Celebrities

What can we expect in a new Bruce Lee documentary that we haven’t already seen in previous productions? By drawing on his own personal experience, Vietnamese-American director Bao Nguyen (Live from New York!), who lives between Los Angeles and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, has delivered something fresh with Be Water, a personal take on the challenges the martial arts superstar faced as he lived between Hong Kong and America. Having gained the family’s permission, Nguyen benefited from unprecedented access to archival material, which was essential, as it is primarily a film told in the past.  Several of Lee’s old friends appear in interviews; hearing from his widow, Linda Lee Cadwell, and daug

Things are changing fast in Hollywood for Asian actors, and it’s about time, says Michelle Yeoh. The Malaysian-born actress, who made her name as a Hong Kong action heroine in the mid-1980s, stepped back into the international spotlight with her performance in Crazy Rich Asians, the hit romantic movie she credits for Asian performers’ increased opportunities in American film and television. “It’s been a long time coming, so let’s not make it a one-hit wonder,” Yeoh says in New York ahead of the release of her latest film, Last Christmas, a light romance inspired by the Wham! hit of the same name. “There have been changes in Hollywood, and you can definitely see more Asian faces on the screen

The sudden death of Taiwanese-Canadian actor and model Godfrey Gao has sparked a debate over the working lives of entertainers in China.  Gao died at the age of 35 due to cardiac arrest on Wednesday during the filming of hit reality show Chase Me, a sports challenge show produced by Zhejiang Television in eastern China.  Gao collapsed at 1.30am when he was running, according to a statement by the broadcaster. He was declared dead after being sent to a hospital in the major eastern city of Ningbo.  Gao’s death has shocked both fans and fellow actors in China. In response, a number of actors have hit out at what they call a toxic work culture, saying they are doing a “high-risk” job that ofte

A hospital in eastern China has suspended 11 medical staff for leaking photos of medical waste, including a needle and drip bag, from Mando-pop star JJ Lin, in a case that highlights obsessive fan culture. Following a concert last Saturday, Lin visited the Zhenjiang First People’s Hospital in Jiangsu province after feeling ill, according to local media.  But after he was discharged, photos of the needle and drip bag used by him began circulating online. Some of the posts jokingly suggested the medical waste was for sale. Lin, 38, is Singaporean and sings mainly in Mandarin. He’s a multiple winner of Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards. He was in Jiangsu for the latest leg of his Sanctuary 2.0 Worl

Despite breaking the Chinese internet with a new hit song, Taiwan’s “King of Asian Pop” Jay Chou has received some heat for promoting “sexist” values with a music video that features the female lead sacrificing for her boyfriend.  The star’s latest single, Won’t Cry, has sold millions of digital copies and topped charts in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan hours after its release on Monday night.  But for some fans, the song depicts an ancient and tired archetype of a self-sacrificing woman expected to exhaust herself in order to support her man. In the video, the female lead, played by Japanese actress Ayaka Miyoshi, supports her boyfriend’s dreams of becoming a professional photographer

China’s top-rated TV series of the summer has made a leading man out of chiseled actor Li Xian. The 27-year-old starred as professional video gamer Han Shangyan in the 41-part smash hit romantic drama Go Go Squid! opposite established actress Yang Zi. The title of the show refers to the online handle of Yang’s character, a social media influencer. Li has been the talk of the town this summer. Since airing in July, the series has been streamed more than 9.6 billion times, making it China’s most-watched TV program last month. For proof of his newfound stardom, look no further than the party held at The Peninsula Beijing hotel by Chinese streaming giant iQiyi to get a sense of Li’s popularity.

There’s a photo that’s been skidding around the internet. It shows Keanu Reeves, whose career has been reignited by the success of the John Wick franchise and his brilliantly self-deprecating turn in the Netflix rom-com Always Be My Maybe, sitting on a couch with a smiling, bespectacled older East Asian woman in a flowered print top.  In truth, the picture itself isn’t particularly notable.  It’s actually the image’s whimsically spelled caption that has made the meme go viral: “Keanu Reeve’s grandma is Chinese Haiwaiian.” That Reeves has Asian Pacific Islander heritage isn’t exactly new information.  From his earliest initiation into Hollywood, Reeves has always been referred to as the “son

Chinese fans are questioning the authenticity of Disney’s depiction of the iconic heroine Mulan, after viewing a new trailer for the highly anticipated live-action film. In the trailer, the titular character is seen riding her horse across emerald-green rice paddies and arriving at home – a distinctive donut-shaped structure with mud walls, tiled roofs and a bustling courtyard shared with neighbors. This scene has Chinese fans scratching their heads. The real Mulan, if she lived at all, could not have lived in such a house. “This is American-style ancient China,” said one internet user on the Twitter-like Weibo.  The unique, instantly identifiable home seen in the trailer is called a tulou,

The break-up between Fan Bingbing, China’s highest-paid actress, and her actor fiance Li Chen has made headlines around the world. Fan, 37, and Chen, 40, got engaged in 2017. News of the breakup, which was announced on Fan’s official social media page, soon became one of the most searched terms on China's Twitter-like microblogging platform Weibo. But considering Fan’s fame, the reaction was fairly muted, with a relatively paltry 40 million views. Most of the messages expressed support for her and her work, rather than sadness at her break-up. “Sis, get back to work and pack your schedule. Love is only like floating clouds, your career is more important!” a user called AmourFanFanSis wrote.

Since Crazy Rich Asians hit theaters last August, life hasn’t been the same for Gemma Chan. After making a mark on-screen as the rich, elegant Astrid Leong-Teo, she has graced international magazine covers and starred in films Mary Queen of Scots and Captain Marvel. The world is now her oyster, but what she really wants is to help to tell stories about Asian people living everywhere. “What’s really good for me is to find stories that aren’t just pigeonholing Asians in Asia,” she said. “I think Crazy Rich Asians is a wonderful example of an Asian story but it’s also about the diaspora and what it’s like for Asian people living everywhere.” “And, some of the similarities and differences betwe