As her star continues to rise, the Fresh off the Boat and Crazy Rich Asians actress has become one of the leading voices calling out Hollywood’s skewed portrayal of Asians.
If Internet trolls had their way, Constance Wu would keep her mouth shut. But no, there is she is on Twitter, calling out the white-saviour narrative that put Matt Damon at the centre of the American-Chinese film The Great Wall (2016). And there she goes again, highlighting the systemic racism that led to Scarlett Johansson being chosen to play a Japanese character in Ghost in the Shell (2017). The subtext in some of the outspoken—not just for a woman, but for an Asian woman. But no brickbat is going to silence the fiery 36-year-old.
Wu’s biting commentary on Hollywood’s diversity blindspot has made her one of the leading Asian-American voices holding the entertainment industry to account in recent years. And professionally, her star is only getting brighter, reaching a new apogee in August when she headlines the much-anticipated Crazy Rich Asians, the first major Hollywood movie with a mostly-Asian cast since The Joy Luck Club, which was released 25 years ago. Based on Kevin Kwan’s New York Times bestselling comedy of manners, Wu stars as Rachel Chu, an Asian-American woman discovering her boyfriend is one of Singapore’s richest bachelors.
Yet despite her growing celebrity, Wu seems to eschew the spotlight. When she meets Harper’s BAZAAR Singapore for a chat in a Los Angeles café, she is studiously low-key, her dainty features half-hidden by a denim cap and honey-dipped tresses. It is the actress who has asked to meet at this unpretentious vegan spot in her neighbourhood, Silverlake, an artsy hipster enclave far from the usual Hollywood power-meeting venues.
Denne historien er fra July 2018 V2-utgaven av Harper's BAZAAR Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra July 2018 V2-utgaven av Harper's BAZAAR Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The Great Unknown
It's a fresh chapter for Thai actress Nuttanicha "Nychaa" Dungwattanawanich as she strikes out on her own.
FINDING XANADU
Adventure, magic and freedom await in the land of the blue sky, Mongolia.
TALKING POINTS
From the worlds of Art, Culture, Travel and Design.
TIMELESS LUXURY
In Hosanna Swee and Tom Chng's stunning apartment, an eye for detail and love for horological collectibles reveals an elegant and minimalist escape.
PRIM FOR PRIMETIME
Chanikarn \"Prim\" Tangkabodee reminisces on her journey from a child actor to a superstar in-the-making.
INSPIRATION
The suave music artiste is no stranger to the world of fashion. In fact, he describes fashion as the forefront of his and his family's personal expression, as well as a form of manners.
WELL, SUITED?
As attitudes towards dress codes shift, is the suit about to exit our closets?
DARK HORSE
In his next role and what is easily his most challenging character to date―actor Brian Ng wants one thing from you: your hatred.
THE POWER OF PERETTI
In a hidden village of Sant Marti Vell in Spain, where Elsa Peretti lived, loved and created enduring symbols of design and beauty for Tiffany & Co., Kenneth Goh traces and marvels at her 50 years of legacy.
REDEFINING ROYALTY
Chaumet's Charles Leung talks to BAZAAR about the beauty and the resilience of the 244-year-old French jewellery brand in a new era.