How 21 AAPI Roles Deepened Cultural Pride

Hold onto your venti pumps—I’m absolutely wired after inhaling this roundup of 21 roles that made Asian and Pacific Islander actors feel like they’d won the cultural heritage lottery! Picture Michelle Yeoh, Constance Wu, Simu Liu, Kelly Marie Tran and a whole squad of trailblazers finally seeing themselves on-screen in ways that felt like a sweaty, joyous hug from generations past. Michelle Yeoh revealed to People Magazine that slipping into that silk qipao in Everything Everywhere All at Once was like time-traveling into her grandmother’s photo album, complete with whispered advice and the faint scent of jasmine. Meanwhile Constance Wu spilled to The Hollywood Reporter that channeling Jessica Huang in Fresh Off the Boat unleashed all her Mandarin and Cantonese love letters to Mom and Dad—yes, she screamed “BOOM SHAKA LAKA” in three dialects and felt right at home.

Simu Liu dropped a bomb in Variety when he fessed up that practicing kung fu choreography for Shang-Chi reignited his childhood studio days in Vancouver (picture cartoon stars cartwheeling in the background). Over at People, Awkwafina confessed that filming The Farewell with real Chinese family ceremonies had her singing karaoke in Mandarin for the first time—and yes, she nailed every note like a pro. Kelly Marie Tran admitted in The Hollywood Reporter that voicing Raya gave her daily flashbacks to her grandmother’s folk tales, so much so that she memorized entire chapters of Vietnamese proverbs between takes.

But wait—there’s more caffeinated goodness! Mindy Kaling’s Late Night debut wasn’t just a rom-com cameo; she told Entertainment Weekly it was her way of threading sari-inspired costumes into a prime-time celebration of Indo-Desi heritage. Sandra Oh casually mentioned to Variety that playing Eve Polastri in Killing Eve gave her the freedom to explore her Korean roots via clandestine subtitles and occasional Hanbok pop-ins for badass dinner parties. Daniel Dae Kim says starring in Hawaii Five-0 felt like a family reunion—surfing, poi-ball chases, and all—because it spotlighted native Hawaiian culture alongside his own Korean-American upbringing (Interview with TV Guide).

This list also highlights indie treasures: Steven Yeun’s tear-jerking turns in Minari made him reminisce about his family’s Arkansas garden, as he shared with IndieWire, and the cast of Pachinko revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that filming in Nagasaki was like living inside a living history book. We can’t skip Henry Golding’s Crazy Rich Asians sparkle, Ken Jeong’s comedic bloodlines flaunted in Dr. Ken, nor Lana Condor’s sweet reinvention of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before as a full-on Vietnamese drama (she told Bustle she learned more Vietnamese on set than in college).

Every pick here isn’t just a credit—it’s a neon billboard screaming “I belong!” to anyone craving representation. Trust me, I could keep sprinting through this list of cinematic love letters all day. I swear I need a triple-shot espresso just to pace myself. Whew! That cultural roller coaster needs a nap break.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, IndieWire
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed