Anna May Wong is the very first Asian American Hollywood Star. Her career started during the dawn of the silent film era. Then she continued acting when films started to incorporate audio. Had her career started today, she would have been a superstar but she was acting during the times Asian Americans are treated like second class citizens. She is an American Citizen but she got treated like a foreigner because she is not Caucasian. She doesnt fit with the Asians from Asia neither because she is too foreign for them.
Anna May Wong’s films are mostly Public domain now so you can watch them online for free.
One of the biggest hurdles of her career is the Hays Code. Its a racist law that disallows interracial relationships on screen. She got robbed of many roles because they cast white men with yellow face make up to play Asian roles. That leads to White women getting the Asian female lead roles.(Scarlett Johansson will be proud) People who witnessed her screen test for the film, The Good Earth said she have the best audition but she didn’t get the lead role because Hays Code was a problem.
Wong was typecast on playing two kind of roles, A Dragon lady or a Lotus Blossom. Getting Sick of How Hollywood treats her, she founds refuge in Independent films in Europe. She tried her luck there because they gave better acting roles.
During World War II, Anna May Wong started a fundraiser to help people from China. There was a time when she was given a TV series where she loves her role but sadly it got canceled. That show is now a lost media.
Hollywood is more inclusive to Asians now. We now have people of Asian descent getting lead roles and I am not talking about white passing biracials. White washing still occurs in Hollywood like the Bullet Train film where Brad Pitt plays a role meant for a Japanese guy. So Hollywood still has a long way to go.
Gemma Chan just confirmed she will be starring in an Anna May Wong Biopic.
A dream! Honoured to be working with this talented group @NYBongiovi @DavidHenryHwang @Working_Title https://t.co/UnbzZLejfm#AnnaMayWong
— Gemma Chan (@gemma_chan) March 24, 2022
If Anna May Wong is alive, She would have been happy seeing someone like Gemma Chan leading movies like Crazy Rich Asians and The Eternals.
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If I have a time machine, I will bring her to August 2018 because that is when Hollywood started respecting Asian Actors. Hollywood have done her her dirty. She could have been a Busy actress if she is in 2022.
She have a popular quote that makes me feel she have resentment with Hollywood.
[B][I]Every time your picture is taken, you lose a part of your soul.[/I][/B]
That is a very haunting statement from someone who fell in love with acting.
She is never able to marry and have children because of her dedication to her craft as an actress but Hollywood had always disappointed her in the end. She also got cast in the Flower Drum Song which was the first All Asian cast Hollywood film. I wish she gets to see that one but her liver disease killed her. Imagine how she could have felt if she had seen Crazy Rich Asians, Mulan and Minari.
That is why I am happy that Hollywood is more inclusive now. Anna May is an Actress version of Van Gogh, Only got appreciated when she was gone.