Hollywood
February 26, 2013
What?!! An Asian American male star in a Hollywood movie that isn't a Kung Fu film?
Justin Chon ("Twilight"), steps into the spotlight as the lead character in the comedy 21 and Over, opening in theaters nationwide March 1.
Chon, 31, was born in Garden Grove in Orange County, California, and was raised in Irvine, California. He attended business school at the University of Southern California. At age 20, Chon began taking acting lessons, inspired by growing up watching his father in black and white films. His father is a former child actor from South Korea.
AsianConnections' Suzanne Joe Kai chatted with Justin about his new role, breaking stereotypes, and what's next in his fast-rising career. (For the full interview transcript click on the blue headline link above.)
Justin: Hey Suzanne, thank you.
Suzanne: You’re right from Orange County, California!
Justin: Yeah, Irvine. Yeah, born and raised. I was born in Garden Grove Hospital.
Suzanne: Can you describe your role in your new film 21 and Over coming out in theaters March 1, 2013?
New York City
stop. reset., a new play written and directed by Regina Taylor which has performances in The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center in New York through September 29, 2013, tackles powerful questions of legacy, identity and survival in a world where the real and the virtual are more closely tied than we think.
Photo by Joan Marcus of Teagle F Bougere as Chris, LaTanya Richardson Jackson as Jan, Donald Sage Mackay as Tim and Michi Barall as Deb in Signature Theatre’s world premiere of Regina Taylor’s stop. reset.
Photo by Lia Chang of Ismael Cruz Cordova in stop. reset, written and directed by Regina Taylor.
In stop.reset.,
e-books
are
outselling
printed
books,
and
Alex
Ames
(Carl
Lumbly),
the
owner
of
Chicago’s
oldest
African
American
book
publishing
company,
is
faced
with
the
task
of
questioning
each
of
his
employees,
Deb
(Michi
Barall),
Chris
(Teagle
Bougere),
Jan
(LaTanya
Richardson
Jackson)
and
Tim
(Donald
Sage
MacKay),
to
determine
who
is
still
relevant
in
a
rapidly
changing
world.
When
he
meets
J
(Ismael
Cruz
Cordova),
a
mysterious
youth
plugged
into
the
future,
Mr.
Ames
is
forced
to
discover
just
how
far
he
will
go
to
survive.
Photo by Lia Chang of castmembers LaTanya Richardson Jackson and Michi Barall starring in Regina Taylor’s stop. reset. on September 21, 2013.
Photo of Lia Chang of Michi Barall.
Congrats to Kristi Yamaguchi and her husband, NHL player Bret Hedican on the birth of their second daughter Emma Yoshiko.
Congrats to Kristi Yamaguchi and her husband, NHL player Bret Hedican on the birth of their second daughter Emma Yoshiko. The Olympic Gold medal figure skater gave birth on Nov. 17 in Raleigh, N.C, according to the News and Observer. Their first daughter, Keara, is 2.
Ang Lee Becomes the First Asian to Receive a Best Director Oscar for Brokeback Mountain
When Taiwanese-born filmmaker Ang Lee accepted his Best Director Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain"at the 78th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles tonight, he became the first Asian to win the coveted prize.
Making his mark on the Hollywood scene with his films "The Wedding Banquet" and "Eat Drink Man Woman," he earned back-to-back Oscar nominations for foreign-language film for 1993 and 94.
Since then, Lee has spanned numerous genres including the Jane Austen costume romance "Sense and Sensibility", a best-picture nominee, "The Ice Storm", "Ride With the Devil", a Western, and the martial-arts epic "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", which won the Oscar for foreign-language film five years ago.
His Crouching Tiger follow-up was the comic-book adaptation Hulk, an unusual commercial departure for the independent-minded director.
"Brokeback Mountain" also won Oscars for best original score and best adapted screenplay.