‘Wu Assassins’ Star Lewis Tan is Assassinating Asian Male Stereotypes
The show, which drops next week, stars Indonesian actor Iko Uwais (“The Night Comes for Us”), along with Hong Kong American star Byron Mann (“Blood and Water”) and British American actor Lewis Tan (“Into the Badlands”).
In an interview with NextShark, Tan, who plays Lu Xin Lee, revealed interesting details on his casting and character, whom he described as someone with “major identity issues.”
“I had just finished 11 months filming ‘Into the Badlands’ when I landed in Los Angeles and my agents sent me the breakdown for Lu Xin Lee, the character I play. At this time I didn’t know who was involved, just that he was an Asian American gangster set in modern times.”
“I sent in a tape I filmed in my kitchen eating noodles and had a long conversation with our showrunner John Wirth. After hearing his vision and passion, I had to be a part of it.”
“Why do we need the fancy car, the designer jewelry? We feel the need for validation from strangers. We want to be loved, understood, valued. The more we stop and ask ourselves why the more we can get to the raw naked truth. Everything revolves around love or fear. Whichever motivates your thoughts, you will manifest.”
“There is a stereotype created long ago that Asian men are not attractive or masculine. Even recently, Steve Harvey made those comments on his show, in this modern time.”
“I am happy to help break those lies and open up a new and more accurate way of thinking. I train a lot, not for vanity purposes but because I love martial arts.
“I mix up my training with different styles: Muay Thai, boxing, weapons, kung fu, and sparring. I add in weight training, calisthenics, yoga, meditation, and full-body recovery.”
“If I am on vacation or traveling and I see an amazing dessert or a fat-heavy food, I will eat it. It is important to be happy, let yourself live, but don’t overindulge. It is the same with all good things in life. Balance, but as far as being attractive goes, it is all in knowing yourself, embracing who you are and being kind — nothing more attractive than that.”
“Everyday was a riot. I mean that the entire cast got along like a big family. We would play tricks and pranks on each other, show up on set when we weren’t filming just to support each other, train together, eat together and celebrate together. This is a first, for this many Asian actors to be together in a modern original Netflix series.”
He especially grew close to Uwais, who allegedly enjoys singing and dancing in their makeup trailer.
“We knew and felt like it was bigger than us. We came together to do great work, not just for our series, but to open doors for generations to come. I have too many funny stories — remind me to post the video of Iko Uwais doing karaoke and dancing in the makeup trailer. I will be risking my life, so if something happens to me you know where to look.”
“I am excited to be acting at times like this. I want to be remembered for good work and not just for working. I choose carefully and end up turning down a lot of offers. Legacy is my main intention.”
However, he pointed out that his ethnicity neither defines him nor his work.
“Film is a powerful medium, arguably the most globally influential art form if you look at past history. It has changed lives, laws, and cultures. I don’t take it lightly. Being Asian is something I was born with, but it doesn’t define me or my work. As an artist, we all want the work to come first — how I am identified should be of less importance. That is the goal here: show people we are much similar then it may seem; the power of unity and understanding.”
“When you watch films, you see a reflection of what society is thinking or saying. You begin to believe those ideas and narratives to be universally true, even if they are not. That is why it is dangerous.
“If a young Asian kid sees 100 films where the young Asian kid is a nerd, how do you think he is going to feel? He is going to feel like people perceive him as a nerd. He begins to believe those things, and eventually, that mindset will manifest into reality with him accepting it.
“People at school watch the same films, so they have a similar perspective when they see this kid. It is a cycle.”
Nonetheless, Tan is proud of the work he has accomplished so far.
“When I see the response to my work, it makes me proud to represent a different perspective. When I meet fans or kids at Comic-Con or wherever, it makes me proud to have suffered so much loss, failure, and rejection. I see their faces and it is all worth it.”
“Wu Assassins” streams August 8 on Netflix.
Featured Images via Instagram / @lewistanofficial
Credit : nextshark.com
Source Link : https://nextshark.com/lewis-tan-wu-assassins/
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