Aussie actor Chris Pang: ‘The climate is terrific for diversity’
Australia’s latest Hollywood star Chris Pang — who starred in box office hit Crazy Rich Asians — reveals why diversity pays off at the box office.
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Where is the best place for a Chinese-Australian actor with limited Mandarin skills and a true-blue Aussie attitude to work? Hollywood, according to actor Chris Pang.
While Pang had some success in the 2010 Australian film Tomorrow When The War Began, the opportunities then dried up for him.
So the now 34-year-old left Australia for China, then Hong Kong, in the hopes of finding the right role.
Success finally came when he went to Hollywood and eventually landed the part of the leading man’s best friend in Jon M Chu’s Crazy Rich Asians, which became one of the biggest movie hits of 2018.
“I first thought it made sense to go to Asia because I have an Asian face,” Pang tells BW Magazine.
“I went to China and realised that they don’t really need me because I look Asian but don’t speak perfect Chinese.
“That’s when I realised the waiting game for an actor is essentially for someone to come along and say, ‘I am looking for someone who is the same age as Chris, who looks like Chris, who acts like Chris, to play this role’.”
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For Pang, that was the part of Colin Khoo, the handsome groom in Crazy Rich Asians.
Pang says while so many other actors were auditioning for the lead role — played by newcomer Henry Golding — he had his sights set on the down-to-earth best friend.
“I never saw myself as a Nick … they auditioned the entire world for that (role) — it was impossible for you to be Asian and in entertainment and not know about the casting for this film,” he says with a laugh.
“When I went in to meet the director and producers, everyone else went in a suit and a shirt looking like a million dollars and I went in a T-shirt. I just don’t feel like Nick is me. I was much more interested in Colin.”
The move paid off and Pang got the part. And when the film grossed $238 million worldwide and became the biggest romantic comedy in a decade, he knew he was on to a winner.
The search for roles since hasn’t been difficult. He’s signed up for the Elizabeth Banks-directed Charlie’s Angels reboot with Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska.
And, while Hollywood has long been known for casting caucasian actors in ethnic roles, Pang believes we will see more faces like his on the big screen thanks to the commercial success of other diversely cast films such as Black Panther and Oceans 8.
Add to that what is now being described as “Asian August” — the watershed moment when Asian actor-led films such as Crazy Rich Asians, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and Searching were all released last August.
“The climate is terrific for diversity, people are ready to see it and it makes sense financially now because these films have made money,” he says.
“You can’t really ignore that. The timing is right for these stories to come out. The image of an attractive Asian male is out there now on a big scale and to be a part of that is a huge honour for me.”
Being a part of an Asian-centric film was liberating professionally and personally for Pang.
“There was this unspoken bond … we all had this link of growing up as an ethnic minority in a majority white society,” he says,
“We didn’t have to explain things, we didn’t have to make sure that the project was culturally sensitive.”
Screen Australia’s content head Sally Caplan says authentic casting is a trend that is unlikely to die down.
“For films to resonate with audiences, the stories must be genuine and representative of the world we live in today, and so I believe we’ll continue to see more authentic casting reflected in film,” she says.
“Films that fail to reflect the diversity of the community will increasingly struggle to find an audience. We have had a big push on inclusion and diversity, not just because it’s morally right but economically smart too.”
Caplan adds that momentum in Hollywood will have a knock-on effect in Australia too.
“Producers have become more open to colourblind casting,” she says.
“I’m hopeful the net affect will be more work in general for our actors … at home and abroad.”
Pang says that for years he felt like he was in an identity limbo when it came to movies but Hollywood’s doors are now opening for people who can play characters that go beyond stereotypes.
“My dad has full Chinese blood but he was born in St Kilda … He’s possibly one of the most Australian people you will ever meet, even down to his name which is Barry and of course is colloquially known as ‘Bazza’,” he says.
“Growing up I never really had too many bad experiences … the thing I did have to struggle with was that I never got represented in media. I never saw myself reflected.”
Pang says things are changing and, as a multicultural society, Australia is in the perfect position to ride this wave of change.
“I feel like the talent in Australia is in a very good position to capitalise … more diversity in these projects means more work,” he says.
“Australia would be a good incubator for these kinds of projects because our culture is really diverse. It’s a huge melting pot but … in the diversity game Australia is a little bit behind. There’s a long way to go but Australia is definitely catching up quickly.”
He says Australia had “made major strides” with films and TV show that now include “a lot of different voices”.
They include his own ventures. In 2011, he was an associate producer on Citizen Jia Li in which he also played Kong, a desperate lover in search of his ex-girlfriend in Melbourne. And last year, he produced and starred in the Filipino film Empty By Design.
“Some people have the luxury of just having roles handed to them and being able to play a variety so they don’t ever have to worry about the next audition to get to play a great character,” he says.
“The main problem that I see with the industry accepting, embracing and making change on that diversity front is all these new stories being told don’t necessarily have strong voices and that’s because they’re not established yet. Now that I’m in a position of doing something, I’m doing it.”
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