Anna May Wong Biopic on the works

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.