Jon M. Chu on Brenda Song’s Claim She’s Not ‘Asian Enough’ for ‘Crazy Rich Asians’: ‘It’s Gross’
The director debunks the ‘Social Network’ star’s assertion that she couldn’t audition for the movie because her image wasn’t ‘Asian enough,’ saying he’s a fan of hers.
AceShowbiz –
Jon M. Chu has reacted to Brenda Song‘s claim that she wasn’t allowed to audition for “Crazy Rich Asians” because she was considered not “Asian enough.” The movie’s director took to Twitter on Wednesday, November 20 to deny that he would think that way of her.
“Nope. I love @BrendaSong and that sucks if anything of that nature was ever communicated. It’s gross actually,” he wrote in reply to a user asking for “justice” for Song. “The fact is, obviously I know who she is and didn’t need her to audition. I’m a fan of hers! Nothing more nothing less. Bums me out she thought it was anything but.”
Chu added in another tweet, “would these words ever come out of my mouth? Nope makes no sense. I feel horrible she thinks this is the reason. The fact is I love Brenda Song and am a fan. I didn’t need her to audition because I already knew who she was!”
In an interview with Teen Vogue, Song revealed that she learned from her managers that the production crew of the 2018 hit romantic comedy movie didn’t consider her for a role. “Their reasoning behind that, what they said was that my image was basically not Asian enough, in not so many words,” said the 31-year-old actress.
He went recalling, “I said, ‘This character is in her late to mid-20s, an Asian American, and I can’t even audition for it? I’ve auditioned for Caucasian roles my entire career, but this specific role, you’re not going to let me do it? You’re going to fault me for having worked my whole life?’ I was like, ‘Where do I fit?’ ”
“I got myself together and said, ‘Brenda, there is only one you, and you can’t change who you are. You can’t change your past.’ I am so grateful for every job that I’ve done,” she shared. “All I can do is continue to put good auditions out there, do the best that I can – that’s all I can ask for.”