Sandra Ohâs headline-grabbing appearance at the 2019 Golden Globe Awards is being described as a âwatershedâ moment for Asians in Hollywood.
âI think itâs going to mean that young people, especially those who are thinking about pursuing a career in entertainment, theyâll think more now that itâs possible,â Phoenix-based Associated Press journalist Terry Tang, who covers race and ethnicity, told ŰÎŰ´ŤĂ˝ Channel on Monday.
When Oh, a Korean-Canadian actor, co-hosted the Golden Globes on Sunday alongside American actor Andy Samberg, she became the first person of Asian descent to host a major U.S. awards show.
At the Beverly Hills event, Oh also publicly celebrated the diversity of the nominated casts.
âI wanted to be here to look out on this audience and witness this moment of change,â Oh told the audience after a zinger-filled opener. âI am not fooling myself. Next year could be different. But right now this moment is real.â
Shortly after, Oh even won best actress in a TV drama for âKilling Eve.â In her emotional acceptance speech, she told her parents that she loved them in Korean.
âIt was the first time, I think, since 1981 that an Asian woman won in that category,â Tang said. âAnd then just the fact that she got to acknowledge her parents⌠in her native Korean and sort of acknowledge that side of her -- you donât see that that often just because there arenât that many Asian nominees. That seems to be sporadic over the years but I think thatâs going to change.â
When Oh gave a bow to her ecstatic parents, Tang added that âa lot of Asian-Americans (and) Asian-Canadians who were watching probably saw their parents in that too and so there was that sense of pride of representation.â
Although it netted no awards on Sunday, the film âCrazy Rich Asiansâ had received two nominations, which Tang called a âbig boostâ for Asians in Hollywood.
âThe last time that an all Asian-led film got major nominations⌠was 1962, when âFlower Drum Songâ was nominated,â Tang explained. âAnd this time itâs also just different because this was a movie that was directed by an Asian-American and one of the screenwriters was Asian-American and (it) was based on a book by an Asian author. So the fact that it was behind-the-scenes as well⌠was a big deal.â
During the Golden Globes, Oh even cracked a joke about Hollywood whitewashing, saying at one point that âCrazy Rich Asiansâ was âthe first studio film with an Asian-American lead since 'Ghost in the Shell' and 'Aloha.ââ
The latterâs female lead, Emma Stone, a Caucasian actor who controversially portrayed a person of mixed Asian, Hawaiian and American ancestry in the 2015 film, could then be heard shouting âIâm sorry!â from audience, to which Oh crossed her hands over heart and looked at Stone to acknowledge the apology.
Cast members from âKimâs Convenienceâ -- a Canadian sitcom that follows a convenience store owning Korean-Canadian family -- joined CTVâs Your Morning on Monday to promote their third season and talk about the Golden Globes.
Jean Yoon, who plays the family matriarch on the show, called Ohâs âlittle reference to the whole whitewashing controversyâ and Stoneâs response âso perfect.â
âItâs like OK, weâve gotten past⌠it,â Yoon said of the whitewashing debate. âTheyâre creating and Sandra Oh is there, you know, doing her work and getting her just rewards.â
As for Ohâs night, Yoon said that âshe just totally killed it as a hostess, but then to see her win was so satisfying.â
âWhat I really love too is the fact that sheâs actually using her position to use her voice as well,â Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, who portrays Yoonâs husband on the show, added. âPeople are listening to her, sheâs in focus and sheâs using her powers for good in a sense, right? Like, sheâs being very, very supportive of a community that has been unsupported and without a voice for so long. And to have that sort of a stage and to take advantage of that in order to express something is a tremendous boon for all of us, so itâs very much appreciated.â
For Simu Liu, who plays Yoon and Leeâs on-screen son, Ohâs award acceptance speech was inspirational.
âI think itâs all of our goals, certainly for me one day to be on that stage to be able to thank my parents as well,â he said.
Similar sentiments are being expressed across the entertainment industry.
âIâve talked to a couple people whoâve been around in the business for a while, Asian-Americans, and I think thereâs a bit of a sense of envy because they think itâs a real interesting and watershed time,â Tang said. âIn one way, they wish that they had that when they were younger. So I think itâs going to mean more people pursuing not just onscreen pursuits, but behind the camera too.â
With files from The Associated Press