As her career unfolds, she becomes the story-teller for the next generation, by creating authentic stories with Asian leads and playing multifaceted Asian characters just as we see in real life. If Jing’s ambition and aptitude is any indication, the future for Asians in the media is bright.

How did you land your role in Crazy Rich Asians?

It was a pretty standard process considering the revolutionary impact the movie would go on to have. The casting director Terri Taylor called me to have a Skype audition for Amanda, and that was it. This process went on for about a year, as they had previously asked me to audition for Rachel in the summer, Astrid in December, and finally Amanda a month before we began filming. They really scouted the earth; it was a pretty epic endeavor. Jon Chu later told me that they’d seen some great actors during the casting, and were intent on having them in the movie even if in a different role. A few of us ended up playing roles we didn’t audition for – and it’s the biggest compliment the movie found a home for us within.

Do you believe the success of Crazy Rich Asians was a litmus test for Asians’ financial value in the film industry, and proved to Hollywood that diversity should be invested in?

Yes, and I’m glad it passed with flying colors. However, it may not have had the same outcome if different people were involved in the film. Jon Chu and the producers, Nina Jacobson, John Penotti and Kevin Kwan had a very strong vision for the movie from the start, and made some very hard decisions to preserve its integrity, such as choosing Warner Bro’s theatrical release deal over Netflix’s triple movie deal. If our creatives were motivated by other factors, such as financial gain and convenience, the world could have seen a very different film. But our guys knew the importance of needing to pride quality and authenticity above all else. When Jon signed on, he said to the studio, “You know you need to prioritize casting, right? The cast is the most important thing about the film.” So with the combination of everybody, down to the cinematography, down to the costumes, everything, was what made it so synergistically successful.

The fear of course, was that we knew if the film bombed, people would turn around and use it as an excuse to say: “You see, no one wants to see Asians on screen, so let’s never do that again.” We would forever have felt like this is the film that killed it for all Asians. What a legacy to carry!

But we all knew, when we were making it, that we were making history. Even talking about it now, I’ve got goosebumps. We could feel it in the joy, the energy, and the way people put everything into it. The passion was palpable. The environment was very collaborative, which you do not get on every project. On Crazy Rich Asians, we were actually happy to work overtime! When we filmed in Langkawifor the Samsara Island bachelorette party scene, upon wrap, we would walk all of five meters, sit on the beach, drink beers and chat for hours. No one was in a rush to get home. When we filmed the night shoots in Singapore, we would wrap at dawn, go back to the hotel and all have breakfast together. When you have some of the funniest people amongst you, Awkwafina, Ronny Chieng, Jimmy O Yang, Nico Santos, you never stop laughing. And we’re still very close to this day. I’ve always said, if the audience could feel just a fraction of what we felt making it, the film was going to be a success. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Do you feel that being British-Chinese has influenced your identity growing up, and does it relate at all to Crazy Rich Asians’take on cultural clash – East vs West?

 I was 15 when I was first returning to China since I left. It definitely was a strange feeling. On one hand, it felt like a homecoming. On the other, I felt like a total stranger. There’s a phenomenon where you look like you should belong (as I do in China), but yet are so divorced from the culture – and language. I have the body of a Chinese adult but with the linguistic skills of a 5-year-old – the age I left. There, people would speak to me as if I’m a smart native woman and it’s embarrassing when I have to explain I don’t understand them, or that I am not used to the local customs. That’s when I really feel the culture clash.

Do producers, directors, or writers listen to you when you raise concerns surrounding potentially offensive material?

There are certainly creatives who are very approachable and embracing of actor’s opinions, especially if they are concerns relating to representation. However, it is surprising how non-Asian creatives will justify their use of derogatory material toward my character or toward an Asian character. In these instances, I find myself at a bit of a loss. I think, what do you need me to say, apart from the fact that it’s offensive, it’s directed at me and I’m telling you as an Asian that it hurts my feelings? Whilst I am aware I am not a spokesperson for every single Asian, I am disappointed at the level of pushback at times. I understand that producers are trying to micromanage, not let issues get to the top level and be perceived as not able to handle matters at base level. However, I flag up these concerns to protect their project. Unfortunately, most of the time people’s egos get in the way and they view it as an attack. When this happens, I bypass the middle management and go straight to the top – where it is usually a lot more receptive.

There was one incident in a TV series where the line, ‘Japanese whore’was directed at my character from a Caucasian man. I felt it extremely inappropriate and entirely irrelevant to the narrative to bring my character’s ethnicity into the scene. If it were my line in the script, it’s an easy fix as I would just not say it. But because it’s another actor’s line, it is something that has to be agreed by the production (unless the other actor is willing to stick up for you, in this case he was not). I brought this to the producer’s attentions, and the execs responded by justifying it. I explained that there was no need to insult my character in this way, as there already is a culture of acceptable racism towards Asians – for some crazy reason I cannot fathom. Racism is racism, it does not matter what race you are.

After the execs refused my request, I went straight to the showrunner. I asked her if she would refer to any of the characters of color as, ‘a Nigerian whore,’ or ‘a Jamaican whore.’ Her response was quick and short. She thanked me for my concerns, apologized for causing offence and removed the ethnic reference immediately.

 This was a three day conversation I had over my weekend. I felt so proud it worked out in the end, but I was very, very disappointed at the effort required to make such a minor but vital change.

Do Asian actors have a responsibility to correct these dilemmas?

Yes. I do think there is a level of responsibility for Asian actors, especially if they have a certain level of profile to raise these instances to the creatives. These are conversations I have all the time. They’re not easy to have, as you can see from the above example. But if we are not willing to have these conversations ourselves, then we cannot at the same time complain and moan about poor Asian representation. We cannot just rely on the more vocal advocates of our community, like Awkwafina, Gemma Chan and Benedict Wong, to change the landscape whilst others who fear for their own reputations shy away in the shadows only to reap the rewards. No. It’s a collective effort.

I realize that in Asian culture there is an element of ‘going with the flow’; that it is not encouraged to create problems or to challenge people – especially authority. This is very Confucian. However, there is a difference between being a diva and standing true to one’s integrity. These are not easy discussions to have, but they are so, so very necessary. I still see lots of Asians portraying bad characteristics on TV in the US and UK, and I wonder why these actors took these roles. Do they not understand we are at a pivotal time of change? In the last year we have seen movies like Crazy Rich Asians, Searching, Always Be My Maybeand recently Hustlers. This is bigger than us. There are huge stakes at play in our decisions right now – and those who continue to play the tropey, hackneyed stereotypes are undoing all that we have had to fight for incrementally over such a long period of time.  I get it. You want to be on TV. You want that credit. You want that paycheck, but the message you are sending by playing that role is that you, as an Asian, consentto that stereotype. And you sell out the rest of us.

Asian actors need to be so much more empowered to know – and believe – that it is totally okay to not do the shit you think you need to do. Many Asians don’t speak with an accent, yet they put one on to get or keep a part. I don’t think Asians want to do that repeatedly, or even once if it’s a bad part. If it’s not integral to the role, why do an accent? If it is integral to the role, consider why it is. Immigrants do have accents. I’m not saying let’s suspend reality for the sake of representation. If you’re playing a character seeking asylum in the UK, yes, you’ll have an accent. However – don’t just accept things at face value. Always question everything and ask yourself how you can help the representation revolution. Have the guts or integrity to say, “This is not a fair depiction; please can we find a more truthful way to portray this character more authentically.” If all stand united, the industry will have no choice but be cleverer in what they write if they want Asian visibility on their projects. We all win.