Image Source: Jonny Marlow / Photo Illustration by Aly Lim
Diversity does not equal representation, an unfortunate truth many Asian and Asian American actors in Hollywood have grappled with for decades. When Sherry Cola realized she'd been cast as a lead actor in "Joy Ride," which hit theaters on July 7, the mental shift required to process the reality of the situation was jarring.
"There was a moment where Ashley [Park] and I had a really long day, and the two of us were in the van, going back to our hotel, and we were so tired because it'd been like 12 hours of filming this incredible, rare film," Cola tells Popsugar. "And I tell Ashley, 'Wow, everything we've filmed so far is important, like every scene is a big scene.' I was just in shock, reflecting, and she looks at me and says, 'I guess this is what it's like to be a lead.
Diversity does not equal representation, an unfortunate truth many Asian and Asian American actors in Hollywood have grappled with for decades. When Sherry Cola realized she'd been cast as a lead actor in "Joy Ride," which hit theaters on July 7, the mental shift required to process the reality of the situation was jarring.
"There was a moment where Ashley [Park] and I had a really long day, and the two of us were in the van, going back to our hotel, and we were so tired because it'd been like 12 hours of filming this incredible, rare film," Cola tells Popsugar. "And I tell Ashley, 'Wow, everything we've filmed so far is important, like every scene is a big scene.' I was just in shock, reflecting, and she looks at me and says, 'I guess this is what it's like to be a lead.
- 7/7/2023
- by Chanel Vargas
- Popsugar.com
Image Source: Getty / Rodin Eckenroth, Greg Doherty, Alberto E. Rodriguez / Photo Illustration by Aly Lim
From day one of filming "Joy Ride," Sherry Cola, Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu stepped onto set as a family. Dropped into the middle of a whirlwind drug smuggling operation in the film, the cast found themselves in the wilderness, laughing and screaming as they painted a chaotic story of found family and friendship.
Their own friendship was forged during late-night shoots in the freezing cold and long afternoons spent rehearsing their K-pop choreography. "We're all just, like, so chaotic in the best way, you know. We all speak the same language of chaos," Cola tells Popsugar as part of our Apia Heritage Month package celebrating friendship. "I really hope there's a gag reel because we couldn't stop laughing. There are so many moments that I just remember, like, not keeping it together.
From day one of filming "Joy Ride," Sherry Cola, Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu stepped onto set as a family. Dropped into the middle of a whirlwind drug smuggling operation in the film, the cast found themselves in the wilderness, laughing and screaming as they painted a chaotic story of found family and friendship.
Their own friendship was forged during late-night shoots in the freezing cold and long afternoons spent rehearsing their K-pop choreography. "We're all just, like, so chaotic in the best way, you know. We all speak the same language of chaos," Cola tells Popsugar as part of our Apia Heritage Month package celebrating friendship. "I really hope there's a gag reel because we couldn't stop laughing. There are so many moments that I just remember, like, not keeping it together.
- 5/31/2023
- by Chanel Vargas
- Popsugar.com
Image Source: AppleTV+ / Hulu / Netflix / Photo Illustration by Aly Lim
"Never Have I Ever," "You," "Ginny & Georgia," "Insecure," "Ted Lasso," "Sex Education" - streamers have created an ongoing watchlist of shows normalizing conversations around mental health and therapy onscreen. In "Ted Lasso," an entire men's soccer team is introduced to the benefits of psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, thanks to a sports psychologist named Dr. Sharon (Sarah Niles). In "Insecure," we see Molly (Yvonne Orji) confront questions of ambition with the help of a Black woman therapist - played by Denise Yvonne Dowse - who helps her re-examine her desires. And in "Tiny Beautiful Things," starring Kathryn Hahn, we learn that therapists aren't just people who help us through our struggles; their lives are equally complex on the other side of the notepad.
Speaking with Popsugar, Maria Sosa, Lmft, Lia Mancao, Lcsw, and Mariel Buqué, PhD, a licensed trauma...
"Never Have I Ever," "You," "Ginny & Georgia," "Insecure," "Ted Lasso," "Sex Education" - streamers have created an ongoing watchlist of shows normalizing conversations around mental health and therapy onscreen. In "Ted Lasso," an entire men's soccer team is introduced to the benefits of psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, thanks to a sports psychologist named Dr. Sharon (Sarah Niles). In "Insecure," we see Molly (Yvonne Orji) confront questions of ambition with the help of a Black woman therapist - played by Denise Yvonne Dowse - who helps her re-examine her desires. And in "Tiny Beautiful Things," starring Kathryn Hahn, we learn that therapists aren't just people who help us through our struggles; their lives are equally complex on the other side of the notepad.
Speaking with Popsugar, Maria Sosa, Lmft, Lia Mancao, Lcsw, and Mariel Buqué, PhD, a licensed trauma...
- 5/11/2023
- by Chanel Vargas
- Popsugar.com
Image Source: Getty / Astrid Stawiarz, Steve Granitz, David Livingston and Photo Illustration: Aly Lim
Growing up, director Evelien Kong saw white people, animals, and even Coneheads in popular movies, but no Asian actors. The only Asian character who made an impression on her was the incredibly offensive and racist portrayal of a Japanese photographer by white actor Mickey Rooney in 1961's "Breakfast at Tiffany's." And when she started working behind the camera in the early 2000s, she knew of very few successful Asian directors or producers; she feared entering an already competitive industry as a Chinese woman. Years later, she's worked with stars like Miley Cyrus and Kerry Washington - but the journey hasn't always been easy or welcoming.
It's no secret that Hollywood struggles with inclusivity. Women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of color have been discriminated against for as long as the industry has existed. Sure, many things have...
Growing up, director Evelien Kong saw white people, animals, and even Coneheads in popular movies, but no Asian actors. The only Asian character who made an impression on her was the incredibly offensive and racist portrayal of a Japanese photographer by white actor Mickey Rooney in 1961's "Breakfast at Tiffany's." And when she started working behind the camera in the early 2000s, she knew of very few successful Asian directors or producers; she feared entering an already competitive industry as a Chinese woman. Years later, she's worked with stars like Miley Cyrus and Kerry Washington - but the journey hasn't always been easy or welcoming.
It's no secret that Hollywood struggles with inclusivity. Women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of color have been discriminated against for as long as the industry has existed. Sure, many things have...
- 3/8/2023
- by Sarah Fielding
- Popsugar.com
Image Sources: HBO and Illustration by Aly Lim
"White Lotus" creator Mike White has a knack for getting people riled up. The first season of the HBO series, which aired last year and focused on the privileged (and predominantly white) guests of the five-star titular resort in Hawaii and the more diverse staff who served them, prompted heated debates online about classism, imperialism, and the physics of suitcase defecation. Season two, which airs its finale Dec. 11, offers viewers another anxiety-inducing stay at the ritzy hotel - this time located in the Italian city of Taormina, Sicily - and the chance to spend time with a sliding scale of entitled vacationers played by the likes of Aubrey Plaza, Michael Imperioli, and Jennifer Coolidge, reprising her role as Tanya McQuoid, the sympathetic or insufferable socialite, depending on the day.
That's the thing about "The White Lotus": we love to watch them,...
"White Lotus" creator Mike White has a knack for getting people riled up. The first season of the HBO series, which aired last year and focused on the privileged (and predominantly white) guests of the five-star titular resort in Hawaii and the more diverse staff who served them, prompted heated debates online about classism, imperialism, and the physics of suitcase defecation. Season two, which airs its finale Dec. 11, offers viewers another anxiety-inducing stay at the ritzy hotel - this time located in the Italian city of Taormina, Sicily - and the chance to spend time with a sliding scale of entitled vacationers played by the likes of Aubrey Plaza, Michael Imperioli, and Jennifer Coolidge, reprising her role as Tanya McQuoid, the sympathetic or insufferable socialite, depending on the day.
That's the thing about "The White Lotus": we love to watch them,...
- 12/11/2022
- by Shannon Carlin
- Popsugar.com
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