When “American Born Chinese,” a graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, hit bookshelves in 2006, it was the first of its kind in an otherwise homogeneous genre. Blurring the line between mythology and reality, the story follows Chinese American boy Jin Wang, who navigates a new school as one of the only Asian kids, let alone Asian American. Upon the arrival of Wei-Chen, a new student, the two face foes both mundane and mythical.
Ever since Disney+ announced in 2021 that it would be producing a limited series based on Yang’s novel, fans of the book have been brewing with anticipation — myself included. The cast boasts familiar faces like Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, and Ke Huy Quan, who recently received worldwide acclaim for their performances in “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once,” alongside fellow longtime industry veterans like Daniel Wu (“Police Story”) and Chin Han (“Mortal Kombat”). Notably, Malaysian icon Yeo Yann Yann (“Wet Season,” “Ilo Ilo”) will make her Hollywood debut with the premiere of the series this month.
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Yeo Yann Yann to talk all things “American Born Chinese”: her role as Christine Wang, Asian family dynamics, and the lesson we can all take away from this story.
Motherly Love
In the series, Yeo plays Jin’s mom Christine Wang, who is described in the official press release as a “strong-willed, opinionated woman.” Yeo would have to agree. “She is warm, a little chatty, very high-spirited, but she’s so kind and loving.” And though we don’t see much of Christine in the novel itself — she really only appears in one scene — Yeo notes that this gave her creative liberties in bringing this character to life onscreen.
“She is many women I’ve met,” Yeo adds, and in the script and the book, “the information we get [about Christine] really comes from how Jin thinks of his family and his mom.” In the series, viewers can expect to see more of Christine,…
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