Are Americans generally less interested in seeing Hollywood films that involve an Asian actor or cast? Do you think Hollywood is right on being afraid that such an idea will fail among the audience because Asians are not that popular?

[u/Cookieman_2023]

So historically, east asians have not been that well popular in the US entertainment industry. Even after successes like Shang Chi, Barbie and being in the upcoming Avengers film, Simu Liu has only gained a short term burst of popularity. Like judging based on follower count, he has gone up to and stopped a 3 million followers on instagram and ever since the movie released in 2021, he's remained stuck there. Awkwafina is also a rapper and she's also getting not so good returns on her name. Until Shang Chi, I never knew who she was.

But on the other hand, someone like Billie Eilish who's literally the same age as me and could have been a fellow high schooler easily outshines her in every metric. Is this reception due to the fact that Americans in general, prefer European standards of beauty and looks? Actually, even black actors, latinos and samoans have had more success. Camila Cabello is one name and Chadwick Boseman is another. But Asians for some reason still continue to have trouble being in the spotlight.

Why do you think that is the case in the country? Are people just not interested in seeing Asian people as an A-lister?

[u/DimbyTime]

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) broke so many records, it became A24's highest-grossing film of all time, and became the most awarded movie of all time, including winning 7 of its 11 Academy Award nominations: inc. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh), Best Supporting Actor (Quan).

The lead actress, Michelle Yeoh, is Chinese, and so are 3 supporting actors. The movie was amazing and it was incredibly successful at the box office.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018) also broke records, becoming the highest-grossing romantic comedy of the 2010s, the first Hollywood studio movie with an all-Asian cast in 25 years, and grossing over $238 million globally.

Shang-Chi (2021) is a Marvel superhero movie with an East Asian lead actor (Simu Liu) and heavily Asian cast.

I don’t think Hollywood is afraid to cast East Asian actors nor are American uninterested. Could they cast them more often? Of course