I want to know the reality of being a female Asian in show business. I know it's a very narrow door. Should I even bother trying?

WHAT THE HELL!

Oh come on! The Asian girl fetish is big! There's a reason why Jamie Chung of the Real World gets major roles despite proving each time she can't act.

There's an Asian girl in almost every major TV show. Grey's Anatomy, New Girl, Mindy Project, Don't Trust the B..., Nikita, Elementary, Hawaii 5-0, Once Upon a Time, etc.

It's narrow, but it certainly doesn't mean you shouldn't bother trying. If anything I'd say Asians are certainly becoming more prominent as the years go by. There's still a wide gap to fill though.

NOT narrow for Asian women.

For Asian men, it still sucks but is slowly getting better.

Just for fun, sit down and write out a list of all the reasons you shouldn't even try:

- You're past - in age and so many stars started when they were toddlers
- You're not related to someone well-known in the industry
- You didn't go to a major acting school
- You're not [gorgeous/white/slim/....]
- You have no athletic skills
- You have a cast eye, buck tooth or some other distinctive feature on your face
- You have an accent


Etc.

Then go out and find all the actors who are doing well now who were in exactly the same situation. Yes, every one of them is an exception.

To be an artist is to be an exception. If you're looking for an easy path, leave now.

Go for it.

if you have to ask "should i even bother trying" then the answer is NO, you should not.

asking that question shows you do not want it bad enough, and acting is a career choice you can not go into halfway.

HOLY FUCK, Spydog!

Gettothetruth and Stanislav Meiner said it better with FEWER words.

If you have to ask this silly question, then you clearly aren't doing your homework as an ACTOR watching movies and tv shows. If you were watching, you would see Asian women everywhere.

I concur with all of you. This self-doubt is absolutely FORBIDDEN to a career as an actor. By the way, thanks spydog for the meticulous information you've provided.

Wow Spydog. Word Count shows 1,021 words. That's one of the longest posts I've ever seen!

I wouldn't say Asian women are everywhere. I doubt they even cover 10%.

I can't speak for adults, but there is definitely not as many Asian roles for children in this business.

quote:

Originally posted by SWong37:
I wouldn't say Asian women are everywhere. I doubt they even cover 10%.

A LOT moreso than Asian men.

Asian men in film/tv and even commercials are only allowed to be paired with Asian women.

Yet, Asian women can be paired with everyone. Whaddup with that?

quote:

Asian men in film/tv and even commercials are only allowed to be paired with Asian women.

Yet, Asian women can be paired with everyone. Whaddup with that?

It may be a rare occurrence, but 'The Walking Dead' is an example of how Asian stereotypes/casting are changing. Steven Yeun (Glenn) is one of the main characters and has been intimate with Lauren Cohen (Maggie) for a few seasons now.

True dat. There needs to be more.

The jobs have gone from none to regularly and are increasing. And there's always room for improvement.

Yeesh, is this Twitter or a forum? I was long yet added a lot of info that isn't common knowledge. I don't know everything... and neither does anyone else. Complaints? Fine. That info is gone.