Asian Excellence In Plain Sight

One Does Not Need to Look Too Far

Not too long ago, I was having dinner with friends, and someone asked which actor each of us would choose to portray each other in a film about our lives.

(First of all, a film about my life would not be all that interesting—he plays piano . . . he draws a picture . . . he films something weird . . . he goes on a walk . . . he cuddles with his cat . . . he takes too many naps . . . he steals chocolate . . . he hides junk food from his husband . . . BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH.)

When someone at this dinner table was asked to choose an actor to portray me in a boring film of my life, the best answer he could come up with was Bruno Mars.

For the record, I love Bruno Mars. He is a dynamic performer and songwriter who is also half-Filipino and has more talent in his pinky finger than most folks have in their entire bodies. However, he is not an actor.

This suggestion brought back memories of being called Bruce Lee as a kid on a playground. (Those instances were intended as insults, and I internalized them as such.) Back then, as it appears to be now, there was a lack of well-known Asian male actors in the zeitgeist of popular culture in America.

This week on WPR, I wanted to take a minute to showcase a handful of Asian actors doing incredible work in the world. (Of course, not all Asians are the same, but the actors I have mentioned here stood out in my mind.)

I would be honored to have any of these artists portray me in a film about my life in which I probably do not cuddle with my cats all that much.

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1. Steven Yeun
   

   

In 2020, Steven Yeun was nominated for an Oscar in a leading role for his portrayal of a hopeful and struggling Korean immigrant farmer and father in middle America in the film Minari. It was a sweet, graceful, and understated performance.

This past year, he won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his lead role in the Netflix dark comedy Beef. He is immensely talented.

2. Riz Ahmed

   

   Riz Ahmed was the first Muslim and South Asian/British Pakistani actor to win a Primetime Emmy (for his lead role in the HBO limited series The Night Of). In 2021, he was nominated for an Oscar for the film Sound of Metal (also the first nomination in a leading role for someone with his background). He is one of those actors who is capable of doing astonishingly good work. I can imagine him winning an Oscar someday.
   

3. Dev Patel

   

   Patel has acted in the movies Skins, Slumdog Millionaire, The Last Airbender, Hotel Mumbai, Modern Love, and The Green Knight. In 2023, he joined the cast of two of Wes Anderson's short films adapting Roald Dahl stories. I have enjoyed his performances in everything he’s been in.
   

I could go on and on, but thankfully, we do not just have Bruce Lee or another talented martial arts actor as our only frame of reference anymore. Pakistani and Middle Eastern actors are not just being offered roles as terrorists these days. Men of color are getting picked for substantive roles and earning the recognition they deserve.

(I cast myself as a vampire in my own music video when I could have easily hired a white actor to do it.)

Asian excellence is blooming everywhere. One does not have to look very far to see it.

Of course, in mainstream Hollywood, for every Steven Yeun or Riz Ahmed, there is a Timothee Chalamet, Ryan Gosling, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey, Hugh Jackman, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Michael Fassbender, Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Affleck, Jack Gyllenhaal, Jeremy Renner, James McAvoy, Tom Hardy, Tom Hanks, Benedict Cumberbatch, Russell Crowe, Liam Neeson, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, Robert DeNiro, Christian Bale, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Holland . . .

Okay, maybe you have to look a little farther and deeper, but these less common, special blooms are vibrant, potent, and rich with talent.

A film about my life (with cat-cuddling, chocolate-stealing, and so much napping) would welcome the boost.

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PS: So many of you have watched my Vampire music video, and I am SOOOO grateful!

I have put a TON of energy into this song and music video. It would mean the world to me if you can share it with friends and on social media. Here are links you can copy and paste:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/dagETLM1b78

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/music-video/vampire/1724655636

Tidal Video: https://tidal.com/browse/video/338777907

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You can hear my new song, Vampire, on every major streaming platform including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Tidal.

Give it a listen, share it, and add it to a playlist if you want. Search for Roqué Marcelo or visit any of the following links:

Spotify
Apple Music
Tidal
Amazon Music
Deezer

Other music sites where you can hear it include Anghami, MediaNet, Boomplay, Instagram/Facebook, Adaptr, Flo, iHeartRadio, Claro Música, iTunes, Joox, KKBox, Kuack Media, NetEase, Qobuz, Pandora, Saavn, Tencent, TikTok/TikTok Music/Resso/Luna, and Yandex Music (beta).

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This week, I attended the opening night performance of a play called I Am My Own Wife at the Backdoor Playhouse in Cookeville, TN. This Pulitzer Prize-winning play tells the true story of a transgender woman openly and defiantly living in WWII-era Germany. A few of my friends were in the cast and crew, and I loved seeing the whole production unfold. It was a healthy reminder of the commitment and attention to detail one needs to put a creative project of this scale in motion. I am always inspired when I get to witness other artists work in their craft.

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To listen to my music, watch my films, or see my visual art, please visit:

www.roquemarcelo.com

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