By Jason Lim
Perhaps it was a part of the renegotiated KORUS FTA package, but until recently, I hadn’t realized that Korean male actors had to transform themselves into ninjas before being allowed to land a movie role in America. But apparently so, judging from Rain’s “Ninja Assassin,” Lee Byung-heon’s “Rise of the Cobra,” and, most recently, Jang Dong-gun’s “The Warrior’s Way.”
To tell you the truth, they all did a fabulous job, and the amount of work that they put in to make themselves seem authentic to the role is certainly admirable. So I wasn’t in the least bit surprised when rumors surfaced about Rain being the leading contender to play the role of Bruce Lee in the remake of the “Return of the Dragon.”
Although each movie will experience varying degrees of mainstream commercial success, there is no doubt that Korean male actors are breaking new grounds when it comes to Asian actors in Hollywood.
Or, are they? On second thought, maybe not; in essence, they are just tramping on the same path that pioneers such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan have already blazed. More precisely, they are being herded onto the same path that Lee and Chan blazed.
Not that they have many options to choose from. Growing up, the only Asian male movie roles that I remember watching was Bruce Lee in all his martial arts movies, Jackie Chan in all his martial arts comedy movies, Chow Yun-fat in all his martial arts, action-packed shoot’em ups, and so on.
Also, I looked eagerly forward to a Saturday afternoon special of Hong Kong martial arts movie with titles like, “The Five Deadly Venoms” or “Cranes versus Scorpions.”
You get the point. If you wanted to see an Asian male actor, he was either pummeling or being pummeled in a martial arts film. Even John Cho of the White Castle fame ended up with a katana in his hands in “Star Trek.” The only other option was Long Duk-dong in “Sixteen Candles.” Oh wait, we also had “Odd Job” the psychopathic Korean henchman for Goldfinger. How could I forget his razor edged hat?
Faced with such a history of stereotyped casting, the role choices made by Rain, Lee, and Jang are understandable. I am sure that they were also fully aware of the historical sensitivity and irony of a Korean actor playing an iconic Japanese character in order to land a role in Hollywood. Surely, it was not a decision made lightly.
Nor is this a criticism of the Hollywood establishment. Hollywood movies are very expensive to make. As a business, you want to minimize risk and maximize returns. And a proven business model will always be more reassuring to the investors. A case in point is that a Korea-based talent management agency, Wellmade Star M, invested $10 million in the movie, banking on the cliched but proven male Asian actor as ninja storyline.
Having said that, I couldn’t help but feel a sad, empty disconnect at seeing these great and dynamic actors so outside of their natural elements. When I think of Lee Byung-heon, I think of his nuanced, pained portrayal of a South Korean army officer in “JSA.”
When I think of Jang Dong-gun, I think of his equally arresting portrayal of the morally torn older brother in “Taegukgi, the Brotherhood of War.” And when I think of Rain, I think of dynamic dancing and romantic comedy. I dread to think what weapon Bae Yong-joon will be wielding in his foray into Hollywood. Although, no doubt, the Japanese ladies will be screaming.
To see all these very separate and distinctive Asian actors all of a sudden play essentially the same character wielding the same sword, wearing similar garbs, and speaking with the identical stunted English pained me. Despite their great work, there was a palpable sense of loss.
This wasn’t the entirety of who they were as actors, which was echoed by Jang when he said, “Yes, I do have action sequences in this movie, but I’d like to be known not as an actor who does martial arts but as someone who does those things well along with his acting. I want to be an actor who is remembered for his great acting abilities.”
Coming out of the theaters after watching “The Warrior’s Way,” I was fervently hoping that Jang would one day get his way. It also left me wondering who would be visionary enough to risk casting one of Asia’s great leading men as one of Hollywood’s leading men in a dramatic role. Which Asian heartthrob would also translate as a Hollywood heartthrob without having to decapitate someone first? Who would step up to produce “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” for Asian male actors?
The business risk is there, for sure. But so is an indelible place in history.
Jason Lim is a Washington D.C.-based consultant in organizational leadership, culture, and change management. He has been writing for The Korea Times since 2006. He can be reached at jasonlim@msn.com and on Facebook.com/jasonlim2000.