumed to be casting call for Gertrude Yorkes)

Girl 3: Conventionally beautiful, with an unchecked ego
Female, must play 15-18
Must be at least 16 by January 2011
(Name not listed, assumed to be casting call for Karolina Dean)

Girl 4: An innocent, wide-eyed and overprotected
Female, must play 8-10
Must be at least 9 by January 2011
(Name not listed, assumed to be casting call for Molly Hayes)
[source]

So these casting calls follow a lot of Hollywood conventions when it comes to breakdowns, such as emphasizing appearance for female characters rather than personality traits like for male characters, and also the idea that characters who are white don’t need ethnicity mentioned in the breakdown because it’s taken for granted that white actors will submit (but a character who is black, like Alex, does require specification.)

What’s particularly of concern is that the breakdown for Nico–who is explicitly featured in the comics as a several-generations Japanese American–does not mention that the character is Asian, or that Asian American actresses should submit. Nico is simply described as “uniquely beautiful” as opposed to the blonde Karolina’s “conventionally beautiful” descriptor.

Although Runaways is an ensemble, Japanese American Goth Girl Nico Minoru was the series’ predominant heroine, featured on the cover of the very first issue.

Runaways Vol 2. #28

If cast with an Asian American actress, Nico Minoru will be the first Asian American lead character in any Marvel film.

Nico as depicted by the primary artists of the Runaways series. Her character was designed by Filipino Canadian artist Adrian Alphona.

A Hollywood agent trawling casting breakdowns for an Asian American client would not likely stumble upon this role that is tailor-made for an Asian American breakout star. It certainly doesn’t sound like Marvel is prioritizing actresses of color in this search. And readers of racebending.com know that just recently, unclear and biased casting calls for The Last Airbender led to the erasure of characters’ ethnicities and reinforced Hollywood’s glass ceilings for lead roles.

Racebending.com will absolutely follow up on this casting breakdown. This looks like an easily corrected oversight, so we will contact the right people at Marvel about this issue. If you have an anonymous tip on this situation or contact information for the higher ups, please email us at mlee@racebending.com

Adoption Today magazine- July 2010

Marissa — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:13:45 +0000

Adoption Today is the only magazine dedicated to international and transracial adoption. Ten year old writer Li Huan Shandross, a transracial adoptee, weighed in on the casting of The Last Airbender in an article in the July 2010 issue.

According to Li Huan’s mom, Ellin: “She put tons of hours into writing and re-writing her piece, and although I’m biased, I have to admit that she did a fantastic job. The magazine ended up pulling their full legislative update and running her opinion piece instead because they were so moved by her passion.”

Adoption Today, July 2010

In the photo that runs with the article, Li Huan holds a racebending.com postcard and mentions our website as one of the things that gives her hope in the face of anti-Asian racism like with the whitewashing of Airbender.

The full magazine spread can be seen here in Adoption Today’s Bluetoad Archive. A text version of Li-Huan’s essay is also available at Adoption Today. Click here to subscribe to Adoption Today!

Asians Can Be Heroes Too!
Adoption TODAY — July 2010
Li Huan Shandross

On the July 4th weekend a movie came out called “The Last Airbender.” It’s based on a TV series called “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” There’s a big problem about the movie though because of something called whitewashing. That sounds like pouring bleach into your dirty laundry to make it perfectly white and that’s kind of what the movie director did. It makes me really mad because it’s so wrong. That’s why I’m writing about it because I think it’s important for kids to speak out.

The original Airbender TV series is really great! It’s about a 12-yearold boy named Aang, who is the Avatar and also an airbender; a 14-year-old girl named Katara, who is a waterbender; her older brother named Sokka; and an earthbender named Toph. They are really brave even when they feel scared. They travel together on Aang’s 10-ton flying bison named Appa for Aang to learn to bend the four elements of water, earth, fire and air. (Bending means controlling the particular element to defend yourself or fight off threats.) Aang’s mission is to defeat the Fire Nation which is threatening to destroy the world. His goal is to bring peace back to the world.

The Airbender TV series captured my imagination because some of it is real but it’s also fantasy. I like a mix between real and fantasy. That kind of story can make it believable for me. It’s also a fun, action-packed series, but it doesn’t get very gory. It has some fighting scenes but it’s not scary. I don’t like violent shows.

What also captured my imagination about the original Airbender is the main characters. They are Asian or Inuit. The writers of the show were influenced by Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Inuit cultures. They worked with experts who really know Asian cultures so they wouldn’t put stereotypes into the show. I think they did a terrific job keeping the series stereotype free. I hate to see stereotypes on TV, in movies or at school like when some kids pull their eyes down to racially bully Asian kids.

The original Airbender series is clearly Asian to me because some of the words and characters are from Chinese and other Asian cultures, so are the martial arts, buildings and food. Some of the names of the characters are Asian too like Momo (Aang’s flying lemur) is “peach” in Japanese. (Momo got his name after he stole a peach from Sokka. My mom speaks Japanese so I know some words from her.) Everything about the show is clearly Asian and Inuit.

Avatar is important to me because it shows that Asians can be leaders and heroes as well as white people. I was born in China, and I like to watch something about Asian and Inuit culture because usually at school we don’t get to read about these cultures. It feels really good to see something about my birth culture along with other Asian and Inuit cultures so I can learn about them too. It feels important to me that there’s a series that doesn’t have stereotypes about Asian people.

I felt sad when I heard that the main characters in the movie were going to be played by white actors. I was crestfallen about that because I thought it showed a message that only white people could be heroes while the TV series says the exact opposite. I thought the movie wouldn’t look at all like the original Airbender series because white people would play the main roles and it wouldn’t be believable for me. I felt sad, insulted and furious all at the same time!

I was surprised to learn from my family and websites like racebending.Com that whitewashing of Asian roles is a tradition in American movies. That means that Asian roles get replaced by white actors. I felt insulted when I learned that because it’s horrible to treat us like dirty laundry that needs to get bleached. We are human beings just like everybody else. We can be leaders and heroes too! I think it’s horrible that the director of the movie did this. My mom and I watched some audition videos on the Internet of young Asian actors who tried out to be Aang. I thought some of these kids could have done just as well and even better than the white actor who got Aang’s role. I even thought that I could have done a better job playing Katara because I understand her character and her feelings more in my mind and heart. I don’t think Asian people should be forced to disappear out of movies and stories that are about us and our cultures.

My favorite teacher taught us a great expression last year in fourth grade. He liked to say: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This movie is repeating history by whitewashing the characters. That’s called racism. It sends a message that it’s OK to bully Asian kids because we’re wiped out of the picture. I think that’s really wrong and offensive.

I still have a lot of hope though from websites like racebending. Com, talking with my family and friends, protesting racism at school and writing protest letters. I hope a lot of kids like me will protest this kind of whitewashing with their parents. I believe we can change the world!

Li Huan Shandross, 10½, was adopted from China and lives with her mom and dad in Massachusetts. When not protesting racism, Li Huan likes to spend time with her friends, swim, read, practice kung fu, and do arts and crafts. Two of her favorite activities outside of school are acting and high ropes.

Thank you, Li Huan, for so eloquently sharing your thoughts about the unfair casting of The Last Airbender with the adoption community and greater community online!

Racebending.com takes to the streets, protesting The Last Airbender in front of theaters!

Marissa — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:03:21 +0000

On July 1st, Racebending.com, the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, the Korean Resource Center, Avatar: The Last Airbender fans and other concerned members of the public gathered to protest the discriminatory casting of The Last Airbender in front of theaters in Seattle, Wash. and Hollywood, Calif.

Photos by Jason Lopez, Marissa Lee, and Camilla Pohle-Anderson

Behind the Protest against The Last Airbender
Hollywood Demonstration
Seattle Demonstration

Behind the Protest against The Last Airbender

The Media Action Network for Asian Americans and Racebending.com, a grassroots organization comprised of fans of the franchise, contended that Paramount’s production of the “Airbender” film adaptation discriminated by selecting white actors to play the Asian and Inuit characters from the Avatar: The Last Airbender series. Only white actors were cast in the film’s lead protagonist roles, a decision the protesters alleged was rooted in Hollywood’s historical bias against casting actors of color in lead roles.

Since December 2008, thousands of outraged members of the Avatar fan community have mobilized online to protest through letter writing, petitions, and live protests. Demonstrations that started in pockets on the East Coast at early 2009 casting calls in Philadelphia and New York City culminated in protests on the day of the film’s release on the West Coast in Seattle and in the heart of Hollywood.

Characters from the animated series and their depictions in the film adaptation.
Lead protagonists (played by white actors) are on the left; lead antagonists (played by actors of color) on the right.

Over the past year and a half, fan protesters and the Asian American community have argued that actors of color are not represented equally in “Airbender”. The three lead heroes are white, while the villain and background roles are largely played by actors of color–included only after the initial public outcry against the casting of the lead roles. Actors of color play the film’s antagonists, and have been repeatedly described in marketing materials as “evil.”

The protesters confirmed their concerns about unequal representation in the The Last Airbender on Monday, June 28th, when they were given a belated screening of the film at the Paramount Studios lot a day before the red carpet premiere.

“It was even worse than we’d expected,” Guy Aoki, founding President of MANAA, said. “Except for a few lines from some victimized Asian villagers, every Asian or minority character with a speaking role is a bad guy, and every white character with a speaking role is good!”

The Hollywood Protest

In Los Angeles, Racebending.com volunteers, Avatar fans and Asian American organizations and actors demonstrated in front of the marquee of the historic Arclight Cinerama Dome, the largest Hollywood theater showing The Last Airbender. A group that began building at 5pm quickly swelled up to over 100 protesters at it’s peak, drawing honking horns and cheering from the cars driving down Sunset Boulevard during rush hour.

“It was really important for us to stage a demonstration in the heart of Hollywood,” Marissa Lee, co-founder of Racebending.com, said. “So many big entertainment industry decisions are made here. Los Angeles is one of the most diverse cities in the entire world; now Hollywood knows we’re not afraid to call them out.”

Racebending.com staffer Dariane Nabor rallies the Hollywood demonstrators as they circle the front of the theater.

The protest also drew attention from news media, with reporters on the scene from print media and the Los Angeles Times, as well as NBC, ABC, and FOX News for live coverage in the local nightly news.

Two of the Asian American organizations, the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium and the Korean Resource Center, said that they were moved to protest by a young Korean American from the community center, an eleven-year old girl who had brought the casting controversy to their attention.

Korean American Pungmul drummers energized the crowd of Hollywood demonstrators.

“Young Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders do not need to grow up discouraged and feel like they need to seek other avenues to feel proud and confident of their identity and race,” NAKASEC wrote. “This is our America that we helped build and an America we are continuing to make vibrant and dynamic. America is changing and the youth of today will not support continued whitewashing of their history, culture and community.”

Racebending.com volunteers stood on the sidewalk in front of the entrance to the Cinerama DomeTheater.

Employees at the Arclight Cinerama Dome were supportive of our cause, and allowed us to peacefully protest in front of the theater with minimal interference. One employee told Racebending.com that during the midnight screening for the Airbender movie the night before, the theater had only filled 40 of it’s 800 seats.

Members of East West Players, an Asian American acting troupe founded by late Avatar voice actor and fan favorite Mako Iwamatsu, came out as individual citizens to show their support. Actors Jodi Long, Tzi Ma, Elizabeth Sung, Chris Tashima, and director Gene Cajayon also attended the protest.

As protest wound down over two hours later, the remaining demonstrators piled in for a group picture.

Winner of the Racebending.com Avatar: The Last Airbender art book raffle. The art book was signed for Racebending.com supporters by the creators of the animated series.

The Seattle Demonstration

In Washington state, where there has been considerably less publicity about the controversy than in Hollywood, supporters set out to educate the public. In addition to protesting on the film’s Thursday opening day, July 1st, the group also came out on the holiday weekend. A group of demonstrators assembled displays in front of the Regal Thornton Place Stadium 14 & IMAX in north Seattle and handed out literature, including over 150 fliers fliers and 70 full-color brochures.

“We stood on opposite sides of the main street and shouted our slogans at each other and the cars that would pass between us,” Catherine Bugayong, Racebending.com’s Seattle Street Team Coordinator, said. “The noise would attract people’s interest, and we had a few posters and people nearby who would help explain the issues. We had more fun than we thought possible.”

The Seattle group fanned out in small groups around the IMAX movie theater

A Seattle Racebending.com street team member hosts a display.

The demonstrators professionally answered many passer-byers’ frequently asked questions, including what the original casting calls looked like, whether or not there are Inuit or Asian American actors, and how media can affect children’s self esteem.

“Many people stopped to talk to us and listen to what we had to say,” demonstrator Camilla Pohle-Anderson said. “We had a little bit of negative attention–the worst moment was when a guy shouted across the street, ‘If you want Asians in movies, just leave the US!’ — but most people we talked to were very respectful and even quite interested.”

“It was a very positive experience to meet fellow fans who had enjoyed this show as much as I did, and felt just as strongly as I did about equal opportunities and better media representation for people of color,” Bugayong said. “To do a protest for hours is hard work, but they made it so much fun– we wouldn’t have made as strong a statement in Seattle without everyone’s passionate participation!”

Avatar: The Legend of Korra – 2011

Mike — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:33:11 +0000

Cutting it close, the promised “Korra announcement before Comic-Con” popped up this morning.

Nickelodeon sets `Last Airbender’ sequel for 2011
(AP)

LOS ANGELES — A sequel to Nickelodeon’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is in the works.
The channel said Wednesday the new animated TV series will premiere in 2011. It has the working title, “The Legend of Korra.”

Nickelodeon says the series will build on the “mythology” of the original “The Last Airbender” series, which inspired this summer’s live-action movie from filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan (SHAH-muh-lahn).

The “Legend of Korra” is from the creator-producers of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

Nickelodeon executive Brown Johnson says the new series will focus on a teenage girl avatar named Korra. Brown describes her as hotheaded, independent and “ready to take on the world.”

“Avatar: The Last Airbender” has ranked among the highest-rate series on the Nickelodeon and Nicktoons channels.

An “independent” female lead? Perhaps not unlike a waterbender already familiar to us? “Water” follows “Air” in the Avatar cycle.

Tom Huang, Independent Filmmaker, Writer, and Actor

Marissa — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:11:14 +0000

Tom Huang is an Asian American director, writer, and actor. Why Am I Doing This? is his second independent feature film. It chronicles the lives of two performers of color as they struggle to break into the industry. Tony (Tom Huang) and Lester (Anthony Montgomery) must grapple with industry stereotypes, family drama, girlfriend issues, and the crap jobs aspiring actors have to take on the side in order to cover rent.

As an independent movie, Why Am I Doing This? offers an bitingly funny and honest look at the entertainment industry and what it’s like to live in Los Angeles, one of the most diverse cities in the world. Why Am I Doing This? was released on DVD on July 13th, 2010.

Trailer for “Why Am I Doing This?”

Racebending.com co-founder Marissa Lee attended a screening of Why Am I Doing This? in Beverly Hills and followed up with director, writer, and actor Tom Huang via email.

RACEBENDING.COM: Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do!

TOM HUANG: Well, I’m Tom Huang, indie filmmaker (cue: hero trumpet blare). I work on writing, producing, and editing my own indie film projects (that’s the indie filmmaker part of me) as well as doing various jobs in Hollywood as a producer, editor, director and writer to pay the bills. I wrote for network TV for a few seasons before making Why Am I Doing This?, which is my second feature.

RACEBENDING.COM:What inspired you to make Why Am I Doing This?l

TOM HUANG: After my first indie feature, freshmen, I started working in TV, and eventually was lucky enough to get a few jobs writing for network TV sitcoms. Getting a TV writing gig was great, but it’s still very much about sticking to formulaic stories and characters (most of which are, of course, Caucasian). I still very much wanted to make my own films, so in my off-time from writing for the shows I decided to start writing a feature that I could shoot as my second feature.

I always feel like the most real writing comes from personal experience, so I decided to write about something I’m very familiar with: failing in Hollywood… but from a more diverse perspective. I also wanted to do something different than what I had to do for TV, something that dealt with multi-ethnic relationships and families, and with living in a multi-cultural stew like Los Angeles. So that become the foundation for what I wanted to start with…

“I always feel like the most real writing comes from personal experience, so I decided to write about something I’m very familiar with: failing in Hollywood… but from a more diverse perspective. “

I then just let the characters guide me through their stories as I wrote the film. I wanted to write something funny, but also real, so I tried making as real characters as possible and allow the humor to just come from their struggles in life, as well as trying to say something about chasing your dream job, family, and understanding what’s important to you. After the Hollywood writer’s strike, I couldn’t find a TV writing job, so I decided it was good time to try to put the film together, and things just worked out so that I could do it.

RACEBENDING.COM: Your film is set and filmed in Los Angeles and reflects the true diversity of the city. Was this something you tried to be conscious of during the writing and casting process?

TOM HUANG: I absolutely was trying to reflect the diversity of the city and how it affects your relationships in life. There’s actually a scene that I had to cut–it’s in the DVD extras–that addresses this very thought… Tony argues that even though Los Angeles is diverse, everyone still sticks with their own kind: there’s the “Korean” part of town, the “Chinese” part of town, the “kinda weird Orthodox Jewish” part of town, etc. Lester finds this pessimistic, but I always think it’s an interesting argument.

Koreatown, Los Angeles

In both of my feature films, I really made an effort to make the film as diverse as possible that still felt real to me, because that’s the kind of world I live in, and because that’s partially why I got into filmmaking in the first place.

Thus, I don’t really explain it in the film, but you see some uniquely Los Angeles ethnic hang-outs, like karaoke in Koreatown, or street racing lowered Civics on the outskirts of L.A., etc. Places like these really show how the mix of cultures have manifested itself; Koreans gathering to sing American pop songs in English, Asian-American hip-hop kids gathering to listen to rap and embrace African-American culture, but never hang out with an actual African-American. It’s a great background that you never get to see in Hollywood.

I actually started out wanting to be an actor while at UCLA, but going through the audition process in the theater department, even at UCLA, I couldn’t find any parts for me, especially parts where I can just play an interesting character who happened to be Asian. It was then I realized if I wanted to do anything interesting, I’d have to write it myself, so I turned around and became a Creative Writing major.

“I actually started out wanting to be an actor…I couldn’t find any parts for me, especially parts where I can just play an interesting character who happened to be Asian. I realized if I wanted to do anything interesting, I’d have to write it myself…”

RACEBENDING.COM: Were the character’s cultural backgrounds factored into the story, or were these elements added in after casting, or both?

TOM HUANG: With “Why Am I Doing This?” the diverse characters started straight from the beginning.I imagined these characters as Chinese-American, African-American, East Indian-American, Latino-American, etc., from the start and wrote their stories with that in mind.

Anthony Montgomery plays Lester– parking meter cop by day, stand up comedian by night.

RACEBENDING.COM: The two main characters in the movie, Asian American actor Tony and African American comedian Lester, both do not seem to fit Hollywood’s preconcieved notions of who they are based on their respective ethnicities. Would you say that this kind of type-casting is common in Hollywood?

TOM HUANG: I’d say, yes, type-casting like this is still pretty common; you can see it in roles on TV and in film. (Like, what is up with those metro PCS commercials with the wacky Indian guys? Holy crap.)

But it’s getting a little better as we kind of evolve as a more diverse society in America, and as we get more diverse people behind the camera as writers and executives.

Having written for network TV, I think there is definitely a conscious effort to diversify guest roles and supporting cast, but when it comes to casting main roles, it’s still very much a white world. And more specifically, it’s even tougher to find an Asian-American cast in a main role where they aren’t speaking with some sort of accent.

“I think there is definitely a conscious effort to diversify guest roles and supporting cast, but when it comes to casting main roles, it’s still very much a white world.”

I think there are actually a number of roles that producers bring in different ethnicities to audition for the main parts, but it almost always ends up just getting cast as Caucasian.

I think African-Americans have it a little better as far as number of parts as studios recognize they have to service a huge audience, but there still is an expectation that an African-American character has to talk “Black” and is some sort of wise-cracking, tell-it-as-it-is kind of person, as seen with the recurrent female “Black Best Friend” character we see so much.

RACEBENDING.COM: Are actors encouraged to act more “ethnic” to get jobs?

TOM HUANG: I don’t know if most people are encouraged to act more “ethnic” to get jobs… the amount of ethnicity is kind of written in the part from the beginning, so it’s more a problem of trying to get people to write interesting characters, who just happen to be of color, from the start.

“It’s more a problem of trying to get people to write interesting characters, who just happen to be of color, from the start..”

It does happen, though… A pretty big Asian-American actor friend of mine went to an audition for a network TV pilot and told the producers specifically, “Hey, if you want me to do the wacky accent thing, I don’t want to audition.” They told him, no no, that’s fine. So he auditioned, and got the part as one of the main roles.

During the first rehearsal, they came back to him and said, “uh… You think you can do the accent thing? We think it’d be funnier.” So he left the show. I don’t know if I’d have the balls to do that.

The opening scene of Why Am I Doing This?

RACEBENDING.COM:In the first scene of the movie, a studio exec asks Tony to use an Asian accent during his audition. Is this scene based on a true incident?

TOM HUANG: The scene is actually based on a number of stories I’ve heard from my Asian-American acting friends, where they’re asked to do a part in an “Asian” or “Oriental” accent, and when the actor asks “What kind of Asian accent?” they just get blank looks.

RACEBENDING.COM:What sort of standard–in terms of acting roles–does this set for Asian American actors in Hollywood?

TOM HUANG: I don’t know if this necessarily sets a standard, but yes, I do feel that it seems like when a role is written specifically for an Asian in Hollywood, they usually have some sort of foreign slant–if you can excuse the term–to it, where the role is for an Asian foreigner or an Asian-American who is there because he/she speaks Korean or whatever.

LOST’s Korean characters, Sun and Jin (played by Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim)

Of course, it’s not always a bad thing… In the show “Lost” the Korean couple, Jin and Sun, are wonderfully constructed characters with depth and life. For me, it’s just that there aren’t enough interesting roles where I can see someone like me, a normal American guy, who happens to be Asian–like the role of Miles on “Lost.”

In contrast, Ken Leung plays Miles Straume, a sardonic Asian American, on LOST.

And as Clyde Kusatsu says in the film, it’s kind of just the reality of the situation right now… Studios look at the demographics, and at last count, Asian Americans only account for 6% of the population, so they’d rather play the numbers and go with the majority on the screen.

RACEBENDING.COM: The movie takes some pot shots at how the biz works and how it treats actors of color. Was it risky for you, as an independent filmmaker, to call out some of these practices?

TOM HUANG: Actually, it’s because I’m an independent filmmaker that it’s not as risky to take pot shots at the business.

For the most part, when you get lots of money to make a big film or TV show, it also comes with the restrictions of having to work with people paying for you and your production, which is often a big studio or network. Since they’re looking so desperately to get a return, they don’t like taking risks, so they go with the ‘safe’ route that’s made money before and appeals to the biggest; thus you get formulaic films, non-diverse casting and stories about the majority race in America.

The single biggest thing you get as an indie filmmaker–since you don’t get any money–is creative control, so you get a chance to make something that you want to see–in my case, a multi-cultural cast and story. Unfortunately, I think the only place at the moment to see multi-ethnic stories is in independent film, because it’s only place it can be made.

“Unfortunately, I think the only place at the moment to see multi-ethnic stories is in independent film, because it’s only place it can be made.”

I don’t think anyone in Hollywood really cares I’m taking shots at how they do business… They’ve heard all before and are still making money, not to mention my film is pretty small. I do hope that someone at a studio or network will look at the film and see how my very talented actors can play normal American roles–while bringing something new to the table in a positive way–and then consider them for roles that may have been originally written for someone white.

” I do hope that someone at a studio or network will look at the film and see how my very talented actors can play normal American roles–while bringing something new to the table in a positive way–and then consider them for roles that may have been originally written for someone white.”

RACEBENDING.COM: In the movie, Tony discovers a mentor in older Asian American actor Clyde Kusatsu (playing himself!) and performs in an all-Asian production of Death of a Salesman–a role he would likely not have access to, as an actor of color, outside of Asian American theater. In real life, what sort of resources are there for Asian Americans who aspire to get into film?

TOM HUANG: There are lots of resources for Asian-Americans to get into film, whether it be film school, or various diversity training programs put on by the studios and networks, to all-Asian theater troupes like East-West Players or OPM, to groups that put on the various Asian-American film festivals like Center for Asian-American Media in San Francisco, or the Coalition of Asian-Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE), just to name a few.

RACEBENDING.COM: Is there a large support system out there?

TOM HUANG: The support is definitely there, not to mention the support of the Asian-American Hollywood community in general. For my film, I was overwhelmed and cheered by the response of the Asian-American actors who were more than happy to be in my film, no matter how big the part and how little they got paid, because they wanted to support a fellow Asian-American artist. I know many of the Asian-American actors, filmmakers, and execs around town because it is a small, tight-knit community.

Making it in Hollywood is pretty tough for anybody of any race, so it really is a matter of hanging in there long enough to get your break or your next job.

I believe that you can’t worry about the Asian-American part of being a performer or writer or director or whatever because you can’t really control that. What you can control is being the best actor, writer or director you can and let your talent and hard work eventually show people they should hire you.

It doesn’t always work out (I’m livin’ that, yo,) but in the end, I believe that’s what will get you in or give you a chance, because true talent will always get recognized. But man, it can be rough.

RACEBENDING.COM: In Why Am I Doing This, there is a commentary on popular Asian American actors. Every role for an Asian American guy in the biz, Tony laments, seems to either go to real-life Korean American actor John Cho, or to his nemesis, (the fictional) Tim Chung. Where did the idea for this joke come about?

TOM HUANG: Well, the joke actually comes a large part from the truth, in my mind. As I said, Hollywood is a business, and they want to make sure they sell tickets, so just by the numbers game, they prefer having recognizable faces on the screen. So who is the most recognizable male Asian-American actor who also happens to have talent? That’s right, that “Harold and Kumar American Pie” guy.

John Cho and Kal Penn, Hollywood’s go-to Asian American actors of the moment

RACEBENDING.COM: Why does Hollywood always seem to go for the same Asian actors?

TOM HUANG: That’s just how Hollywood works, regardless of the race… For a part for any studio film, who do they want? The most recognizable guy, or the guy that’s “hot” at the moment. It just so happens that there aren’t a whole lot of big Asian-American roles –Jackie Chan and Jet Li are getting all the karate ones– so the list isn’t that big of recognizable names that’s done a lot of stuff…

Right now, it’s John Cho and maybe now funny doctor guy Ken Jeong, or Kal Penn if you want to go Indian. Now there’s plenty of other great, talented Asian-American actors, but they just haven’t been lucky enough to get that big role that somehow puts them in the minds of the middle-American audience, so until they do… John Cho will still be on top of the studio list.

Dion Basco plays Danny, Tony’s brother and polar opposite.

RACEBENDING.COM: Dion Basco (brother of Dante Basco of Avatar: The Last Airbender) plays Tony’s brother and a Chinese American character, even though he is Filipino American. What are your thoughts on Asian Americans playing different ethnicities?

TOM HUANG: Although I kind of make light of it in the film, I think it’s fine, especially if it’s Asian-Americans playing Asian-Americans, since the American part of it is more the big part of the characters’ voice.

I generally can sort of tell different Asians apart, but there is plenty of overlap, as far as looks, with all Asians (or Indians and Pakistanis and such). I certainly have been mistaken for Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese, etc., by people of those backgrounds (that made for awkward conversation let me tell you).

I think it can get a little wacky when an Asian plays an Asian-Asian of different ethnicity with a completely different accent, like in the film version of Memoirs of a Geisha, where they had Chinese nationals, who spoke poor English, playing Japanese people, speaking English in some British-Japanese accent. Holy crap that was terrible.

RACEBENDING.COM: In advertisements like the movie poster, Amber (played by Emma Caulfield), is placed in the center and appears to be the central focus of the film. Yet, the main characters in the film are Tony and Lester. Why wasn’t more focus placed on Lester and Tony in advertisements?

TOM HUANG: For my distributor, it was more of a recognizable actor thing than an ethnic thing. When selling DVDs, for distributors and retailers, what sells the DVDs is the box cover, not the actual content of the movie…

My movie could be an hour and a half of me crapping on the toilet, but if there are recognizable, sellable faces on the cover (a genre like horror), then the DVD will sell.

Tony hangs out with the gregarious Amber (Emma Caulfield)

My distributor felt that Emma Caulfield (who was a series regular as “Anya” on the popular “Buffy the Vampire” TV series) was the most recognizable actor that had an audience they could sell to, so she went on the front of the cover.

I think if they had their druthers, they probably would have wanted to take me off the cover as well, since I don’t really have any ‘name’ value, but I think the bear suit I’m wearing saved me.

RACEBENDING.COM: Often stories told by people of color are considered ‘niche’ films that only succeed in specific cultural communities. What sorts of ways do you think the general audience might become more interested in hearing about real people’s stories, histories and Point of Views, even if they might not coincide with their own?

TOM HUANG:I think people are definitely interested in hearing about real people’s stories of any ethnicity as long as it’s interesting enough and done well… It’s just that studios aren’t willing to take the risk.

You look at Slumdog Millionaire, a movie about an Indian boy in India trying to win back his love, no studio would touch that with a 10-foot pole. So some people took a chance, made it independently, and Fox Searchlight recognized it was simply a great film and gambled it would do well because of that, and it was blockbuster. It also benefited from a planned, slow rollout where word of mouth helped get people into the theaters, and of course the Oscars helped as well.

There are plenty of other examples, such as the Joy Luck Club (a good example of actual Asian-American stories) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, etc. People are wiling to watch it, I think, it’s just a matter of more studios wiling to release films based on quality rather than formulas, and also a matter of making sure films like that are made with low-budgets so it can turn a profit to help buy other films like it.

RACEBENDING.COM: What tangible things can fans and media consumers do to help push the entertainment industry into showing us a world or worlds where people of color exist?

TOM HUANG: It’s pretty simple… People just have to show support for those kinds of films and TV shows. They have to watch them on TV and buy their DVDs, that’s what speaks the industry, because, again, they are a business.

If you see a film or TV show you like, buy the DVD, or if you see a film that comes out that looks interesting with that kind of perspective, go see it… That’s the only thing that will truly speak to “the industry.”

And there has to be more support for independent films, as well. These are usually the only places where stories about people of color can be made, because they’re not constrained by having to cater to the masses. Indie filmmakers like me cannot survive very long making small films like that unless people buy the films or they get hired by a studio, it’s simply too hard to get by. So please, if you like what a filmmaker has done and want to see more, buy their product so they can continue to do just that.

“There has to be more support for independent films…These are usually the only places where stories about people of color can be made, because they’re not constrained by having to cater to the masses.”

And, of course, support awareness movements like this site…it’s only when studios see the great number of people that want to see more diverse casts and stories of different cultures that they’re willing to give something new a try. I think the publicity and awareness generated by this site and the people who read it was pretty tremendous.

In a scene from Why Am I Doing This? Tony (Tom Huang) meets a mysterious girl (Lynn Chen) while on the job as a birthday party Spider-man.

RACEBENDING.COM: In the film, the audience and Lester and Tony themselves come to learn exactly why they are “doing this”–throwing everything they have into breaking into the entertainment industry, while representing themselves in an honest way and without selling out. It’s hard, especially when there are so many barriers in Hollywood. So, Tom, why are you doing “this”?

TOM HUANG: First of all, making this film has been a complete pain-in-the-ass for everyone involved: my family and friends, the tireless cinematographer and crew, the actors, the producers, the people who let us use their bar, my next door neighbors who kind of reluctantly let me use their living room to shoot in… the list goes on. I’ve had to borrow money to make this film, I still have to work a day job to pay the bills, a lot of things I have to end up doing myself because all the skilled people who have been working for free or little money for me have to move on and actually do things that pay them. I literally am working probably 10-12 hours a day with all the stuff I have to do as well as my other projects I’m working on to pay the bills. So really, why am I doing this godforsaken movie that maybe nobody will see?

Well, quite simply, it’s because making movies is what I want to do in life, and I always feel that if you want to do something, you should do it (if you can). Yes, it’s been quite difficult getting it done, and it’s stressful to have this loan out I’m not sure how I’m going to pay back… but I’m also fortunate to know many talented people who can help me out, and I know I have the skills and resources to make a film that people can watch without thinking “am I watching a really long home movie?” So why not? I can.

“Because making movies is what I want to do in life, and I always feel that if you want to do something, you should do it.”

The other reason is that I feel I have something to say and can affect people in a positive way through my filmmaking, whether it be by laughter or tears, by creating a character people care about and learn from, or just creating a story than can inspire and make people think about their lives.

Finally, probably the main reason is that the filmmaking side of it is incredibly enjoyable and engaging for me. The other logistical stuff I’m dealing with now, i.e., doing contracts, getting rights, marketing, etc… Huge pain-in-the-ass. But it’s all for being able to do the other stuff. Working with actors and crew on a scene, sitting in a dark editing room cutting together scenes, sitting in a theater with an audience who’s never heard of the film before laugh their asses off or shed a little tear during the film, talking with someone who’s seen the film tell me it’s inspired them in some way… all that makes the pain-in-ass stuff more than worth it. That is, as long as I’m not pissing off my friends and family for too long that they don’t want to be around me anymore.

I always believe that you have to define yourself by what you do. If you claim to be a good person, you should be doing good things. If you say you want to get healthy, you should take actions to be healthy. And if you want to call yourself a filmmaker, you have to make films. And that’s why I have to do it. I just wish someone will let me make a living doing it sometime. Oh man, sometime soon, please…

Racebending.com would like to thank Mr. Tom Huang for this interview!

For more information on Why Am I Doing This? visit the website! www.whyamidoingthis.net
The DVD is available on Amazon.com: Why Am I Doing This, Walmart.com, and Target.com.

Actor Dante Basco speaks out regarding the casting of The Last Airbender

Marissa — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:02:43 +0000

On July 1st, actor Dante Basco wrote an article on his blog regarding the casting controversy surrounding The Last Airbender: The Last Airbender: To Boycott or Not?

Basco writes:

“Believe me, as an actor, it’s no easy answer. My first gut feeling is, the best actor should be cast for the job no matter race… But maybe that’s just an ideal that is unreal when it comes to making a movie, and making a big budget movie at that. See, my whole career is based on playing roles that were not written race specific, matter fact, if I had to wait for Hollywood to come along with a script for a Filipino American, I would have no career at all.

The fact of the matter is, in Hollywood… it’s not fair. It’s not fair at all, the tables are tipped unfavorably for ethnic actors. The percentage of roles for ethnic actors to white actors is something to the effect of: in 100 roles, there may be 12 roles for black actors, maybe 7 for latin actors and only maybe 2 for asian actors.”

“So… to boycott or not? I still feel a loyalty to the whole project, I helped to make it popular and I hope the film does justice to a near perfect animated series. Boycott is a strong word, but I do know that I won’t go see it opening weekend. I’m sure I will see it sooner or later, but my money won’t be apart of the opening weekend tally. In this day and age, in America 2010… I just don’t think it is at all viable for white actors to play ethnic roles… at least until they let us play white roles.”

Update: On July 7th, Basco blogged a follow up to his July 1st entry.

“I’ve always thought of myself as an actor first and only realized myself as an “ethnic” actor as I’ve grown up in the industry and experienced the lack of parts I was being able to play. My goal is always to work, but if I can in someway help widen the eye of “Hollywood” film making to include the stories and faces of everyone and not be so focused on one group or another’s perspective… I’m down for that.

“Thank you again for all the fan’s who wanted to see me in the film, Prince Zuko will always be a special character to me and I’m sure Dev did a great job to help bring him to life. For all those who commented on the blog and continue to, thank you… Whether we agreed or not, I think this dialogue needs to happen, the more this comes up, the more the chance actual change can happen.”

Basco is well known for playing Zuko in the animated series that inspired the adaptation, Avatar: The Last Airbender. He’s also famous for his role as Rufio, King of the Lost Boys, in Steven Spielberg’s Hook.

AsiaArts Magazine interviewed Basco about Asian American representation in 2006. In this interview, Basco noted:

“You never forget that you’re a person of color, you never forget that you’re Asian-American. You never can. Being that where I am at my career right now I’m luckily not tied down to just playing Asian characters… I get those opportunities and I’m thankful to get those opportunities. I know a lot of actors don’t get that kind opportunity.”

Earlier this year, Basco blogged about the pressure he resisted, as a teenage actor of color in Hollywood, to get plastic surgery to look less “ethnic”- Dante gets a nose job.

“Growing up in Hollywood, there weren’t many Filipino actors and there was absolutely no Filipino roles, so my jobs consisted of me playing anything and every thing from any form of Latino to any form of Asian and even some black or white roles for characters that they couldn’t find good enough black or white kids. So this question of a nose job arises… I must have only been 14 and was seriously asked to give it some strong thought…”