Lewis Tan Speaks Out About Inequality for Asian Actors in Hollywood
Lewis Tan has continuously lent his voice to champion the need for inclusion and equality in Hollywood and recently in an interview with CNN the actor delved deep into the lack of opportunity for Asian actors.
Tan told CNN, “Asian actors want to play the lead, the romantic character, the hero, just like everyone else.”
Recently seen as Zhou Cheng in the Netflix Marvel series, Iron Fist, Tan has had to deal with battling Asian stereotypes in the media and said, “We’re cast as ninjas, monks, nerds, the third, fourth, fifth best friend who is a nerd, killers, doctors and for women, the sexy Asian woman who’s dating a white guy.”
Lewis Tan as Zhou Cheng in Iron Fist (Courtesy of Netflix)
Tan is still optimistic about roles for Asian actors in Hollywood and stated, “It’s an exciting time in a lot of ways because things are opening up. There was a time when things weren’t as open for [Asian actors], so it’s exciting for me to see actors being booked and called in for roles.”
Tan also voiced that diversity should include all people of color, “I want to see everyone rise. I think we all will have our time, if we push it, if we do the work and if we make our voices heard.”
We certainly couldn’t have said it any better ourselves! Let us know what you think about what Lewis had to say in the comment section below.
Source: CNN
