In the year 2017, when Meryl Streep went on stage to grab the golden globe that was presented to her, she had made one of the most remarkable speeches about Hollywood which went viral on social media for right and wrong reasons.
"Think about it. Hollywood, foreigners, and the press. But who are we? And, you know, what is Hollywood anyway? It's just a bunch of people from other places. I was born and raised and created in the public schools of New Jersey. Viola [Davis] was born in a sharecropper's cabin in South Carolina and grew up in Central Falls, Rhode Island. ......And Dev Patel was born in Kenya, raised in London, is here for playing an Indian raised in Tasmania. Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners. If you kick 'em all out, you'll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts," she had said in her viral speech.
Asian actors make up a small percentage of Hollywood and there are a few figures who are leading the way in the film industry, attempting to bring in diversity in the right manner. Take a look at all the actors who made it big in Hollywood.
Irrfan
Irrfan has been one of the actors from India who was had been highly admired by Tom Hanks, Ron Howard. His Marvel projects include The Amazing Spider-Man starring Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield in lead roles. He also had a pivotal role in Chris Pratt's The Jurassic World, and Angels and Demons.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
The beauty queen from India has been one of the popular figures abroad. She starred in Pink Panther 2, Bride and Prejudice, Mistress of Spices, Provoked and The Last Legion. Each year, (before 2020) at the Cannes film festival, the actress made her magnificent appearance at the red carpet.
Late actor/ martial artist Bruce Lee
Meryl Streep may have chosen to remove art from martial arts, Quentin Tarantino may have humiliated the action star in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, but that says more about the white people of Hollywood than Bruce Lee, who proudly carried his heritage beyond the borders of his country.
Jackie Chan
Following Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan is the next Asian figure who made it big in Hollywood with his karate skills, which he choreographed in his films. Chan happens to be another figure from the Chinese industry who proudly remained attached to his roots while gaining international fame in the Hollywood industry.
Lana Condor
The Vietnamese-American actress made her big-screen debut in X-Men Apocalypse but it was Netflix where she gained her true stardom. She played the famous role of Lara Jean Covey from To All The Boys Saga. She is one of the on-screen characters who is a perfect role model for young girls everywhere.
Dev Patel
The British-Indian actor made a smashing award-winning performance in the film Slumdog Millionaire. Some of his other projects also include the television series, The Newsroom, and popular films such as The Last Airbender, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and Lion, where he had earned a nomination for the Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actor category.
Janel Parrish
The Chinese-American actress made a remarkable performance as Mona Vanderwaal in the television series Pretty Little Liars. Post that she played the loving Covey sister, Margot, in To All The Boys saga.
Charles Melton
Quite recently, the half-Korean actor talked about the struggle he had with his identity. Charles Melton is popular for his performance as Reggie Mantle in Riverdale. At present, in the series, his character represents the dark side of the town that wants to see Riverdale go down in the drains.
Claudia Kim
Remember the woman who created Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron? This South Korean actress had been one of the vital characters of Marvel's Avenger franchise and had been highly regarded by Tony Stark. She also played Nagini in the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
Kunal Nayyar
If every cloud has a silver lining then every science gang has an Indian guy. Kunal Nayyar plays the lovable astrophysicist Rajesh Koothrappali in The Big Bang Theory. Sheldon Cooper may be the strange science guy, but Rajesh is the lovable man who has trouble speaking to a woman.
Priyanka Chopra
You cannot get enough of Priyanka Chopra. Just when a few west-based journalists, media outlets try to bring down this desi girl, Priyanka manages to climb back on top with dignity. It's as if she owns that spot.
Ever since she tied the knot with Nick Jonas she has been called the global scam artist and quite recently an entertainment journalist from Australia questioned if she had enough credibility to be at prestigious events such as the Oscars, Emmy, Golden Globe. PeeCee does not get into ugly fights but rises back in power with dignity.
Freida Pinto
Freida made her groundbreaking performance with Slumdog Millionaire. Since then she had also starred in You Will Find A Tall Dark Stranger, The Mindy Project and made a remarkable performance in Love Sonia. In her off-screen life, she is a style icon too.
Mindy Kaling
Do you laugh your lungs out when you watch The Office, Never Have I Ever? If yes then thank this woman who makes series that is funny and watchable. Mindy Kaling is a woman with a sense of humor so wide and knowledgeable that even the funniest comedians have borrowed her ideas.
