One of the latest new on streaming releases for those with a Hulu subscription is Interior Chinatown. The series based on the bestselling novel from Charles Yu of the same name discusses the unfortunate realities of Asian-Americans being sidelined in the media as it follows a background character living in the world of a Law & Order-esque show called Black & White. Interior Chinatown’s star, Jimmy O. Yang spoke with CinemaBlend about the first time he felt central to a project in his own career with Crazy Rich Asians.
In Interior Chinatown, Jimmy O. Yang plays Willis Wu, a waiter in a Chinese restaurant whose life on the sidelines changes when he witnesses a woman getting kidnapped. During our interview with the actor, he shared that Jon M. Chu’s ensemble film was the first time he felt he’d broken out of the background of a project in Hollywood. In his words:
You know, in a way it was interesting on Crazy Rich Asians, I wasn't one of the main characters, but I feel like everyone had the spotlight. Like we were able to kind of just be ourselves. We weren't just the Asian guy on set. You know, I was able to be kind of a very specific billionaire playboy character and just be me and showcase myself. And in that moment, although there were other awesome friends, actors around me, I felt like we had the spotlight, you know, for once.
Jon M. Chu made cinematic history in 2018 when he adapted Crazy Rich Asians, which marked the first time an all-Asian cast led a modern Hollywood movie in 25 years. It also became the highest grossing romantic comedies in a decade. Even though Jimmy O. Yang had a supporting role in the movie as Bernard Tai, a former classmate to Henry Golding’s Nick, the actor shared he didn’t feel like he was supporting. When I asked how much Chu (who is currently getting all the love for helming Wicked) contributed to that, he said this:
Yeah, absolutely. And the set was such a great environment where everybody shined, whether you're number one on the call sheet, number 10, number 30, whatever, everybody had their moment in that. And it's so memorable in a way.
Crazy Rich Asians also allowed actors like Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh and Ronny Chieng to break out as Hollywood actors who have since been nonstop busy with more projects. So much so that the Crazy Rich Asians sequel is still not happening yet.
Chieng joins Jimmy O. Yang in Interior Chinatown as Willis’ colleague at the Chinese restaurant, who becomes a main character in his own right as a waiter while Willis moves up in the ranks in roles of Black & White, such as becoming a “tech guy.” During our interview with Yang, the actor shared how being a standup comedian also has helped him become a storyteller. As he shared:
I think standup is, no bear of entry, is the best way to learn storytelling in every single sense. 'cause you have to write, you have to perform it, and then you have to edit the jokes. And also if you ever shoot a special or any video clip, you have to edit those videos. So it really teaches people how to do all of that, you know? And I think sometimes when writing a story, the most important part is honing it and like chipping away and editing and standup. It's night after night, you're trying to perfect that joke and it's kind of about that.
Jimmy O. Yang has soared so high with his standup that he is currently on a North American tour that will take him to Carnegie Hall in New York City, and the massive Kia Forum in Los Angeles. You can watch Interior Chinatown now, and check out our interview with Chloe Bennet and Ronny Chieng for the series here on CinemaBlend as well.
