Diversity in Hollywood has always been a controversial topic, but things are slowly getting better. As we see more Asian stars starting to appear on-screen, we have to pay homage to those who blazed the trail for better Asian representation, as well as up-and-coming actors paving the way for the future generation of aspiring actors.
Name: Lee Jun-fan, 1940-1973 Trivia: • A Hong Kong-American martial artist, actor, director, martial arts instructor, philosopher and pop culture icon of the 20th century, who bridged the gap between East and West • Before he was known for his martial arts skills, Bruce Lee was actually a cha-cha dancer • He charged US$275 an hour for private lessons in the '60s, among his students were Hollywood stars Steve McQueen, James Coburn, James Garner, Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate • Starred in box office movies "The Big Boss", "Fist of Fury", "Way of the Dragon" and "Game of Death"
Name: Chan Kong-sang, 67 years old Trivia: • Jackie's father was secretly a spy for the Chinese Nationalist Revolutionary Army and his mother was arrested for smuggling opium into China • He earned two Guinness World Records for "Most Credits in One Movie" (15) and Most Stunts Performed by a Living Actor" in "Chinese Zodiac" • Jackie walked down the 89th Oscar's red carpet with two stuffed pandas, Chan La and Chan Zy, which represents the two pandas that he raised in China • Starred in Hollywood blockbuster films such as the "Rush Hour" franchise, DreamWorks Animation's "Kung Fu Panda" and "The Karate Kid" remake
Name: Henry Ewan Golding, 34 years old Trivia: • Born in Malaysia, Henry's father is from England and his mother is from the Iban tribe in Sarawak • Before he became a movie star, Henry got his start as a hairstylist in London • Rose to fame from his roles in Hollywood hit films "Crazy Rich Asians", "A Simple Favor", "Monsoon", "Last Christmas" and "The Gentlemen" • Henry admitted that he feels like an outsider in Hollywood when people said he wasn't Asian enough for "Crazy Rich Asians" and not white enough for "Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins"
Name: Simu Liu, 32 years old Trivia: • Simu was born in Harbin, China and when he was 5, he and his parents immigrated to Canada • He once worked as an accountant for less than a year and did photoshoots for stock photos • Auditioned for "Crazy Rich Asians" 4 times for the lead role Nick Young, which eventually went to Henry Golding • Besides acting, Simu is also good at singing, playing basketball, works behind camera as a writer and filmmaker, not to mention a stuntman
Name: Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan, 1967-2020 Trivia: • Irrfan initially wanted to become a cricketer, however, his parents were not too keen about it • After having successfully taken over the Bollywood industry, he had supporting roles in Hollywood films "The Amazing Spider-Man", "Life of Pi", "Jurassic World" and "Inferno" • Irrfan had to turn down a crucial role in Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar", "The Martian" and "Body of Lies" due to prior commitments to other projects • He also starred in Academy award-winning British film "Slumdog Millionaire"