It’s no secret that Asians are woefully underrepresented in American Cinema, but that thinking has started to shift in the last few years. This is especially true afer the majority-Asian cast Crazy Rich Asians became the most successful rom-com in decades. According to Vice.com, there are a slew of blockbuster movies coming out soon with Asian lead characters. We’re even about to see our first Asian Marvel Super Hero. In the past, Hollywood has seen backlash for constantly whitewashing films, removing Asian actors from source materials and casting white Americans to take their places. It seems that Hollywood is starting to see the power of the Asian American market. Here are 6 Asian actors who have appeared in gambling and casino movies over the years.
#1. Aaron Yoo
Aaron Yoo is a Korean American actor who was born in Dallas, TX. He has been in several feature films such as Disturbia, Friday The 13th (2009), and the gambling movie 21. The movie 21, based on a true story, is about a group of MIT students who learn to count cards in Black Jack with the intent to steal money from casinos. The movie sparked controversy over their decision to whitewash the cast with Hollywood A-list actors like Kevin Spacey when in reality most of the people involved were Asian. There were a few Asian characters cast though and Aaron Yoo is one of them. He has most recently worked in TV shows like Hawaii 5-0. The movie 21 features great casino scenes and lots of high stakes blackjack action.
#2. Kieu Chinh
The same movie, 21, also stared Kieu Chinh who is a celebrated actress from Vietnam. Her 60-year career in TV and film made her a big success with Asian audiences. She used her fame to become an influential humanitarian, lecturer, and philanthropist. Her other roles include MASH, The Joy Luck Club, and 21. She even won an Emmy award for a documentary that was made about her life. She is the co-founder and co-chair of the Vietnam Children’s Fund. Her life has been full of both acting and humanitarian acts of kindness and bravery. She is a fantastic role model for women.
#3. Chow Yun-fat
One of the most well-known Asian-American action stars, Chow Yun-fat was born in 1955 in Hong Kong. He has an impressive 115 acting credits from Asian and American films. He hit the Hollywood scene as part of several of John Woo’s high-octane action movies. Some of his notable American movie credits include Anna and the King, Pirates of the Carribean, and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. He has many Asian gambling and casino movies including Gods of Gambling, and From Vegas to Macau. Macau is an Asian rival to Vegas and in fact, some of the most wealthy casinos in the world are actually in Macau. It’s a well-known fact that some of the world’s most prolific gamblers are from the East.
#4. Tsai Chin
China-born actress Tsai Chin is one of the few Asain stars to make it big in the US during a time of sparse Asian representation, according to an article in the LA Times. Her decades-long career spanned several continents and saw her in theater, films, TV, and even recording studios. She was a Bond girl in the ’60s in You Only Live Twice and then many years later she appeared in another Bond movie, Casino Royale. In addition to that daring casino movie, she was also in The Joy Luck Club, Grey’s Anatomy, and Agents of S.h.i.e.l.d. productions. Born in China in 1933, her father was an actor and singer in the famous Peking Opera. She is a vocal promoter of Asain representation in film. You may have noticed that The Joy Luck Club appears many times on this list, that is because it has one of the few films of previous decades that featured an almost all-Asian cast.
#5. Jackie Chan
You can’t have a list of influential Asian actors and not include Jackie Chan! Jackie Chan, born Chan Kong-sang in Hong Kong, has been in over 150 films and is the most recognizable Asian actor in the world. Forbes puts his net worth at over 350 million dollars and in 2016 he was named as the second-highest-paid actor in the world. Known for impressive martial arts and perfect comedic timing, he is an actor, singer, stunt man, and martial artist. He’s been in a lot of movies but a few even had casino scenes like Skiptrace and Rush Hour 2 and 3. Jackie Chan is truly a pop culture icon and beloved by many all over the world, not only in China or the US.
#6. Qin Shaobo
Although not usually an actor, Qin Shaobo has the distinction of being in one of the most celebrated casino heist movies in history. The Oceans 11 franchise that started as a remake of an old rat-pack movie, gained huge popularity and spawned two sequels and a spin-off movie. Shaobo was in all of them. In Ocean’s 11, Danny Ocean puts together a rag-tag crew to pull off the biggest and most daring casino heist ever. He plans to rob not one Vegas casino but three! In the movie, they pull off a series of con acts and special effects, for which they need a keen acrobat to pull off their plan. That’s where Qin Shaobo comes in. He is an accomplished acrobat and contortionist. He was a performing member of the Peking Acrobat company when he was spotted by a casting director for the film. He has not gone on to do other movies but because of the Ocean’s trilogy success, he has become a recognizable actor in a casino movie.
Sharon Blake, from Online Casino Gems, says that “Asian culture is rich in gambling mythology, from feng shui to numerology, and ripe for exploring on TV and in film.” I think we’ll be seeing a lot more Asian actors gracing the big screen in 2020 and beyond.
