Just so you know, not every Asian in Hollywood is Steven Yeun.
The actor joined Armie Hammer and Jermaine Fowler, who are all starring in the upcoming sci-fi film “Sorry to Bother You,” on Wired’s Autocomplete series, and the three were asked some of the interweb’s most-searched questions about themselves.
Based on the frequently Googled questions about Yeun, which included ″Is Steven Yeun in the Jake from State Farm commercial?” and “Was Steven Yeun in Raiders of the Lost Ark?” people seem to think the dude pretty much occupies every Asian role ever.
“This is why we need more Asian people on the fuckin’ screen, man,” Yeun, who’s in neither, lamented. “Everybody thinks I play all the Asian people on television. They think I play all of them.”
Joking that he’s been mistaken for an elderly Asian person or woman, he added, “I’m, like, ‘That guy’s 80 years old,’ or ‘That guy’s not a guy.’”
Yeun remains one of the few recognizable Asian-American faces in Hollywood. For years, the entertainment industry has failed to make significant progress in including more Asian talent on screen. A study of diversity in Hollywood revealed that barely more than 3 percent of film roles in 2016 went to Asian actors. White actors, on the other hand, nabbed more than 78 percent. On scripted shows on broadcast TV, 5 percent of the roles during the 2015-2016 season went to Asian actors, whereas 66 percent went to white actors. And the numbers are even worse when looking at scripted shows on cable.
Yeun has managed to make a name for himself in the difficult landscape, even becoming one of three Asian male actors to appear by themselves on the cover of Entertainment Weekly since its first issue.
After Yeun was asked what his “special message” is, he concluded by saying, “Live your life, be comfortable with yourself, also I’m not all the Asians on TV.”
Both Hammer and Fowler received some silly questions as well. Hammer was asked, “Does Armie Hammer where does he live?” ― an inquiry chock-full of grammatical sins and creepy vibes. And Fowler was asked if he is “related to D.L. Hughley,” which the actor credited to his jawline and hair.
Hopefully, after watching the video, people will finally learn that Asians (in Hollywood) do not all look the same ― or just aren’t the same person.