Janice Koh – Crazy Rich Asians

By starrymag | August 16, 2018

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) What are the recent projects that you have been working on?

 

A) I do a lot of theatre back in Singapore. Two recent productions are “The Father” written by and staged by Pangdemonium and “Supervision,” a new play by Singaporean playwright Thomas Lim staged by Wild Rice. My next project is a collaboration called “The Reunification of the Two Koreas” written by Joel Pommerat, which will premiere in Singapore before touring to France in November.

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for the film Crazy Rich Asians.

A) Crazy Rich Asians is a satirical romantic comedy based on the bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan. Asian American, Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), is invited to Singapore, where she meets the parents of her boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding). What she doesn’t know is that Nick hails from one of the richest families in Singapore and that she is about to step into a world of excessive wealth and opulence.

 

Q) What made you want to be a part of the movie?

 

A) When I first heard that Warner Brothers wanted to make a movie based on Kevin Kwan’s bestselling book set in Singapore, with an all-Asian cast, I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I would have been happy to play any character just to be part of it.

 

Q) How was your character Felicity Young originally described to you?

 

A) Felicity Young, together with her sister Alix (Selena Tan) and Eleanor Young (played by Michelle Yeoh), are a formidable bunch whom Rachel has to win over before gaining acceptance into Nick’s family. Director Jon M. Chu often refers to us as the “aunties” in the movie – they run the Young household and have an opinion in all matters involving the family.

 

Q) Were you familiar with any of your costars before working with them?

A) I was familiar only with the actors from Singapore and Malaysia, including the lovely Henry Golding.

 

Q) With such a large cast, was there someone(s) in particular you were looking forward to working with?

A) I was looking forward to working with Michelle Yeoh, whom I have admired since Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. As a fan of “Fresh Off the Boat,” I was also thrilled about meeting Constance Wu.

 

Q) In today’s political climate, what does it mean to you to have so many people of color as featured actors in a film?

A) I’m guessing the film’s impact in North America will be quite different from Asia. Representation is less of an issue for those who live in Asia and who have always had access great Asian cinema from Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan and so on.

 

In contrast, you rarely see Asian men and women in leading roles in Hollywood and the Asian American community has been largely invisible on the big screen and to western audiences. I think a mainstream romantic comedy like Crazy Rich Asians starring an all-Asian cast could be a very important step toward “normalizing” the Asian presence in Western cinema. Its success could shift perceptions and open more doors for Asian actors in Hollywood. Hopefully, it could also lead to greater openness and awareness of Asian films and storytelling. I suspect this shift will accelerate when we have more international content on media platforms like Netflix and Amazon. It is very exciting.

 

Q) What were some of your most memorable moments from filming, behind the scenes or in front of the camera?

A) As a cast, we spent quite a bit of time together when we were filming in Singapore and Malaysia. Off days were spent chasing down street food in KL or dim sum in Singapore and many nights were spent at the karaoke! It was great bonding time. I’ll never forget it.

 

Q) What do you think it is about Crazy Rich Asians that will make it a fast fan favorite film?

A) Visually stunning production design, a beautiful Asian main cast, classic love story with poignant performances and a generous dose of humor. You could watch it more than once!

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you’ll receive to the movie?

A) We’ve been receiving positive feedback on our social media now that advanced screenings have started and it’s awesome.

 

Q) What advice would you give up and coming actors and actresses?

 

A) Keep pursuing what you love and don’t give up prematurely because you never know what doors might open for you.