Matt Damon will move seamlessly from playing hero Jason Bourne to an equally pale-skinned muscleman defending the Great Wall of China in his next film to hit theaters. Fresh Off the Boat actress Constance Wu thinks it’s ridiculous — and tired — that heroes in big budget movies tend to look like Matt Damon (or Leo DiCaprio or Daniel Craig).
For the millionth time it’s NOT abt blame. Not blaming Damon, the studio, the Chinese financiers. It’s not about blame, It’s about AWARENESS
— Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) July 30, 2016
Wu writes: “We have to stop perpetuating the racist myth that only a white man can save the world.” Wu asks people to consider the real world evidence, where heroes “look like Malala, Ghandi, Mandela. Your big sister when she stood up for you to those bullies that one time.” In other words, heroes — as we know — come in all shapes, sizes, colors and genders. Wu recognizes that executives have long cited financial considerations for such whitewashed casting, but she says “money is the lamest excuse.” Wu emphasized that she’s not trying to blame anyone — her mission is to raise awareness.
[Eddie Huang’s heroic Fresh Off the Boat memoir was the basis for the Wu’s show.]
Can we all at least agree that hero-bias & “but it’s really hard to finance” are no longer excuses for racism? TRY pic.twitter.com/mvNet5PrtH
— Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) July 29, 2016
