When Play Becomes Reality:

A Look at Representing, Portraying and Being an Asian - American Actor

Copyright©Jessica Delos Reyes

Last Modified: February 2002

...I’m standing backstage, wringing my hands; its cold when all you are wearing is a small piece of flowered-print fabric tightly wound around you...and anxiety washes over like a title wave.

“Are ya ready?” a man whispers from behind me who is now rubbing my frozen shoulders. Boy he smelled good; a pleasant combination of after shave and pipe tobacco. I can feel his bare chest against my cold back.

“Yeah, let’s carve this turkey.”

I took his large hand and we were off. I went out on that stage...and basically laid there. Probably one of the best people who auditioned for that darn show, and my job is to lay on the ground and let this man paw at me. I had barely ever kissed a boy, and now a 30 year old man is kissing me like in one of those movies that you can only get from the back section of a video store...

I knew that no matter how fantastic I was at that audition, I was going to get this part or that of my obnoxious mother in the show...because I was dark. South Pacific...what an odd show. I looked Polynesian (well, I am Polynesian), and was young. It may sound simplistic...but its the truth; and throughout my acting career, as well as many other actors' careers, my face has kept me in the same kind of parts.

A famous casting agent once said that Asians are grouped into three steryotyped roles:

• the villain
• the sexless, bumbling minority
• sensual, exotic alien... because of one simple reason:

"Moviegoers pay to see that exotic, Asian illusion - there is no room for an Asian actor who doesn't."

This site is dedicated to all those actors, directors, casting agents and theater and film consumers who want to see that changed.