Golden age for Hollywood's Asian leading men

New generation of cinema stars upturns traditional notions of macho male leads

GettyImages-1820974032.jpg

Former child star Ke Huy Quan quit acting for 20 years after struggling to find work in Hollywood. He returned with a bang in 2022, becoming the first Vietnamese refugee to win a best actor Oscar for "Everything Everywhere All at Once." © Getty Images

LIEN HOANG

Looking at Hollywood in the past year, some of the films and shows that most captivated audiences have centered on Asian casts and stories.

FX's "Shogun" (2024), which takes the operatic cinematography of filmmaking and applies it to the small screen in depicting feudal Japan, led July's Emmy nominations, with 25. Netflix's "Beef" (2023), a comedy series that takes a feud too far, won best actor (Steven Yeun) and best actress (Ali Wong) at this year's Golden Globes. A24's "Past Lives" (2023), a film about South Korean friends reuniting, won over critics by subtly breaking our hearts.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.